Heer M43 caps with 2-piece insignia?

[John A.]

Hi, folks,
I've been studying Heer M43 caps of late, and from what I can gather, it appears
original caps with 2-piece insignia are infrequently found. Searching the forums,
I found pics of 5. Some had bevo eagles sewn with the backing in a triangle shape and the cockade below, sewn separately. Others had the backing of the bevo eagles trimmed, and were sewn closely following the outline of the eagle. Is there a strong preponderance of one type vs. the other?

I'm curious to ask if Heer M43's with 2-piece insignia primarily were made early after adoption (perhaps due to shortages of trapezoids)? Or were they made throughout the war?

Also, when found, should Heer M43's with hand sewn insignia automatically be considered highly suspect, or were a reasonable amount manufactured?

Were any makers especially known for 2-piece insignia caps, or
did specimens occur across the spectrum of manufacturers?

Any insight or information you can share would be very helpful!

Thanks for your help -- I do appreciate your consideration!
Sincerely,
John

[John A.]

Any thoughts at all?

Hi, folks,
Sorry to ask so many questions -- trying to learn as much as I can...

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
Thanks,
John

[OSS]

Two piece insignia sewn in combination began with the M-42 cap. Some of the billed caps seen in photographs with the two piece insignia are M-42s which have been converted (they can be identified by a grommet on each side). The insignia on M-42s and converted M-42s can be hand or machine sewn. Two piece insignia on true M-43s are rare (probably not more than 5% of total) and are almost always machine sewn, typical of later caps. I hope this helps.

[pauke]

OSS' remarks are correct and I cannot recall if I have seen a standard M-43 with ORIGINAL factory hand-applied insignia, especially 2-piece. There are also M-42 caps with original traps and I would not expect there to be much if any problem with adequate amounts of trapezoids being available for M-43 production. KM M-43 caps have 2-piece insignia which is normal, but WH M-43's don't seem to have that except as noted by OSS.

[John A.]

Great! Thanks!

Hi, folks,
That is actually very helpful -- a quick grounding in the basics will be helpful
as I search for a good Heer M43! Obviously, at this stage in my learning,
I won't buy one without getting it vetted here, for fear of repros, but just
what you have posted can help me weed through caps and reject some repros
more easily than I would have. Also, I saw the 5 pics of original M43's with 2-
piece insignia and I do like them, but at 5% of production, it lets me know that
realistically, I shouldn't expect to find an original any time soon. It is also
helpful to know that they were made late-war, not just as a start-up measure,
as I'd speculated. And, the tip to look for the grommet as an indicator of a
cap converted to M43 was also helpful!

Thanks very much -- my search will be noticeably streamlined, and of course,
I'll still be working to learn more as I go. I appreciate your help!
Sincerely,
John

[B. N. Singer]

...cannot recall if I have seen a standard M-43 with ORIGINAL factory hand-applied insignia, especially 2-piece...

For your edification Sir.

Regards,
B. N. Singer

[Lenny W]

For your edification Sir.

Regards,
B. N. Singer

Splendid example Bryon

[B. N. Singer]

...

Thank you Sir; especially as you are a ‘tough audience’.

Very best,
Bryon

[OSS]

There is an exception to every rule. However of the dozens of M-43s presented on this forum for opinion with hand sewn insignia, I don't recall any that I believed to be wartime applied. Rules are simply a helpful guideline though not an absolute law.

[RonR]

This one was acquired directly from the veteran who sent it home in a plasma box.


Please note that i no longer own this hat......


...........

[OSS]

I love it, very likely Halfar is the maker.

[BPA-Paul]

For your edification Sir.

Regards,
B. N. Singer

Very nice feldmütze Mr Singer, great looking piece.

[BPA-Paul]

Some photos for reference...


2piece Insig tablet1.jpg

2piece Insig tablet 2.jpg

[John A.]

Beautiful!! Thank you, Gentlemen!

Gorgeous caps -- thanks very much for sharing!!
I sure appreciate it!

John

[jmb]

For your edification Sir.

Regards,
B. N. Singer

Very nice cap!
Any photos of the lining?