SS Tropical Fieldcap

[ferdinandmax]

Ok

[ferdinandmax]

szsz

[ferdinandmax]

zszs

[Tim O'Keefe]

Hi Sergio

Thanks alot, confirms what i thought. The CW cap was made at the larger CW factory at Braunschweig, not the Hamburg location. No grommets on this one correct ? Also thanks for posting the PW stamp, these are the only two known makers stamps that are original to ss tropical visored field caps imo.

best regards
Tim

[David T]

Ben, do you have the Beaver/Shea SS headgear book? I can't remember the page number but same variation (this caps sibling) is depicted in tropical headgear section.

[ferdinandmax]

Ben, do you have the Beaver/Shea SS headgear book? I can't remember the page number but same variation (this caps sibling) is depicted in tropical headgear section.

.Jes No grommets on this

[BenVK]

Whilst I appreciate seeing this nice CW made cap, it doesn't really help authentic the one I have being that it's maker marked and has no grommets.

Does anyone have one with grommets so we can compare?

Btw, why do we call them grommets anyway?

Isn't "Eyelets" a more accurate term?

[David T]

In case my post was misunderstood in regards to which cap I was referring.....Ben the cap you posted is included in the Beaver/Shea SS headgear book.

[BenVK]

Thanks David but I believe the one in the Beaver book is maker marked as well, I think it's been posted here on WAF in the past. I'll see if I can find it.

In the meantime, here's a repro to compare with.
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=835516

[Tim O'Keefe]

Sorry Ben, you know me & my interest in anything to do with CW tropical M40's

Here is an original tropical ss cap with grommets, though these are the more common type of grommets.

https://www.militariaplaza.nl/archiv...cap-257-detail

& here is another that i am not so sure about & could be wrong.

http://afrikakorps.forumcrea.com/viewtopic.php?id=2193

grommets = an eyelet placed in a hole in a sheet or fabric to protect or insulate.

[David T]

Ben, what do you think about the thread used in construction of cap? Does it look period. What about the material that the visor is constructed of...under the fabric. Is it bright white cardboard or is it a black fiberboard? Does the thread stitching on the skull look like period thread? Also....can you feel what may be cellulose sweatband stitched into the interior circumference of the cap?

[BenVK]

Thanks David but I believe the one in the Beaver book is maker marked as well, I think it's been posted here on WAF in the past. I'll see if I can find it.

Found it!

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=170311&page=6

[BenVK]

What about the material that the visor is constructed of...under the fabric. Is it bright white cardboard or is it a black fiberboard? Also....can you feel what may be cellulose sweatband stitched into the interior circumference of the cap?

It has a black fiberboard and the cellulose strip you speak of.

[David T]

It is probably nit possible to authenticate this cap by comparing to the standard/typical SS tropical. I have the same cap ( your caps sibling ) identical in construction and insignia application. Yours is the third example I have seen now that includes the example in the Beaver/ Shea book. The cap I have sits in a plastic tub with repros.....yet I can't bring myself to remove the original insignia. I dont think its right....but at the same time I can't find anything to damn the cap as postwar

[David T]

Yes, I know that thread. This " variant" or whatever is not in the thread. The one in the book is just like yours ( and the example I have ). Same material, same eyelets /grommets, same insignia application and general material. Bought my cap many years ago from auction for the insignia....all of the above factors an then It was included in the book when that came out.