Tour de Stonemint: The Late, Late War Schupo Visor Hat

[stonemint]

I should add this to the "Post Your Police Headgear" thread, but my visors are very selfish and demand threads of their own (and besides, I am a believer in the "Ron R. Mode of Presentation", and that every hat, no matter what condition or how common, all deserve their moment in the spotlight).

As you all know, I collect primarily Officer (non-general) visors, and try to avoid late-war and EM/NCO caps, but with this hat I have made an exception. Up for tour today is what I would describe as a "late, late-war visor". I generally break visor production periods into 4 categories: 1) Pre-war (1933-39);
2) Early-war (39-42, before Stalingrad); 3) Late-war/mid-war (43-44); and Late-late war (Fall '44 to die Ende).

The hat I just picked up is undated, but I would put it in the last category, due to some of the materials (or lack thereof) used, and some shortcuts in manufacture--but at the same time, it is still a terrific example of German haberdashery under the most trying of circumstances.

I'll show this in "teaser" mode--we'll start off with the visor itself--it is vulcanfiber, but it is finished with a matte black paint--there is no laquering at all:

[stonemint]

This is the standard NCO 1-piece eagle made of feinzinc--if it ever had a finish, it was absorbed long ago:

[stonemint]

The cockade is in matching feinzinc, also unfinished. I would have expected red cardboard for the center, but it is wool:

[stonemint]

The chinstrap is basically thin cardboard with a leatherette finish--it definately is not leather:

[stonemint]

As a late-late-war economy measure, the chinstrap lacks buckles, but instead has 2 simple paper slides at each end.
In another anomaly, the chinstrap buttons are actually pebbled silver-finish zinc officers buttons, and are original to the cap:

[stonemint]

There are 2 of the large screened vents that are commonly seen on NCO polizei visors--many times they are missing, due to the fact that the wool really isn't a good base to secure them to--they all have 100% of their enameling:

[stonemint]

OK, the pic you have all been patiently waiting for--the eye level frontal view. The body is standard police-green mottled wool, with NO mothing at all.

The hat has a high, stiff peak w/o "sag" or "creasing"--you'll learn why soon:

[stonemint]

Right side view--the brown band is made of very fine virgin wool, and retains its color w/o any fading at all:

[stonemint]

The green piping is still bright and unmothed, and the crown piping is slightly thicker than the band piping.

The body of the hat is a rougher wool, and if you look closely, you can see other fibers--I believe it is re-processed wool:

[stonemint]

Here's one of the 2 reasons that I had to have this hat, (which will come as no surprise to most of you!):

[stonemint]

Here is an overhead shot--in keeping with the late-war Pekuros, there is no celluloid sweatdiamond. The hat also lacks the velvet stirndruckfrei feature, and as such, is not marked for the same:

[stonemint]

"Under the Hood" shot. The top-panel is lined with wasserdicht material--it is the only lining on the cap:

[stonemint]

The sweatband is Alkor, and has stiffened with age--it lacks the distinctive Pekuro SB perforation pattern, and in fact, has none at all.

The pasteboard is also unlined, but note the scrap-wool felt band which runs the circumference of the inner pasteboard--Pekuro was still trying to give their buyers some level of comfort, even at this late stage.

As you all know, I am somewhat averse to UNtreated pasteboard, and even at this late date, Pekuro was not using bare cardboard for a band stiffener:

[stonemint]

I forgot to mention the other reason I bought this cap, which I am sure you all figured out--it is a stonemint, unissued "depot queen" which still has the original tissue paper!

BTW, what is that white thingy peeking out behind the tissue paper in the background?!

[stonemint]

Well, you have all heard of the "double Erel", but how many of you have heard of the "Dubl-Sprung Pekuro"?!

It is a SECOND spring: