Heer M43 with single button

[MartyC]

Like some opinions on this Heer M43 style hat I am considering that is a late war single button type. I am usually pretty good with these, but I have never owned one like this (single button). The wool has the correct "feel" to it with nap wear where you would expect it and the correct chain stitching and natural color thread that I am accutomed to. The insignia is original, but appears hand stitched in the way I have seen these done on some hats. The construction is odd in that the lining appears to be a reused civilian fabric with a mini blue square grid pattern. It also has air vent grommets which are crimped correctly inside but lack the round washer that is inside the typical side cap. It does not have pull down loops or the internal seam bias material that is typical of a M43. There are no marking inside. All in all, it feels right, but the constrcution has got me baffled, so any help/comments are appreciated.

Thanks

Marty

[MartyC]

Side view with vent grommet.

[MartyC]

m43

Indide view, note lining:

[GJR100]

Seems like it has been worn for quite some time and/or during hard labour.
As you said the lining looks civilian. I've never seen this being used before on militairy caps. But you never know.
Like you said, it does have features that make me think it's ok, but others seem strange.

MfG,
Bart

[Jan B]

Marty,

First of all, single-button M43 heer caps existed, no doubt about that.
Also, it is in my understanding that these were mostly if not all ' fieldmade'.

Therefore you will not find easily 2 that are exactly the same as with factory made M43 fieldcaps. It is rather logical that the insignia is hand applied and the different in materials used for the lining.

With this caps, you can't follow certain "textbook" rules...it has to speak, and this one does it for me. I like this cap, and the insignia looks like it has been applied period ( embedded into the wool).

kind regards

Jan

[Nordfront]

Similar cap from my collection:

[Nordfront]

Inside...

[Nordfront]

And side view.

[Jan B]

Inside...

Thanks for sharing

Interesting lining which confirms my above statement. IMO definatly a fieldmade/local made too...

Cheers

Jan

[Michael Kuligowski]

Inside...

well.. interesting stamps - I have the same on my police M43...

Marty's hat looks quite honest - propably local production - like Jan mentioned...

[djpool]

Don't forget that linings were sometimes replaced after the war. I have two M43s that were well worn and had linings replaced. I assumed it was done after the war. In both my examples the lining is a solid color. Here is a single button M43 I'v had for some time. It certainly doesn't conform to what most collectors would call textbook. But I like it.



It has a center seam as shown below=



The grommet was all rusty so I repainted it-


You'll notice that the thread on the right bottom of the insignia differes from the rest. I did this in order to see if there was a shadow present.there is.



Notice that the artificial silk liner is only applied along the side.The top portion of the hat is a wool similar to material seen in hoods of greatcoats.

[keifer kahn]

I have a cap marked similar and i did some research,

The 722 and rectangular boxes with the inked out centres are indicative of "statni"film studios in Czechoslavakia.
The statni studios produced state patriotic films.

These are are part of the huge amount of genuine ex wehrmacht stock acquired by the studios.

If you blacklight the rectangular boxes ,you may be able to see "statni" written under the black ink.

[djpool]

Some more pics



Last pic

[djpool]

heres one of my M43s with replaced liner. The insignia is replaced. The liner was in tatters when I got it so I did my best to put it back together.

[MartyC]

hat

One thing I did forget to mention is that this hat was apparently stuffed into a sea bag for 50+ years thus it is misshaped. It does however, look ok on a dummy head. Does any one else have a single button hat?

thanks

Marty