What are the chances this one is real?

[naxas]

Hello,

I have almost given up on Ebay but what about this one? Is it real?

[Jan]

Hi there, it looks ok to me (I really like the wear and the tear) but as I´m no expert let´s wait for some more opinions. Would be great if it was an untouched piece. Be prepared to send more detailed pictures though.

Best,

Jan

[John Brandon]

I don't like it

[Jan]

There it is, John knows his stuff (that´s why I always buy from him)

Best,

Jan

[John Brandon]

Jan. I appreciate your confidence however I could be wrong but I do like to see the blue lining as post war caps more likely are seen with the white lining. And I'm not too keen on the nape of the cloth it looks a little artificially aged jmo

[Redcap]

Very likely postwar. The blue cloth is very coarse compared with the wool used on wartime caps. Certainly not a wartime issued piece as these wouldn't have a sweat diamond or the remains of one as seen here. Original issue caps have black ( not blue) linings. Blue was used widely on postwar sailors caps and side caps and is very controversial as to whether used at all on wartime caps.

For a wartime issue caps look for
-removable top
-black lining to top
-no sweat diamond
-celluloid stiffener to the cap band former
-sweat band sewn direct to the cap, not using an intermediate strip of cloth between the sweatband and the cap body (you can see the remains of this strip on this cap) .