Help With Recon ??? NCO Bds

[Fritz]

I am sorry that we disagree on several details; for one, that strap ,manufacturers used woolen piping until the bitter end, simply not so. Have you ever seen M-44 straps with woolen piping? I have not. I would guess woolen piping was discontinued in the late '41 early'42 period. Even field gray straps are rare to find with wool piping. Felt straps often had felt piping but these are usually private purchase.

There is no need to be sorry. To disagree is a normal thing in life.

However, as far as the piping is concerned you asked the question and also already gave the answer: M44 straps were not the only strap design that was "in production" late in the war. Wool piping was used up to the bitter end especially for nco ranks. Private purchase? Now what is the definition of "private purchase", purchased by an individual? A unit?

As I said before, many of the straps that have wool piping were made by smaller and smallest makers, I strongly believe that units ordered straps from shops in their hometown or just where they were stationed and these shops used what was a availble to them. This is even more so the case with smaller units and, as I said, especially with NCO ranks.

Look at the straps I have posted, they are quite unusual but 100% original.

I will post another unusual set, which I know is of later manufacture than the others I have shown, yet it has wool piping. - Also 100% orginal and was designed in an early fashion, note the tongue design and material used. - Again an NCO rank.

I can of course see that the straps in question are controversial, thus I agree with some of your concerns, especially the grey fabric used in combination with wool piping, however, that is not "the kiss of death" either as far as I am concerned

From what has been provided I still believe they are original, are they "textbook"? Heck, no.

Cheers