Infanterie officer visor cap - Peküro for opinions

[avenger]

After spending some time with my visor, I think I've discovered a really disappointing set of evidence that the visor has been repaired. I'd like to get opinions before contacting the seller though.

When looking it over, I noticed some stuff that looks like it might be glue, which also shows under blacklight. I'm not certain it's glue, and it's only in a few spots like this where there's a little on the visor and it's coming through the visor stitch holes:



This got me looking more closely. Under the sweatband, I discovered gray colored thread stitching here and there that doesn't look like original construction:

Far right where visor corner attaches to hat:



Center:



Left of center:



Here are some photos of the stitches where the visor joins the black velvet on the rim:

This looks like original factory stitching to me between the red lines:



Here are a couple of the gray thread showing through stitch holes, and even piercing the black velvet in places:





Lastly, here is where the gray thread has come through to the front of the visor where I see it go through the visor stitch holes, and made little knot shaped stitches here and there. I felt like this is going to be the most convincing evidence of a visor repair:



I'm in this visor for about $750, and suspect the seller wasn't even aware of these issues. If this is repaired, it appears to have been done well overall, but I know this will have a fairly significant affect on the value, and I'm not sure how to appraise things from here. Any thoughts or advice are much appreciated. This is a pretty disappointing development.

[stonemint]

Yes, it has been repaired, but this one looks like a period repair. This is common to Pekuro visors--the velvet tended to separate from the visor, necessitating the repair.

[avenger]

Thanks for the reply Stonemint. I'm not familiar with the inner visor construction on these. Can you comment on if the stitching that holds the velvet/sweatband on is also holding the visor to the framework of the hat, or is the stitching shown just for the construction of the velvet/sweatband? It's funny that they stitched it through to the outside of the visor unless it's all held together with the same stitches, but perhaps that was the easiest way to fix it....

[avenger]

Adding one last photo, a shot of the size stamp. Looks like the visor is a size 57.

[stonemint]

The bottom line is that you have to be happy with the hat. If not, then you should return it.

[avenger]

I don't want to keep dragging my thread to the top, but I wanted say I think it's a sharp looking hat. I was thrilled when I opened it up. The repairs are all under the sweatband, and almost all of the outer stitches are hidden by the chinstrap, so you can't really see it. I think the nagging in my brain has less to do with whether or not I will enjoy the hat, and more with a situation where I'm feeling the weight of my inexperience to know if I've still got a fair deal on my hands. Like anyone getting into the more pricey collectibles out there, I want to make responsible decisions and I really wasn't prepared to find repairs. So, I hope it doesn't seem like I'm way too critical and think the hat is garbage now, it's really more of a case of insecurity on my part than that.

That said, the overwhelming word I'm hearing is that when it comes to visors, these repairs are not as big of a deal as it would be to find a re-soldered catch on a badge for instance, and pretty common where it doesn't always turn people off to them. I was bracing myself to hear how big of a hit I was looking at for my investment, as that has been the way I've watched and learned over these last few years as people value down anything that isn't 100% like it left the factory.

It has been my experience that people are very critical of TR items in particular, and just expected that to carry through here. I've seen stuff with repairs sit on the e-stand with sellers practically begging people to buy them, which of course is not the vision you want for your just arrived collectible, even if you don't intend to sell it. Other times, nice items get disparaged for this little reason, and that reason. You'd think only 1 in 100 examples of anything are worth having, and that starts to worm its way into your brain when you try and buy quality stuff.

I don't know, maybe the whole hobby could stand to relax a little when it comes to 75 year old items that were made to use, not sit on a shelf (preaching to myself here). It's not much fun to expect something may be lurking under every seam and rivet that will knock 20% or more off the value of an item you just bought. I have a stock portfolio that's more than capable of filling that hole in my life.

If it was a fair deal before, and still is a fair deal now, and it's still a desirable hat, that addresses the demon in the room that is really larger than the effect the repair makes on the presentation of the hat or its history.

[rbminis]

As far as repairs go on TR items, I believe that the value and detraction on items have to be judged on an individual basis. Hats were worn and threads do wear through or come loose. This goes for badges as well, due to the pressure created by the design of the pin and tensioning hook can easily cause the weaker methods of fastening to come loose as well.
If an item is rare or hard to come by, then only you can determine if you are willing to spend that amount of money on that item, and how badly do you want, or how much do you like it.
Remember, you are the only that has to be satisfied.
JMHO,
Ralph.