Flak NCO's visor.

[BenVK]

I'm sorry but this cap has many problems. Blaming it on late war manufacture is just rubbish. No German tailor whether in 1935 or 45 would have let this one out the door. The quality of workmanship is terrible. Do the right thing, give the man his money back!

[Auldfella]

Thanks for your input Jens. As I said earlier

The rear of the sweatband was sown with black thread and had come detatched plus the fabric had split slightly in that area so I carefully tacked the edges together and restitched the band.

When the cap arrived the sweatband was loose at the rear and the blue fabric had parted in the same area where it turns around the cap frame. I could see that the split in the fabric would get worse so took the decision to bring the ends back together with thread. The rear of the sweatband was originally edge sewn with black thread so I tacked this back in place with similar black thread - I say tacked as I was not intent on a restoration back to standard I just wanted the band to be held back in place thus minimising future damage. Therefore the quality of the original construction ought not to be judged on the tacked black sweatband stitching

[Adrian]

Is it possible to post some close ups of the chinstrap and buttons?

[Auldfella]

I'll get some taken as soon as I can.

[picone]

Why are we playin' footsies here? The cap is one great big piece of SH!T! Give the man his money back even if it has been a year and then throw it in the trash so it doesn't wind up in someones collection again.

What a fake piece of garbage!! Are you sure you didn't pull it out of their diaper pail??


In fact I have a much better idea. Send it to Helmut for his collection. I am sure he would to sell it for you.

[Marc Walker]

I disagree with a buyer expecting a return of his money on something like this........ forever! Collectors have to take some responsibility for they're own decisions.

Just because an item like this turns out to be less than right (ok... total crap), doesn't mean that the seller intentionally defrauded the buyer.

If the seller is a dealer, that's another story. If it's just one less than knowledgable collector to another........ I say the buyer should have a reasonable amount of time to assess it (or have it done for them) and past that............ they have to be responsible for their decision to keep it.

There are several avenues for a buyer to take. One of them is to get some good detailed pictures and present them to the forum for an assesment.

Another is to get the resorce materials available (the Wilkins book would be good in this case) and learn what you need to know.

If a buyer gets it done shortly after his purchase, then he has every right to expect a refund. A year later......... I wouldn't even ask.

I will agree with one thing........... It should have the badges taken off and go directly in the trash where it won't end up costing anybody else. The only question left is....... who's going to be man enough to do it.

[NTZ]

Not much to add on the authenticity of this piece. I too feel it is, well lets just say not from the pre 1945 period. To the original owner I can only tell you this. I run ads in the local papers and get calls all the time. I couldn’t tell you how many times I go to look at pure crap and the owners swear their father brought it back from the war or it was their fathers during the war. In fact I just went yesterday to a guys house that had a whole bag of 101st Airborne patches. He swore they were his dads. He even pulled out his discharge papers. The whole lot was Vietnam era. How does the old saying go? Buy the piece not the story.

[Auldfella]

Is it possible to post some close ups of the chinstrap and buttons?

As promised, apologies for the delay.

[Auldfella]

I would just like to add that a re-read of my posts will clarify that my intention in posting this cap was not to seek redress but for an assessment and possible valuation as I wished to part with it. Since posting it here Jens & I have been and continue to be in amicable correspondence

[Adrian Stevenson]

Another odd feature is that the cap band appears to have been added on top of the cap. There is a gap between it and the coloured piping which should not be there. It would appear that the cap band proper is beneath this.

Cheers, Ade.

[Auldfella]

Ade, it happens I still had the cap and my camera on the desk when I read your comments so was able to quickly get this photo..

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, thanks for that I lean towards this cap being converted from something else into a Luftwaffe cap.

Cheers, Ade.