SS visor

[phild]

I agree with that a private purchase SS officers cap is rarer than a Kleiderkasse cap, but I am not at all sure that this one isn't a Kleiderkasse example.

[HowardC]

SS visor

Thank you guy's. I really appreciate the input. To answer a few questions:
No, I would never remove the emblems for any reason. Secondly, yes I do agree on it's rarity and further it is named and came with the SS uniform pictured from the vet himself.

[HowardC]

2

2

[dhunter93]

Very impressive !

[M B CHISHOLM]

Wonderful combo & great display!! Congrats on those 2 for sure.. Great stuff

[salt*creek]

NICE!

Oberscharfuhrer with an officer visor? Did they come from the same soldier or the same U.S. vet?
Officer candidate NCO?

[HowardC]

Visor

I realize I didn't clarify that, thanks for asking. This set plus pants and 2 flags came from the US vet. Stored in his foot locker with his own uniform and belongings. The family kept his personal stuff and I acquired the others.

[dhunter93]

I realize I didn't clarify that, thanks for asking. This set plus pants and 2 flags came from the US vet. Stored in his foot locker with his own uniform and belongings. The family kept his personal stuff and I acquired the others.

That is a once in a lifetime find!

Did you find the set or did it find you? just curious.

[HowardC]

Ss

Actually, the set found me. A friend who does house clean outs had the connection and introduced me to the remaining family. My friend just wanted the 2 party flags. Remarkably, that is the third time an untouched SS uniform came from a friends source. Naturally, I couldn't thank them enough!

[dhunter93]

Actually, the set found me. A friend who does house clean outs had the connection and introduced me to the remaining family. My friend just wanted the 2 party flags. Remarkably, that is the third time an untouched SS uniform came from a friends source. Naturally, I couldn't thank them enough!

you are a lucky man

[SgtB]

I agree with that a private purchase SS officers cap is rarer than a Kleiderkasse cap, but I am not at all sure that this one isn't a Kleiderkasse example.

Actually, I can't dispute that at all. I am sure that the Kleiderkasse sources were many and varied throughout the TR years. But I was speaking stereotypically of what I felt we all agreed upon as your basic SS officer's Kleiderkasse visor. One of a very standard base quality and instantly recognizable in photos, generally on the heads of Untersturmfuhrers through Hauptsturmfuhrers. They were habitually made of a thinly-padded darker feldgrau gabardine with a narrow peak, no sweatshield and a simple size stamp. They may very well have been supplied by any of the top mutzenmachers, but they would not have looked at home on a showroom shelf with a high pricetag like the subject cap.

[BenVK]

Great cap, congrats!

The "Deutsches Erzeugnis" logo is one of those generic markings that doesn't help us identify the maker. It's feasible that it was an individual artisan who may have had an RZM license and therefore supplied a Kleiderkasse outlet.

The cap strikes me as being of above average quality.

Here's a comparable one for an Army Officer.

http://www.relicmilitaria.com/produc...-circa-193945/

These things were actually quite affordable during the period, between 8 to 12 RM.

[colt45s]

looks great!

[phild]

One of a very standard base quality and instantly recognizable in photos, generally on the heads of Untersturmfuhrers through Hauptsturmfuhrers. They were habitually made of a thinly-padded darker feldgrau gabardine with a narrow peak, no sweatshield and a simple size stamp. They may very well have been supplied by any of the top mutzenmachers, but they would not have looked at home on a showroom shelf with a high pricetag like the subject cap.

Picking up on BenVK's post below yours (above), I will say something that may be controversial (as usual) and that is I very believe that there were a couple of different grades of cap offered thru the Kleiderkasse.

I am not if this is listed as such in the period catalogs or at outlets when one would walk, but what I am SURE of is that SS Kleiderkasse caps (unmarked maker names and of a pattern construction found on multiple SS examples) can be found in various quality ranges.....including one that IMO rivals about any peak cap (from any service) that can be found. That one is the gray lined CW made W-SS peak cap......unmarked inside (but with shield). As a matter of fact I have observed that generally (if not always) W-SS unmarked visors lined in gray/silver...usually with gray under visor, are of higher quality of material than tan/cream colored lined visors.

This may sound crazy on the surface, but I wonder of this may not have been a simple way that was contract specified for makers to distinguish the quality level for the SS delivered cap so that customers could tell instantly what was what?

[SgtB]

This may sound crazy on the surface, but I wonder of this may not have been a simple way that was contract specified for makers to distinguish the quality level for the SS delivered cap so that customers could tell instantly what was what?

That's a great point. I don't believe I've ever really thought about it, but in my own experience, I've always felt that the SS grey-lined caps were at the very bottom of the quality scale.

I have seen SS General's caps that I believe were sourced from the Kleiderkasse system. In fact, the subject cap reminds me of one that I remember. So yes, I have no doubt that different grades existed. But I can't recall seeing a high quality grey-lined Waffen-SS General's cap, or high quality private-purchase SS visors. But I have seen many lower grade officer's caps and EM/NCO caps lined in grey with grey painted sweatbands.