Jäger/Gebirgsjäger M44 shoulder straps for opinions please

[CWP]

I got these today and am curious about the reaction they might get here.

These are obviously atypical in many ways. The wool is an unusual gray shade and the buttonholes are not standard. The wool, for the tongues, doesn't look die-cut but rather hand-trimmed. They are asymmetrical and on the whole, very crudely made. They don't appear to be a product of industrial mass-production.

Authentication of shoulder boards is a tricky thing. Mass-produced in the millions, they are simple small items. With original materials and thread widely available, I can't see why it wouldn't be possible to crank out copies indistinguishable from the real deal. These unusual boards may be impossible to definitively judge. But I will be honest: my gut feeling is that these are real. Cottage industry, maybe? Are these materials totally implausible for wartime straps? I'm wondering what others think. Any comments would be welcome.

[CWP]

2

[CWP]

Last ones

[Fred Green]

Hello Chris,

It take a great leap of faith to believe non standard pieces. The materials all look good. The basic construction is correct IMO, although a little sloppy. I have seen the straight non keyhole button hole on other M44 boards. Do they feel right? Smell right? Give you a warm and fuzzy? How do they look on a tunic? They look a little different in the way they lay flat. Do they sit correctly on the shoulder of a tunic?

In the end , it is what you think about them. I think that they don't look bad and are plausible 3rd Reich material.

Fred

[Crusader17]

Believable IMO.

[CWP]

Fred, thanks for your input. I haven't tried putting them on a tunic yet.

They do, in fact, give me a warm and fuzzy. I'm certain you know exactly the feeling when something absolutely feels right but you could not point to anything objective to back up that gut feeling. The appearance of the stitching, how it has settled into the wool... When I got these I had to pick off some fuzz and lint as is often the case with original stuff I get that has been kicking around for a long time. Inside one of the creases, under the board where the fold is, was some built up dust. These aren't new, whatever they are.

If someone could point out that, for instance, the piping is some modern type found on fake boards, I could accept that. Maybe someone has or has seen a pair like this that they know to be good? It would be nice to have something more to go on than a best guess.

[pauke]

straps

Probably made 27-28 April 1945 or thereabouts.

[mwliles]

It is difficult to overcome all of the negative attributes of these boards and judge them in a positive light. This basket weave piping is very similiar to that used on West German Shoulder Boards. The buttonholes are simple and modern sewing machines can make these compared to the more complex keyhole styles that have a thread running down the center of them and requires a special Industrial buttonhole machine. This piping appears on a small number of Third Reich Era Boards but is not the type of material one hopes to see because how can anyone tell for 100% certainty that they are not Post-war. Not many collectors would pay retail price for these. That said try some time to make a set of 3rd Reich Period Boards and see how difficult it really is to make something this good. M-44 style boards rarely look on a uniform as they do not lay down and always have the look that they are preparing to fly away.
Merry Christmas to ALL spending Christmas Eve thinking of Model 44 Shoulder Boards.
Marion

[galizien41]

There are some very realistic fake m44 boards made currently but I like these.

[CWP]

Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate the input and find myself agreeing with all that has been posted. I would not have paid top dollar for this non-standard pair, I bought them from a local collector and the price was $75. They will be displayed on a Jäger M43 tunic that has had fake shoulder boards (reenactor copies) on it since I bought it in 2004. I like the thread and the rayon reinforcement on these a lot. The piping, buttonholes and quality of manufacture... Not so much. Despite their obvious flaws, they have the ring of truth to me, somehow. I hope they will look good on my tunic.

[GAMS1]

Totally original boards !
The shirt type button holes are not modern or semi modern at all ...
The piping is the classical late war one , in rayon and not in cotton like the BW early post war issue .
No problem for me to see them as original !
Nick

[GAMS1]

And if you want to sell them for that price , i'll buy them anytime !
Nick

[longislandercjv]

I agree.
IMO they are original wartime mfg,
even if they are crude and ugly.
Everyone prefers the "keyhole" buttonhole,
but the simple type present on this pair is
not unusual, nor is the HBT style piping.
I think you got yourself a nice Christmas present!