KM white visor opinions

[Askold]

Hi,

I am just getting into learning about KM uniforms and headgear, can someone tell me if this visor is a good one? I browsed through the threads and found other original visors with such stitched-through headband. Is such headband a private purchase? The white top is removable.

Also, is there a way to tell if the sweat diamond plastic of celluloid? My understanding is that original hats have celluloid and copies plastic?

Thank you

[Askold]

KM visors with similar stitch-through sweatbands:



http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...light=KM+visor




http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...light=KM+visor



http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...light=KM+visor



http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...light=KM+visor

[GAMS1]

Looks good from what i see .
The leather band is one of the typical private purchase KM caps bands in general , found also on private EM Donald duck caps .
Celluloid is harder than plastic and burning a little piece will confirm the difference .
Nick

[Askold]

Thank you for the info Nick. What is a difference bewteen burning celluloid and plastic? Also how do you get a piece of it? Do you snip a sliver from the sweat diamond?

[Martin Simon]

At a first glance it looks OK but there are a few things I would not be entirely comfortable with. The seam in the mohair band usually sits behind the oakleaves (or occasionally on the left side in some rare examples). Also, the scallops are a little further removed from the trim on the visor's edge than normal.
Not sure from the grainy images, but I would need to see better pictures of how the sweatband is sewn, as it looks as if it might be replaced.
All added up, I could believe it is a reworked postwar cap.
Martin

[GAMS1]

Thank you for the info Nick. What is a difference bewteen burning celluloid and plastic? Also how do you get a piece of it? Do you snip a sliver from the sweat diamond?

Exactly . While burning the plastic will be like polyester and will burn with small black bullets rests .
The celluloid will burn without rests …
Nick

[Askold]

Thank you for the info guys, learned a lot of new things.

Martin,


The seam in the mohair band usually sits behind the oakleaves (or occasionally on the left side in some rare examples). Also, the scallops are a little further removed from the trim on the visor's edge than normal.


- To be honest, I don't even know where to look for the seam. Where is the seam on this cap and would it be possible to see example where the seam suppose to sit?


Not sure from the grainy images, but I would need to see better pictures of how the sweatband is sewn, as it looks as if it might be replaced.
All added up, I could believe it is a reworked postwar cap.

- How does one spot if the sweatband is replaced or not? What details should I look for?

One more nubie question - if I wanted to find a white topped KM visor, I can find a regular navy one and simply swapped out the tops? If that is the case, why are the white visors so hard to come by? Are the white tops difficult to find?

[Martin Simon]

On the last photo in your first post, where the cap lies upside down, you can clearly see the joint (where the 2 ends are sewn together) in the mohair band, at the back of the cap. Normally on KM visors this is neatly hidden behind the oakleaves/cockade. So unlike Heer visors where this seam is always at the back.

Sweatband sewing is difficult to see in the photos provided but should be similar as to the other caps you posted as examples.

Both fixed and removable top caps existed and yes, on caps with a removable top you can indeed swap them over.

Martin

[Askold]

Thank you for clarifying, all clear now.

[GAMS1]

Is the mohair band of the removable version ? IMO it is ...
if yes , it was simply put in position backwards , why not period ?
the oakleaves were then sewn on the band . Period or later , hard to see on the pics.
Nick

[Martin Simon]

Sure, somebody could have taken off the oakleaves, turn it 180 degrees and put it back together again, I mean why wouldn't you? At the end of the day it's up to anyone looking to purchase to decide how comfortable you are with that possibility, just giving my opinion.
Martin