Strange single button M43 cap

[NickG]

I have onwed this strange M43 for many years and have always wondered what it is?
-Foreign made original?
-RSI Italian?
-POW made, field made?
-Movie studio prop?
-bad repro?
-civilian?

The wool appears to be Italian, darker green...the closure button definately Italian...(wooden, green painted)
The crown is very low...
No pull down loops...
The crown stitching has no thread exposed...not a German style...(foreign?)
Faker's mistake? Harder to make a crown like this I would think...

[NickG]

Top view....
Obviously not a conventional M43 crown...

[NickG]

Side views?
Eagle???

[NickG]

Back and pulled down

[NickG]

Inside view...Heavily used and even stamped...Movie studio property or Museum stamp? or maker stamp?
It does show a size...(57) Unfortunately the rest is no longer readible but maybe this is an important clue to its origin?
Maybe somebody recognizes this stamp?

I'm hoping its something exotic RSI Italian... It is old, musty...well used and when I got it the visor was totally limp...
Not displayable like that...so I carefully opened it up and the stiffening material was indeed totally deteriorated...
So I replaced that with fresh cardboard...and closed it back up with field gray thread...
The construction is actually done with blue-gray thread...

Does it stand a chance? I realize it looks sloppy in appearance and certainly not a text book German assembly,
but was hoping at least something authentic Axis related or perhaps even POW made...but why the stamp in the lining?

[NickG]

Not claiming that it could be one of these....but who knows?
(locally produced Italian imitation M43 caps used by the Italian SS...)
Definately not a standard M43 in cut (shape) but mimicking these....Cottage industry made?

[NickG]

Low crown??? Italian SS wore all kinds of strange interesting caps!

[NickG]

Another low crown Italian made variant from an Italian collection! (web borrowed image).

Could my low top single button M43 (in what looks like Italian wool) be something similar?
or am I way off target?

[NickG]

Mine with same angle shot and now with SS skull added for effect...
Similar (weird) flat top shape!........... crown with internal (hidden) seam...Foreign made?
any ideas on Stamp???

[NickG]

and 2 more Italian Waffen SS period cap examples...Always adorned with metal skulls and always low crowns...
(locally produced no doubt)
So very un-German in shape...Copy cat M43's.... Something is obstructing the skull in the 2nd image!

[NickG]

So 86 views an no opinions still...? So I guess it is not obvious junk?
Is the silence a good sign?
Here another "low top" (+narrow flap) Italian made (2 button) M43 in summer weight material!
Again not exactly a German looking pattern !

[Dennis S]

I am by far not an expert on these ,but I don't hate it Nick , from the photos , typical late war Italian made m43 copy. I like the button. I would like to know more about the interior lining. What goes it feel like and what is it made of. Strange stamp for me can you make it out.

I don't think you should have messed with the visor. What type of cardboard was it?
I know you like to display your stuff , but think you should have showed it first.


Also check out e-bay italian it is loaded with fakes of m42/busting/m43 from the Specialty shop. If it doesn't match up to one of those that's good. Just search RSI.

It doesn't appear to be a Zazu movie prop one

[Dennis S]

You should also post this in the Axis/forum you can't use German built hats to compare these.

[NickG]

Thanks for chiming in Dennis...Yeah it is an odd duck and it had a big alement a very limp beak...I just had to re-reenforce it (with fresh cardboards
to make the piece more presentable...Original cardboard was all crumbled...totally deteriorated...no doubt got wet a lot...could not be saved!
Cap looks 1000% times better now!

but definitely not a standard German field cap! The cap wool material, closure button and even thread color matches your late war RSI ANR cap
(Italian copy M43, but yours much closer matching the German pattern).
I took the liberty to reproduce the image here, but in shape mine matches more your Black Brigades M43 better! See here:

http://gothicline.wordpress.com/mili...-carousel-1185

The second cap (again more shaped like a German M43) is an Italian FAKE! but same color wool and with wooden button like my "old" one!

[NickG]

Well here are some similar Italian made M43 examples (images borrowed from another thread...)
Note sloppy bent bills, low profile, (low crown) single button...
I see similarities with mine!