Opinions on M40 feldbluse

[HCM]

I'm highly interested in this feldbluse and looking for opinions. I mainly collect karabiners and related equipment with zero expertise when it comes to tunics so any help is much appreciated. i'm currently working on an early war infanterie diorama and was originally looking out for a M36 felbluse untill this puppy showed up. Thanks in advance.

[HCM]

[reneblacky]

The jacket it's self looks ok to me

[HCM]

The breast eagle is a postwar addition. Seller not sure about repairs on right shoulder but they are nicely done IMO. The faded stamp between the buttonholes would be the depot mark or hersteller?

[JPhilip]

Hello,
This one has clearly seen better days...
To make a long story short, as i'm in a hurry today, in my opinion it's not a Feldbluse 1933 modified 1940, but rather a Feldbluse 1933 modified 1936 that had its collar replaced with a Feldgrau one. The Feldbluse has been shortened, markings are on the wrong side for a Feldlbuse (already seen but quite uncommon though), the repair of the shoulder is well done but in conjonction with the colour of the collar, it makes three different colours of wool for the same Feldbluse...Hoheitsabzeichen is replaced, but the Litzen might be the ones applied to this collar at the time. Shoulderstraps looks ok from these photos....better pics might help here...
like very often, it depends of the price and of what you want to do with this Feldbluse...
Thanks

[HCM]

Thanks very much for the info JPhilip, can you explain how or where it was shortened? is it a big deal that the markings are on the wrong side? It's sitting in the 650-750 euro price range.

[JPhilip]

Hello again,
I just noticed that the sleeve is also heavily repaired. The waist pockets were taken off and reapplied without bellows. One can see that this Feldbluse has been shortened when looking at the field dressings pocket which here is way to short (photo below).
Concerning the value, i do think that prices you gave me in your previous post are too high for a Feldbluse with huge repairs like the ones seen on the photos. For that money and if i wanted to purchase a german tunic, i would get a nice second or third pattern HBT tunic instead of a heavily damaged/repaired wool tunic. It's a matter of personal choice.
The fact that markings are on the wrong side is not a problem...
Thanks

[HCM]

Thanks once again for the explanation! Does this mean it was an oversized tunic tailored for a small sized soldier during wartime or perhaps a tunic more recently fixed together from 2 different tunics?

With the lack of bellows of the waist pockets you mean the pockets were sewed on flat, so less potato's will fit in? Didn't notice that.

[Neil Hever]

As I understand it, shortening a Feldbluse was often a fashion choice - especially with NCO and officers. It may have had practical benefits as well by allowing easier access to the trouser pockets. In this case, I can only guess that the hem and pockets became heavily frayed and had to be repaired. NH

[JPhilip]

Thanks once again for the explanation! Does this mean it was an oversized tunic tailored for a small sized soldier during wartime or perhaps a tunic more recently fixed together from 2 different tunics?

With the lack of bellows of the waist pockets you mean the pockets were sewed on flat, so less potato's will fit in? Didn't notice that.

Yes, it means that this Feldbluse has been shortened for a smaller soldier. The official texts say that the Feldbluse had to cover the bottom, but in reality when looking at period photos, it's never the case...Neil is right when he writes that it was also for a fashion choice that Feldblusen were shortened. Some soldiers also wore the bottom of the Feldbluse inside pants to make them look shorter. In order to shorten Feldblusen, tailors had to unstitch waist pockets, and some bellows were lost in the process...soldiers asked for it for a question of better looking or/and some company tailors were too lazy as restitching a waist pocket without bellows is much easier than the opposite...
Thanks