Waffen ss crusher cap.

[kim midtlyng]

As a new member I will post a waffen ss crusher cap.
It`s a pioniere with black piping, and leather visor.
I have had it for some time and I feel good about it,
but what do you think?

Here are some details to consider:
1: the cloth is not very fine grade.
2: The cap band dont have seperate piping attatched, but have used
the cap band to make the piping. (I have seen this on other pioniere caps.)
3: The sweath band is made of oil cloth(?)
4: It has size stamp and two russian stamps to the interior. Could this be
museum stamps? Tha large one in center have text and 194(hand written 6)
"1946". The year registered in the museum?
5: there is traces of buttons on the sides. (not unusual)
6: it is well worn, and the sweath band has traces of wear.
7: the sweath band is cracked and hand sewn at many places.
8: the skull is marked m1/52 and is probably a fake.
9: the eagle is marked rzm and m1/8

Take a look at the pictures in the link, and feel free to make comments.
Is it worth a place in my collection?
http://home.online.no/~kmidtl/waffensscrusher.cfm

Kim Midtlyng

[Wolften]

Welcome to the Forum kim midtlyng,

you want buy this cap ?
I like the picture...

Regards
Wolften.

[phild]

I could be way off base here, but a few things about this cap strike me as an imperial cap that has been re-badged as W-SS. The short and rather "smallish" style of the visor is one thing and the type of weave of the cap body material is very much like that found on many (well there are not really MANY that exist!) later WWI feldgrau bluses and other uniform items.

The lining color and headband material is also very typical of WWI era German caps.

I would have to do some checking to see if that piping/cap band color combination existed back then and I know it is not WWI era Pioneer.

As I said, I could be wrong, but the shape and scale seem to say to me Imperial era.

[kim midtlyng]

Thanks for comments so far.
The cap is for now already in my collection. But not payed for...
As to the visor it seem to have dried in, and therfore il looks small. If you see close to the cap there is some "left over" leather that has buildt up a rim.
Is it possible that it was custom made in the eastern territories?

Good observation about ww1 era, please look into this if you are able to.

kim

[BenVK]

Hello Kim, nice to see you here on the forum. Your collection of caps is quite amazing.

However, I would also have to agree that this cap looks to be Imperial or possibly Weimar era and not WSS. As you've said, the skull looks to be a fake. Can't say about the eagle without better photos.

[kim midtlyng]

Hello Ben!
The idea of pre ww2 era is very interesting, but bad news for me...
well it is not a new reproduction that is good.

I have now added a close up of the eagle.
How do we explain the russian stamps to the interior?
Could it have been used as a waffen ss during ww2?

[Albert]

...
How do we explain the russian stamps to the interior?
Could it have been used as a waffen ss during ww2?

Hi Guys,

My opinion is that what we have here is a put together cap; the sweat band is clearly not from this cap.. The Russian stamps are from one of their movie studios. They needed an SS cap for a film so they made one up from what they had. This was a common practice.

BR,

Albert

[TONY Q.W.]

I'm with Ben on that.

[Lignemaginot]

Any sign of holes behind the TK and eagle indicating that other insignia were on there at some point? Imperial and Weimar caps would have had a kokarde on the band and the peak.

[kim midtlyng]

HI!

no signs of any other insignia been attached.

[stevezz1]

Hi Kim,
I don't think i can add much. Only to say that the materials/construction do not look like WW.2 era to me........

Outstanding collection though.....Some superb caps.....

Steve.

[Wolften]

it's a hold cap.... after....
the ss story is so difficult...

regards
wolften.

[obergruppen]

The crusher looks ok but it is not a SS crusher

[REMUS]

Don't know about the crusher,Kim,but you have an awesome collection!!

[kim midtlyng]

It`s all clear now. This is a imperial german army artillery cap.
It explaines the traces of buttons.
It has the typical heavy wool, interior cloth and wool type used in the cap band.
Good thing it`s not a repro, and I did not think so. But just by adding the ss insignia it was quite convinsing.
The nice part is that I have not payed for it, so all I have to do is send it back.
And there is nothing to worry about.

Leasson learned for me:
"It could be a reproduction, it could be a fake, it could be genuine or it could be older than you think..."

Now I know what to do the next days. Study imperial headgear.

Thank`s for all help and information.

kim