RZM list of approved hat makers

[DrCMH]

We are always highly grateful to learn more from scholars and experts.

Well said FB. I am extremely grateful to all who have been so generous in educating others. My gratitude especially to the pillars of this collecting and historical research community that have posted above.

Kind regards,

CMH

[BenVK]

I'm just thinking of the endless avenues of research if information about cap part manufacturers were available.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I'm just thinking of the endless avenues of research if information about cap part manufacturers were available.

The more of the separate pieces the better, surely. Wim Saris' point that the Muetzenzutaten contractors were not unified as such until 1938 is borne out by the physical evidence, since the sweat bands on the caps I own from the years 1935 until 1939 or so are unmarked with an RZM Zeichen.....
All the little mosaic pieces of the past.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Well said FB. I am extremely grateful to all who have been so generous in educating others. My gratitude especially to the pillars of this collecting and historical research community that have posted above.

Kind regards,

CMH

Not to beat a dead horse, but this work unfolds here and not on the insane asylum site. I will join the HJ site to see the work there.

[BenVK]

All the little mosaic pieces of the past.

Which we all love to piece together to create a better picture!

Well, maybe not all..

[Wilhelm Saris]

With post 33 I see the abbreviation RZ, stamped upon a sweatband. Maybe some of you do not know what this means, so:
Sweat bands were normally and surely in the beginning made from "echtes Schafleder" (real sheep);
the use of artificial material was allowed, indicated as "Kunstschweissleder". I thought its use came into bein in 1935.
This material was to be stamped as RZ. I did forget the German word, maybe it pops up or someone of you as FB can give us the full word!

The use of the RZ material was officially forbidden since about November 1938 for political cap (parteiamtliche Mützen). This was noted in the "Mitteilungsblatt der RZM", issue 23 from November 5, 1938. P. 229.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

RZ is of course ersatz, which is detailed in the Herstellungvorschriften. Thanks to colleague Saris for his fine knowledge and generous interventions. Kunstschweissleder is found in caps as early as the 1914-1918 period, that is, alkor and the like.
The Germans led the world in the chemicals industry in the late 19th century, and the replacement Werkstoffe were especially noteworthy in the first world war.
This thread shows the full potential of this site and the merits of generous collaboration to a common end.

The peak of this cap is leather, whereas the sweat band is ersatz.

[BenVK]

The use of the RZ material was officially forbidden since about November 1938 for political cap (parteiamtliche Mützen). This was noted in the "Mitteilungsblatt der RZM", issue 23 from November 5, 1938. P. 229.

This rule was surely ignored. I'm sure we could find a few post 1938 political caps with Kunstschweissleder.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

This rule was surely ignored. I'm sure we could find a few post 1938 political caps with Kunstschweissleder.

The progress of the war economy even in peacetime meant that ersatz Werkstoffe spread remorselessly, as did the cheapening of natural materials in textiles and on and on.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

apropos Wim's idea. He must have more energy than ten thousand souls, because as I look at the RZM circulars for the years 1935, '36 and '37, the changes
in licenses, addresses and so forth are staggering.