Ultra-Rare A-SS Red-Piped Visor!

[stonemint]

Well, it could be! I "set you all up" for an educational lesson on SS fakes, but also to encourage you all to explore the wonderful world of the Bergbaudienst.

I remember being at the Columbus, OH show circa 1981 and a "dealer" had a hat with red piping but with SS insignia (and the skull had red wool behind the eyes to match!) It was being sold as all original, and for some sort of rare A-SS unit. I want to say that even back then this guy was asking $2500.

Anyway, the mining service uses a black body with a black velvet band, but there the similarities end, so you should never be fooled by one of these. (and I have seen them pop up on ebay--I'm just surprised it isn't done more often).

This is a 1st style Bergbaudienst--this is one of only 2 TR caps that I am aware of that did not use the swastika:

[stonemint]

The insignia is the crossed pick & hammer--common to all Bergbau visors from Weimar to the present. Most of these have leather SS-style chinstraps, but this one was never fitted for one:

[stonemint]

The wool is doeskin. The piping appears pink, but actually is a deep red. This one has a decent sattel, but the crown is small:

[stonemint]

Most of the SS fakes of these have the diamond worn out (I wonder how many of these have become A-SS Frankys?!):

[stonemint]

The distributer is Carl Henkel--the "Michovius" of Bergbau Effekten:

[stonemint]

Red-piped is for pre-war (and Weimar) Bergbau, Yellow for wartime:

[stonemint]

Postwar, the BRD went back to red-piping, and stayed with the black body and samt band--these too could become "SS" visors.
The gold-piped is a DDR Bergbau General's visor:

[stonemint]

A progression, of sorts:

[Jody]

Red-piped visor

Hello,
Very interesting stuff.

Regards,
Jody

[Dr. Strangelove]

Kool

Kool

[Pascal Bernhard]

[Kreager]

Nice lesson

[Bob Hritz]

This reminds me of my old Physics and Economics studies, applied to militatia: Static Value vs Kinetic Potential Value!!!!!!

Bob Hritz

[Antiquefrog]

Stonemint - Thanks very much for this; one for the files.

[stonemint]

Guys, after I posted this, I had second thoughts--I am probably just encouraging more fakery, and we will probably see less mining visors now as a result, just like what happened to Bahnschutz officers visors (cut up to make Franky W-SS visors). Believe it or not, the yellow-piped Miner visors are extremely rare, and I have a feeling that it is due to their being sacrificed for parts--unlike their red-piped brethern, they have nice saddle shapes.

Oh well, get em while they're plentiful....