M40 Heer tropical cap for review

[Tim O'Keefe]

The rbn# belongs to HPC, Hermann Potthoff Coesfeld. Maker of Heer & KM tropical caps. Here is a thread about another KM cap by this maker...some differences.

http://afrikakorps.forumcrea.com/vie....php?pid=12600

[Germania77]

Dear Robt,

Thanks for your clear reply. I appreciate your rows.

Let me add some more pictures Tomorrow (I'll take a few in natural light) to this tread because as I mentioned I have a few questions more which should be discussed in order to get overall picture about the cap. Please come back later and help me further in this matter. Thanks.

Regards. Robert

[Germania77]

Dear Tim OK,

Thanks for the link and the name of the manufacturer. I read the link through. Can you write me what differences are you thinking about exactly? Thanks.

Regards,
Robert

[RGD51]

Germania, why don't you just state "your" concerns and get it over with. Frankly, a protracted dialogue about your cap is unnecessary and you should take the time to read the many threads about trop caps on the forum and then draw your own conclusions.

Robt.

[Tim O'Keefe]

Dear Tim OK,

Thanks for the link and the name of the manufacturer. I read the link through. Can you write me what differences are you thinking about exactly? Thanks.

Regards,
Robert

Hi

Ok well some are pretty obvious. There are two different caps in that above link. Different eagle application. Different type of grommets & stamps used on the Herr cap & the KM, both however are perfectly acceptable.

with regards
Tim

[Germania77]

Hi Tim,

Ok. Now is clear what you wanted to show me. Yes, all the differences well visible in the pictures. Compared both to mine I hardly found similarities. The grommet inserts similar to the KM's only. All the other characteristics are a little bit different (maker stamp, stitching. etc.). It's interesting that the same manufacturer produced so different but same type of caps for the army. I haven't compared items from the same manufacturer yet therefore I thought every item has the same shaping and characteristic.

Regards,
Robert

[Mark Gibson]

This cap looks fake to me. I don't like the sweatband and I don't like the grommets, which don't look original to me at all. I just don't think that this cap is a wartime manufactured piece.

Mark

[Germania77]

Here are my concerns in four pictures which contain those differences which I'd like to clarify.

The first one (Q_16_2_a) shows the differences between a cap with the same manufacturer and mine. Well visible the stitching of the liner is totally different relative to the first cap and the grommet inserts as well. Are these differences normal when a manufacturer produce the same type of caps in the same year?

The second pic (Q_16_2_b) shows the difference of the size numbers in the maker stamps. Is it normal to use at the same year for the same type of cap different type of size stamps? Not mentioned the missing dot after the Nr acronyms.

[Germania77]

The third picture (Q_16_2_c) shows the inadequate stitching of the liner. Is this normal in a wartime cap? I've never seen the same phenomenon yet. The inadequate stitching can be seen on the shown section only.

In the forth picture (Q_16_2_d) can be seen the contamination drop moved between the blinder and the front of the cap. It's strange to me because the drop had to be got onto the front of the cap or the blinder only. It could be accidental? I tried to repeat the phenomenon on a new cap and I wasn't able to do it. The drop always got to the blinder or the front of the cap not between them.

Regards,
Robert

[Tim O'Keefe]

Hi Robert

Thanks for the added photos, your concerns you mention are valid imo. Agree with MarkG 100%. This cap is a fake. The liner, makers stamp, & the grommets especially look bad to me when compared to the other original caps by this maker in the thread on the AfrikaKorps Forum. The grommets on the HPC Herr example in the link (post #23 #1) are the classic type used on many makers of tropical caps unlike your cap. The wear to the exterior vs interior also is a concern

with regards
Tim

[RGD51]

Cap is a fake!.....good expose'.

Robt.

[Germania77]

Dear Mates,

Thanks for your great support and the clear comments.
I'm very sad but better to know the truth about the cap.


Regards,
Robert