Gentlemen, for your consideration are two caps in a friend's collection that I was just made aware of as being available for sale next year. Today, my friend sent me these photos, which are certainly not of the quality needed for good examination, but they are good enough to elicit a scream of "HONKERS," from me.
The first example is supposed to be white piped. The velvet band does not sit tightly enough to the body at the lower edges near bottom piping on both sides. Color looks like Heer wool, not the grey of SS officer caps. Lining is in horrible condition with contrived-looking wear - possibly the worst I have ever seen in a visor cap. I am trying to decide if this was a Heer visor made into a crusher or fake from the ground up, but I tend to think this is a genuine cap.
Second cap was presented as a transportation crusher, but the piping is so dark it takes me think medical, but that really is of no importance. The velvet band is absolutely horrendous! It is buckling like nothing I have ever seen!!! No SS officer cap would ever do this, in my mind, not even one soaked in water and left to dry in a hot sun. As if that were not enough, the color is again Heer and not SS officer, and, of course, the sweat shield is missing. And leather visor is puke.
Seeing either cap on its own, especially the white-piped one, would be one thing, but seeing both together makes me think they may have come from the same creator, and not a cap maker in the Third Reich, but maybe from a certain REGIMENT in the UK ... ;-)
Please note that I absolutely believe my friend bought both caps as genuine. I am, by no means, fluent on SS crushers, but I just see nothing here good other than the insignias. Before I inform my friend of my sentiments, I would love to here from those here who may have a good understanding of original SS crushers; I am looking for a good one.
Also, is there any truth to stories I have heard that Andrew Mollo found some genuine crushers in Poland in 1990-91? If so, anyone know details of about how many, types, condition, and where they all ended up? Thank you.
The first example is supposed to be white piped. The velvet band does not sit tightly enough to the body at the lower edges near bottom piping on both sides. Color looks like Heer wool, not the grey of SS officer caps. Lining is in horrible condition with contrived-looking wear - possibly the worst I have ever seen in a visor cap. I am trying to decide if this was a Heer visor made into a crusher or fake from the ground up, but I tend to think this is a genuine cap.
Second cap was presented as a transportation crusher, but the piping is so dark it takes me think medical, but that really is of no importance. The velvet band is absolutely horrendous! It is buckling like nothing I have ever seen!!! No SS officer cap would ever do this, in my mind, not even one soaked in water and left to dry in a hot sun. As if that were not enough, the color is again Heer and not SS officer, and, of course, the sweat shield is missing. And leather visor is puke.
Seeing either cap on its own, especially the white-piped one, would be one thing, but seeing both together makes me think they may have come from the same creator, and not a cap maker in the Third Reich, but maybe from a certain REGIMENT in the UK ... ;-)
Please note that I absolutely believe my friend bought both caps as genuine. I am, by no means, fluent on SS crushers, but I just see nothing here good other than the insignias. Before I inform my friend of my sentiments, I would love to here from those here who may have a good understanding of original SS crushers; I am looking for a good one.
Also, is there any truth to stories I have heard that Andrew Mollo found some genuine crushers in Poland in 1990-91? If so, anyone know details of about how many, types, condition, and where they all ended up? Thank you.
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