Cap Cleaning Help

[Fred S]

That's something Bob! CONGRATS!!!!

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Bob, a very wise choice. A car would only depreciate in value anyway

Cheers, Ade.

[Bob Hritz]

Ade,

That is what I told my wife! She actually agreed and feels that she will find a good deal on any US car from a company that is near bankruptcy, ie: General Motors and Ford.

She is an astute investor and understands market trends and the value of the truely rare. She is supportive of my hobby and will reap the benefits, one day.

Bob Hritz

[billmunny]

Nice!

Congrats, Bob!

As you may know, Willi Schumacher here in Northern Virginia has such a rare rare rare cap as well...its truly magnificent...and, I agree, please don't clean it!

[Bob Hritz]

FedEx just arrived and Totenkopf private is pleased with his cap.

Bob Hritz

[besslein]

FedEx just arrived and Totenkopf private is pleased with his cap.

Bob Hritz

fantastic,over all this years here in Europe,I have seen only one but only with both skulls (eagles removed post war i think )
do you know the orgin form that one??

[Bob Hritz]

It was listed on Craig's List under the used clothing. it had been purchased in a vintage clothing store. The collector who bought it from the Craig's List ad sold it to me. All parties are tickled pink!

Bob Hritz

[Fred S]

It was listed on Craig's List under the used clothing. it had been purchased in a vintage clothing store. The collector who bought it from the Craig's List ad sold it to me. All parties are tickled pink!

Bob Hritz

That's a lucky purchase!
And you're right: you'll waste money with a car...

[CWP]

Just amazing, a great story too! Glad you are not cleaning it, it is perfect the way it is, a time capsule.

[Bob Hritz]

Interestingly, the material is treated with some kind of waterproofing, like some early zeltbanns. I did take the air compressor and blow off some dirt clogs. The hat is the same, but not the clogs of dirt that were clinging to the fall side. The wear has really weakened the camo colors on the fall side and I doubt it was ever reversed for wear. The sweat stains, on the reinforced sweatband (on fall side), have come through to the front, leaving the stains. There is no evidence of it having sweat stains that passed from spring side to fall side. What appears, in the photos to be black grime is mostly the sheen of the sweat stains on the waterproof material. It is not shiney black but just somewhat darkened. It does look less vibrant and more subdued, in person, than it does in bright light or camera flash.

Bob Hritz

[BenVK]

Bob, I don't know about you but the stains add a different dimension to the cap. Had it been pristine and unworn, it still would have been a spectactular example. But having obvious signs of being worn, for me at least, increases it's desirability ten fold.

[kirk]

Your cap is fantastic Bob!!!!The only problem I see with the cap, is that it isn't mine!!!!!

[djpool]

Bob,

What a wonderful cap. I was glad you let me actually play with it today.It has so much character.Much better than any mint one that sat the war out on a shelf. Of course Deb asked if Lily is as happy as you lead on ha,ha. Jim

Interestingly, the material is treated with some kind of waterproofing, like some early zeltbanns. I did take the air compressor and blow off some dirt clogs. The hat is the same, but not the clogs of dirt that were clinging to the fall side. The wear has really weakened the camo colors on the fall side and I doubt it was ever reversed for wear. The sweat stains, on the reinforced sweatband (on fall side), have come through to the front, leaving the stains. There is no evidence of it having sweat stains that passed from spring side to fall side. What appears, in the photos to be black grime is mostly the sheen of the sweat stains on the waterproof material. It is not shiney black but just somewhat darkened. It does look less vibrant and more subdued, in person, than it does in bright light or camera flash.

Bob Hritz

[Bobwirtz]

Bob,

I wouldn't worry about using anything that would cause it to glow... any moron who would take the results of a black light scan and declare this cap as a fake doesn't know their rear end from a hole in the ground. Yours is the 4th known original that I know of: Dave Delich, my friend Willi Schumacher, a fellow in Denmark and now yours. You mentioned 5 but I don't know who the 5th would be. Willi's is mint and was captured out of a depot in Latvia. It has two tags attached to it: one from the Red Army Museum in Moscow with the original capture information, and the other from the Red Army Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg (nee Leningrad) where George Petersen got it from. The colors are still very vibrant, as well as the camouflaged insignia. It is pictured, along with Dave Delich's cap, in Mike Beaver's Waffen-SS Camouflaged Uniforms: A Photographic Reference. Congratulations, Bob... you've joined a very select group of Waffen-SS collectors!

Bob

[John Hodgin]

Bob,

Congratulations, Bob... you've joined a very select group of Waffen-SS collectors!

Bob

Amen to that. Fantastic addition Bob, and I trust you were always kidding about cleaning it.
Congratulations!
John