collar tab size differences

[o.r.k.]

I seem to lack some basic knowledge about luftwaffe collar tabs. I have an HG Division flak pair of collar tabs now and wondered when placing them in my showcase next to a pair of yellow Fj/Flieger ones that they are smaller. Is there a small size old type and a larger one later war type? Is there a reason for the different tab sizes?
Thanks for educating,
best regards

[Renaud]

Just period variations IMO due to hand made ? Foreign made ?

[o.r.k.]

Thanks for your thoughts Renaud. As German uniform manufacturing was quite normative (war supply problems, foreign manufacturing etc changing that..) Luft collar tabs really span a wide spectrum even if this is taken into account. From fluffy frontside material to rather harder felt material (let alone the variety of backsides). In size difference you can put the small tabs in the big ones so regulations were quite open to variation. I really am impressed of you guys knowing what´s good and bad, as the tabs can be totally different in construction and material. But most probably it is just as it is, sometimes there is no deeper logic in things just many different clothing firms interpreting their commission their way as Wehrmacht suppliers.

[Gene]

Sometimes a collar tab was just a piece of rhomboid shaped artificial silk sewn to the collar, with gulls pressed through

[Renaud]

And any normative organization is confronted with human approximations. Sometimes, you see in militaria books that such insignia have such dimensions... but this is only theory.

[Rich G]

I have a set of unworn Flak officer tabs that are larger than standard. I think someone said once these were for the greatcoat? Is that a valid statement or just old collector myth?
Rich

[PaulR]

So many variations that it is impossible to authenticate them on exact dimensions.

[Gary B]

I believe the regulations specified dimensions for tabs (I do not have my books with me right now) as well as the shape (rhomboidal). As has been stated/alluded to in this thread there is as much variation in size as there are shapes for tabs since they were made by hand in a "cottage industry". The larger companies such as T&S probably were closer to the actual regs and were more standardized/had less deviation in their tabs than smaller companies.


Gary B

[o.r.k.]

Thanks Gary- so it wouldn´t make much sense to start a gallery of all the variations as there are simply too much to really have a thump rule on them.

[Gary B]

Yes, I agree. It would be way to many variations. The same, of not more so, would apply to shoulder boards/straps.

There are some variations that are noteworthy, such as metal gulls added to officer tabs, picked out gulls to lower ranks, foreign made tabs etc.

Gary B