cloth insignia marking "WÄSTI"

[Norm F]

Very interesting! (And your English is excellent Andreas.) A good match to Eduardo's shoulder strap. So, on Ärmelwinkel and probably my collar tabs as well, all the WÄSTI markings we've seen so far are pre-war whereas these shoulder straps are wartime.
I wonder if the WÄSTI marking was a feature of standard Navy issue insignia in certain training batallions supply depots?
Best regards,
---Norm

[vizenz]

I'm stunning! The same branch of board with the same stamp! I have found one more KM insignia with "WÄSTI" stamp and two diamonds (like in the first pic collartab). It's a pair of blue Obermaat collartabs for the Colani. The stamp is so light that I can't scan or take a photo. As I can see, only the left one is stamped.

Kind regards,
Andreas

[km-spain]

IMO both shoulders are the same one, as I only have the pictures that I don't know where I found them.

Norm as all the pieces that we have seen until now stamped with WÄSTI are from the KM, sure that this means something, but I do not belive that tghe stamp had any relation with KM cloth depots.

[Norm F]

IMO both shoulders are the same one, as I only have the pictures that I don't know where I found them.

Norm as all the pieces that we have seen until now stamped with WÄSTI are from the KM, sure that this means something, but I do not belive that the stamp had any relation with KM cloth depots.

My reasoning was this: If the WÄSTI marking was a feature of a particular manufacturer I would expect to see the same marking on similar insignia for other branches of the Wehrmacht. The fact that it's seen only on Kriegsmarine insignia suggested to me that the stamp was applied by the Navy depots, or at least required by them to be stamped before distribution by them. Makes sense?
Cheers.
---Norm

[km-spain]

Norm, I do not belive that it was stamped by the KM depots because its meaning is related with the quality/finished of the material. Perhaps this kind of material was demanded by the KM cloth administration and that's the reason to find tit only on KM pieces until now, who knows .

[Norm F]

IMO both shoulders are the same one, as I only have the pictures that I don't know where I found them.

Yes, Andreas' picture on left and Eduardo's on the right. They are photos of the same shoulder strap. Small world!
---Norm

[vizenz]

Yes, Andreas' picture on left and Eduardo's on the right. They are photos of the same shoulder strap. Small world!
---Norm

You've good eyes Norm

I could find another WÄSTI marked insignia, but not from KM!
It's a pair of enlisted artillery collar tabs from the army, and both tabs are stamped. I believe WÄSTI is a makers mark.

Kind regards,
Andreas

[Norm F]

You've good eyes Norm

I could find another WÄSTI marked insignia, but not from KM!
It's a pair of enlisted artillery collar tabs from the army, and both tabs are stamped. I believe WÄSTI is a makers mark.

Kind regards,
Andreas

Interesting Andreas! That's the first non-KM item I've seen with this marking. Could we see the front of one of them? We'll have to keep an eye out for others.

So maybe for the item that said "WÄSTI M", the "M" meant Marine but it wasn't a consistently used marking?

Best regards,
---Norm

[vizenz]

Here is the frontside. If I find freetime, I'll try to find anything about "WÄSTI" in older illustrated magazines like "Uniformenmarkt"...

All the best,
Andreas

[vizenz]

Hello,

I could find two other WÄSTI marked items in the collection of my brother.
- blue on white KM Gefreiten chevron, marked "K.31.10.39 WÄSTI" and a gothic "L"
- yellow on blue handembroidered Star for Enlised ranks KM, marked "WÄSTI" and "VH".

I could also find another Wästi marked isignia in the net, a blue on white handembroidered breasteagle KM with the markings: "WÄSTI" and "R.L."


Based on this new finds and the different capital letters (L, M, VH, R.L.) I think we can say "WÄSTI" is NOT a makers mark.

Best regards,
Andreas

[Norm F]

Very interesting, Andreas. Thanks.
Even if the Wäschestickerei marking WÄSTI is not unique to a particular maker, I wonder what the initials aftwerwards mean -- they could be related to their place of origin or to their destination of issue. One could postulate they are added by the Bekleidungsamt or depot to designate to where they're being issued? For example, M for Marineartillerie, L for Lehrgang or something like that. This is pure speculation of course -- I wonder what VH and RL could stand for?

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

I've picked up a chevron similar Andreas' marked WÄSTI and the gothic "L", dated Jan 9, 1938.

[vizenz]

I was able to buy another Wästi marked item.
A tropical KM shoulder board with a blue ink stamp on the tongues inside "Wästi O.H.M."

All the best,
Andreas

[Norm F]

I was able to buy another Wästi marked item.
A tropical KM shoulder board with a blue ink stamp on the tongues inside "Wästi O.H.M."

All the best,
Andreas

Hi Andreas,

Very interesting. Could you post a photo?
If only we could crack this code! Maybe someone recognizes the initials O.H.M.?

Best regards,
---Norm

[vizenz]

Here is it.







Based on the different Capitol Letters on the different pieces I believe it is maybe a code like the RZM tags from the SS.
I try to explain it in English. Manufacturer "A" has made the basic cloth and gave it to manufacturer "B". "B" did embroidering or stitching anything on the
basic cloth and stamps his own code after a "Wästi" on the piece.... Perhaps.

All the best,
Andreas