Luftwaffe Officers Tropical

[klr]

Thanks for the input I guess this is going back tomorrow. Kirby

[Glenn McInnes]

Perhaps you could expand a bit on the problems with these caps

Actually the exterior looks pretty good but the lining material,stamps etc look bogus.

Look at how soiled/mildewed the hat is (looks artificial,probably added grease spots) and then look at how clean the insignia is.




Glenn

[Leroy]

Glenn,
The one shown is actually one of the cleanest ones I saw. Most of the others (and I think I saw about 10 at that one time) were very dirty and mildewed, including the insignia. I'm not defending these and I, seriously, will yield to the others posters tonight because I know their qualifications. I am just curious as to what the hell is going on here and I would like to learn more. Of course, I know Walter enough to say "Hi" at shows, and the same things are said about him as are said about every other dealer out there, but I have seen him with some amazing things that EVERYONE liked and have always heard that what he has is worth looking at. The construction and material of these caps looked correct (but then, of course, so do many things). I think it takes brass balls to make up the finding of these (if they are fake)and then sell them publicly, and in fairly high quantity, at what was (at least then) retail prices, and then routinely continue to publicly deal in the company (and apparent friendship) of the dealers we are told here are "trustworthy". We're not in the same category here as "the Hero" and other well known "artists". If these are bad, there should be a definitive way to tell and, I must say, the stamps don't look bogus to me when compared to the dozens of types I have seen before.
Leroy

[J Melvin]

I hope they are fake. I sold one on the E-stand for about $50! Mine was absolutely mint.

John Hodgin hasn't weighed in on this, but he has pointed something out to me with regard to the eagle that helped in my conclusion that it was fake.

[Willi Z.]

Look at how soiled/mildewed the hat is (looks artificial,probably added grease spots) and then look at how clean the insignia is.

Yes, artificially aged. Bad insignia, the wrong type of grommet, incorrect construction, bad stamp, wrong officer trim (originals are not like that; 2 levels of trim), etc, etc.

Leroy, you want to make it about the person who sold them (if that is even the case, I don't know and I don't care) and to engage in what appears, again as usual, a never ending discussion going way off the path into the weeds. I am not interested. I want to talk about the cap. It is a fake.

[Willi Z.]

I hope they are fake. I sold one on the E-stand for about $50! Mine was absolutely mint.

You gave yours away! These fakes sell for around $600 while originals are at least 6 times that much.

[B. N. Singer]

...I think it takes brass balls to make up the finding of these (if they are fake)and then sell them publicly, and in fairly high quantity, at what was (at least then) retail prices, and then routinely continue to publicly deal in the company (and apparent friendship) of the dealers we are told here are "trustworthy"...Leroy

Nothing new about any of that I am afraid.

B. N. Singer

[Leroy]

Leroy, you want to make it about the person who sold them (if that is even the case, I don't know and I don't care) and to engage in what appears, again as usual, a never ending discussion going way off the path into the weeds. I am not interested. I want to talk about the cap. It is a fake.

Back off, Willi. I am sorry to learn this about Kanzler, and glad I never bought one, but your sadly routine condescension really doesn't help. Please do talk about the cap and show us what you think a good one must look like.
Leroy

[John Hodgin]

I hope they are fake. I sold one on the E-stand for about $50! Mine was absolutely mint.

John Hodgin hasn't weighed in on this, but he has pointed something out to me with regard to the eagle that helped in my conclusion that it was fake.

Agree Jack, the eagle is a known reproduction. So is the cap.

Leroy, David Bunch contributed many good Luftwaffe M41 caps which are illustrated in Kurtz DAK book published by Schiffer.

[Leroy]

Thank you, John. I will go back and check it.
Leroy

[Leroy]

Nothing new about any of that I am afraid.

B. N. Singer

You are, of course, correct. I'm just sorry to add another name to the (very long) list. I have been, gratefully, insulated from much of this by my usual practice to buy directly from vets and a very few dealers I trust implicitly. I have been burned, but thankfully not very badly at all over the years.

[klr]

Thanks again for the info. I got the cap as part of a trade. My friend will take it back. He thought it was good so he got burned. I'm glad we have the forums to check things out. Thanks Kirby

[Willi Z.]

David Bunch contributed many good Luftwaffe M41 caps which are illustrated in Kurtz DAK book published by Schiffer.

The Kurtz FJ book also has several. John, will we see any in your work?

We have also presented some originals on threads in the past.