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    SS crusher study

    Originally Posted by phild View Post
    SS crushers are almost the last frontier in 3rd Reich collecting. By that I mean that almost every major high profile and many low profile types of items have had the doodoo analized and published out of them over the last 25 years, especially during the last 10 yearsor so. While we collectors don't know everything about anything we certainly know a lot more than we did even 10 years ago about most items of 3 Reich militaria....SS crushers not withstanding.

    SS crushers are an exception. I believe that very few collectors if any really know a heck of a lot of TRUE information about these caps. There is certainly no in depth information or extensive photos of real ones that has ever been published .

    Most of my knowledge about these type caps come from detailed study of as many good period photos of these being worn as I have been able to find over the last 30 years when I became seriously interested in them.

    I have also seen maybe 20 or 30 that I thought COULD be real in either sharp quality collector photo series or in person to study as well.


    There are a few general characteristics that I have found that differ these from the Heer examples (other than band color of course) and maybe about a half dozen fairly distinguishable types or variations within SS crushers that I have noted as well.

    What all of the above observations really mean I am unsure of, but it would interesting to try to organize and document in a systematic approach what is known about these desirable style of caps.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by jacquesf; 02-22-2008, 02:04 PM.

    #2
    Phil, I find your proposal for a systematic study of ss crusher highly commendable, but it seems that the technical skills and expertise available for such an endevour just does not exist. I for one has learned a lot from your comments regarding my crusher, but it seems you are alone in this wilderness. It might be because so few of these caps has been handled,especially by the guys that are really into the TR visors and are knowledgeable about the various makers and construction techniques. Would it be possible for you to list the main construction and other characteristics unique to these . Jacques

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      #3
      Originally Posted by jacquesf
      The big mistery to me is the absence of a pasteboard. Is it possible that it was made spesifically to be very soft and pliable or period modified/retaylored for use as a crusher? Jacques

      Answer by Phild: "I think that it could be either, but I very much lean toward it being made this way originally. I lot of times this buckram was shellaced or coated with some similar type of treatment that would stiffen it a bit. The velvet band was also probably glued to it as well. I would guess that for a good while the cap was both bendable and held the velvet very well. Over time and perhaps with some wartime rain wettings the animal based glue has pretty much let go.

      I can not say this for sure about your cap, but I have seen it on others.

      I will say that there are several little details on and in your cap that I look for in real SS officer crushers."

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        #4
        I join the others who like the buckram side panel. From my experience the buckram material as shown here is absolutely correct for a proper crushable field cap.
        Derek

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          #5
          "From my experience the buckram material as shown here is absolutely correct for a proper crushable field cap."

          "Believe me, every real alter art is crushable whether the band is backed with buckram or a cardboard like material. The aspect that made these style caps more foldable was a combination of the visor (leather or thin pressed paper NOT vulcan fiber), the almost total lack of padding in the top body of the cap and a thinner more flexable band backing matrial."Phild

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            #6
            Jacquesf and everyone else interested, I would be very interested in tying to help establish a framework for a survey and organization of the study of SS crusher caps. I am certainly not qualified to contribute a lot of knowledge to this area but there are several people and pehaps many in fact on this forum who I believe are.

            I just returned from 3 days at the SOS and I saw about 3 examples of what I believe were original SS crusher caps....all basically were in display type settings although I think that 2 of them may have been for sale if the price was right.

            My feelings are that construction materials and construction variations, while important and interesting have to be placed in a context with what type of SS crusher they are found on. By this I mean is the cap contract/issue or custom made and purchased and/or were some of these in between meaning contract for re-sale via the SS officer clothing counters.

            This approach takes no originality from me, but rather is the approach that we take with SS peak caps and it seems to go by the wind when discussing SS crusher caps....I feel that this is a mistake.

            As a general STARTING point I would suggest that we can break down every SS crusher cap as a "type 1" -Cloth covered visor or "type 2"- other (generally leather but maybe not always) material visor.

            In addition I suggest that we catagorize by model "A" -enlisted/NCO black badge cloth wool band and model "B" officer's black velvet or velvet like band. An example might be then- a Type 2B- meaning a non-cloth visor with a velvet band.... like Jacquesf's example.

            Cloth vs. metal insignia, band backing material, lining material, construction methods are just some of the other criteria that we can apply as well.

            I brief I am suggesting that there is a big difference in procurment origin between the cloth visor, wool band EM field caps and the velvet band, leather visor crushers and then we have some well documented styles in between like the wool band leather visor....

            I welcome any suggestions.

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              #7
              I would be very interested in hearing anyone's take on the SS crushers that were at the SOS.

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                #8
                Sorry, tried to update post

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                  #9
                  Phil, I agree. The obvious starting point is the manufacturing side. Firstly, Which of the categories you identified were contrac issue, Kleiderkasse or private purchace? Secondly, what was the determing criteria for the various caps, eg wool/ velvet band and leather or cloth peak etc. Thirdly, what was the criteria re insignia and at what stage were the various insignia applied? Fourthly, which unique construction traits, materials or techniques are common to the different caps. We can also have picture gallery of period worn caps.Jacques Ps I dont know remotely enough to provide answers on any of these.
                  Attached Files
                  Last edited by jacquesf; 02-25-2008, 03:42 AM.

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                    #10
                    em ss crusher with vulcan peak
                    Attached Files

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                      #11
                      Another ss em with vulcan visor with woolen band
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                        #12
                        ss officer with cloth visor
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                          #13
                          Kurt Meyer with leather peak and old style skull insignia
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                            #14
                            ss officer vulcan visor, velvet band and cloth eagle
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                              #15
                              ss nco leather visor with stitching velvet band metal insignia
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