Black officer cap opinions needed please...

[Pascal BERNHARD]

IMO is the RZM tag an original (matter and printing seems correct) the insignia are irelevant (not "expensive" early one), but tell your thoughts about the RZM SS visor ink stamp, the black lining, the sweatshield rhombus and the leather sweatband please...

of course, difficult to tell only on pics...

Thanks

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The tag might well be real, but without the whole tag, I cannot tell. I am not sure about the stamp on the peak, although it looks alright, and to the rest of the cap, I can only tell you if it is real if I see more pictures. You have to look at whole shape of the cap, whereby the piping does not look completely right. Your pictures are seductive, but possibly very misleading. Also, you have to look at the velvet, as well, as it is always distinct. Summa summarum, I cannot tell, and I would not buy the cap on these pictures alone.

In any case, I should get 10% of the purchase price as an expert assessment, you know.

These early officer caps are pretty rare.

Ben VK had a well made fake of an early cap at one point, and I have seen many fakes of these that would fool the normal collector.

The sure fire way is to actually examine the cap with a loupe together with my collection, which is how I buy things for myself, I spend hours comparing to what I know to be real.
This cap is not prima faciae authentic, even if the bits might seem alright.

Caps of this origin usually show their age in a pretty straight forward way.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Bob Coleman, Bob Hritz, and Mr. d'Alquen here are also experts on whom I would rely.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

You need, also, to see the whole tag......

[Pascal BERNHARD]

Thank you FB

will try to obtain a better pic of the tag...

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thank you FB

will try to obtain a better pic of the tag...

While you are it, I need a picture of the whole cap, not bits. There are some other issues and tricks of the trade here which I am happy to share with you in the personal message, but I am not enjoined to spill almost fifty years of experience for the betterment of fakes.

Also, one quick way for you to compare is to take this piece and compare it to the one you got from the Oak Leaf personage, since the latter is real and more or less of the era.

There are certain things in your images which I do not like and which may indicate foul play here.

This exercise also shows the manifest shortcomings of this approach to old junk.

It is a hall of mirrors in the fun house.

[Pascal BERNHARD]

To be honnest, there is something on this cap (don't know exactly what) I don't like, and that's the reason because I post it on the forum...

Usualy, even if the item is in "mint unissued" condition, at the moment you have it in hand or sometime even on pics... immediately I know it !

If you handled many caps you know how it had to be or not...

This one show us any "good" points, but think not enough to spend the money...

Anyway thank you for your help and advice !

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The images are seductive and misleading. There are several things that make me cautious with your cap, and caps of this type almost always show use of some kind, even if they are well preserved.

If I were you, I would wait to find one that is beyond doubt. This one has some doubt glued to it, which one could resolve easily in person, but not on the basis of these images alone.

I have handled many caps, to be sure, and intuition is always a fine guide.

Pieces that are "stonemint" are all too often made in what Bob Coleman describes as the IV Reich, which is all too droll.

[Pascal BERNHARD]

a pic of the complet tag only to add this info

[DrCMH]

Dear Pascal,

From the pictures at the start of the thread and the final picture of the whole tag I must say that I am suspicious of this one. Though I am a far cry from an expert, from what I have learned this is not a good piece. The devil is in the details as FB has pointed out in the past.

Regards,

CMH