SS Adler für Schirmmütze (unmarked)

[SScollector]

Thanks Kevin!

The main thing that I was hoping to see on the Zimmermann eagle,
was a close-up of the left wing tip, which unfortunately did not appear in these close-ups. Could you please show the left wing tip?

Thanks again! Chris

[Langemark]

If I may express a simple feeling : the selection between original and fake SS cap insignia appears disproportionate compared to that of original and fake Heer, LW or KM cap insignia. I mean that some defaults on original Heer, LW or KM cap insignia are considered acceptable, whereas similar defaults seem to be judged “unacceptable” on SS insignia. Some collectors object that such insignia would never have met the RZM standards.

Having handled many RZM approved original insignia, accoutrement and other items, I can tell you that many items were far from the expected “SS-perfection”.

We all have to bear in mind that originally, the RZM was indeed a quality control organization but later behaved as a pure Tax-office. It is still the case today, no matter the quality, only the profit !


Have a nice week-end,
Mark

[Donald Abenheim]

Irregularities.

I agree with my Belgian (?) colleague. I have long (1967-8) collected army caps, and the range of composition, finish, &c. on army cap insignia is considerable. I have always used this fact as a criterion with the assessment of SS cap insignia. The SS cap insignia was faked more, from an earlier date, I think, than those of the Wehrmacht, which remained plentiful into the 1970s with stocks of original items. In fact, if you read Mollo, the SS cap insgnia was hard to get for the SS men, really. We all need a somewhat broader perspective here beyond a kind of fore-shortened archaeological approach which I think often misses the mark. The RZM was more a cut prices- provide moderately durable goods-allocate raw materials-and fit the whole thing into the NSDAP finances (not to mention ethnically cleanse Jews out of the textile trade...) than the kind of Toyota-like zero defects assembly line operation many ascribe to it. Lots of Nazi regalia has what seems to the collector's eye to be defects. Lots of fake regalia is especially defective, but some is better than the originals, at the same time.

[Langemark]

Just an elementary question I forgot to ask : do original unmarked SS eagles exist ? If yes, could anyone post pictures of such eagles ?

Thank you,

Mark

[SScollector]

only late-war