Hello all,
I have only ever seen one other cap like this (other than the equivalent of enlisted ranks types) and that was on Google images. The one I saw looked like it had been run over a few times by a large Panzer! I have only ever seen the EM's version in real life.
Many of the images don't really give a great indication of the true colour of this cap, or even the condition. I tried natural light, camera flash inside and out side. Damn it is a hard item to photograph. The colour is definitely black, with some areas of wear to the nape of the wool which give it a grayish tinge in some light. In the images the colour seems to range from grey to blue to black and every other combination.
Good quality soft-ish wool body, not the coarser later war material that feels like hessian sacking. It has the standard aluminium buckle to the front, which matches period non-commissioned variant caps. The inner shows moderately heavy wear. Interestingly, the ventilation grommets to the sides of the cap show the first grommet on both sides starting to corrode to the outer paint. So on both sides the pairs of grommets are made of different metal!? Possibly added later? Inner has the thick quilted lining like other non-commissioned rank versions, I have seen. There is obviously a well worn label, with no decipherable wording what -so- ever. The grey-silver piping for officer's, is a match to the samples of original piping I have (shown in one image). The brown leather sweat band is mostly complete but shows very heavy wear, soiling and is just holding together in some places. No reaction to UV light anywhere on the cap (for what it is worth). You can see where there was once insignia affixed to the front of the cap.
What I would like to know, is if it this cap is a legitimate Winter Leaders cap, an "other ranks" cap doctored up, or an exceptional, but none the less, a copy/fake/reproduction cap. As always any informed opinions welcome, I am used to disappointment. Just the hard cold facts please.
If you have real concerns or information about the item, please feel free to detail what these are, like "um, they never made these in "Officer Grade", this pattern cap, in the first place, sorry"! I would be extremely grateful for any information.
The cap looks, feels and smells old. The construction is the sort of quality work you would expect to see of a pre-WW2 cap. Even the reverse of the woolen adjustment strap to the front, has a good leather backing to it. Many thanks to all who peruse the thread!
Cheers,
David R
I have only ever seen one other cap like this (other than the equivalent of enlisted ranks types) and that was on Google images. The one I saw looked like it had been run over a few times by a large Panzer! I have only ever seen the EM's version in real life.
Many of the images don't really give a great indication of the true colour of this cap, or even the condition. I tried natural light, camera flash inside and out side. Damn it is a hard item to photograph. The colour is definitely black, with some areas of wear to the nape of the wool which give it a grayish tinge in some light. In the images the colour seems to range from grey to blue to black and every other combination.
Good quality soft-ish wool body, not the coarser later war material that feels like hessian sacking. It has the standard aluminium buckle to the front, which matches period non-commissioned variant caps. The inner shows moderately heavy wear. Interestingly, the ventilation grommets to the sides of the cap show the first grommet on both sides starting to corrode to the outer paint. So on both sides the pairs of grommets are made of different metal!? Possibly added later? Inner has the thick quilted lining like other non-commissioned rank versions, I have seen. There is obviously a well worn label, with no decipherable wording what -so- ever. The grey-silver piping for officer's, is a match to the samples of original piping I have (shown in one image). The brown leather sweat band is mostly complete but shows very heavy wear, soiling and is just holding together in some places. No reaction to UV light anywhere on the cap (for what it is worth). You can see where there was once insignia affixed to the front of the cap.
What I would like to know, is if it this cap is a legitimate Winter Leaders cap, an "other ranks" cap doctored up, or an exceptional, but none the less, a copy/fake/reproduction cap. As always any informed opinions welcome, I am used to disappointment. Just the hard cold facts please.
If you have real concerns or information about the item, please feel free to detail what these are, like "um, they never made these in "Officer Grade", this pattern cap, in the first place, sorry"! I would be extremely grateful for any information.
The cap looks, feels and smells old. The construction is the sort of quality work you would expect to see of a pre-WW2 cap. Even the reverse of the woolen adjustment strap to the front, has a good leather backing to it. Many thanks to all who peruse the thread!
Cheers,
David R
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