Early SS uniform

[Wilhelm Saris]

what is an "early SS uniform?"
What is an early SS cap.....?
How do you define such a thing....?

In my opinion early is the brownshirt and the coffee cap SA-cap style, as
this was worn as first by the SS.
When the tunic and visored cap was introducedd I would not immediately
say "early", but again 1932-1933 I would not like to phrase as "late".



Left I would phrase as the early SS style uniform.

[HPL2008]

Well... everyone will agree that an SS uniform from 1925 is early, one from 1945 is late and one from 1965 is fake, but beyond that, it's all subjective and also depends on how many "periods" one wishes to distinguish.

Here's my - also completely subjective - suggestion:

The SS existed for ca. 20 years from 1925 to 1945. If we split the entire duration of its existence into three segments of equal length - for an early, middle and late period - each of these periods lasts some six-and-a half years. Rounded off a bit, we could come up with this sequence:

1925 to 1932 = early period
1933 to 1939 = middle period
1940 to 1945 = late period

This would rather neatly correspond to the three periods of the Kampfzeit, Nazi Germany's peacetime years and the war years, and these periods' effects on the development of SS uniforms and accoutrements:
The age of creation, experimentation and improvisation of the pre-1933 years, the period of standardization and increasing quality of the 1933 to 1939 period and the effects of the ever-increasing militarization of the SS and of the war economy after the outbreak of WW2.

If we use art critic lingo, one could also speak of the "brown", "black" and "field grey" periods, after the then-dominant uniform colors...

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thank you, friends, for your erudition and wit. I take great joy in these exchanges.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Nor do I really expect a standardization or consensus about this issue, whereby the learned opinions of Mr. Wim and Mr. Andreas raise the level of inquiry to the place it should unfold.

The word "early" generates much more murk that it reveals. In the view of many, "early" is prior to 1939.

Your periodization is very helpful.

- - ------- - -

I especially have learned from the careful and acute research of Wim as concerns the SS uniform and the SA uniform in the period 1925 until about 1933 from his fine books, which I read at least every other day.

[kirby]

This SS brown shirt was at Kelly Hicks table at the SOS.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

This SS brown shirt was at Kelly Hicks table at the SOS.

and it comes from a wonderful source.

[Silberkreuz]

Hi Vernichtung
Did I miss you posting the SS TUNIC IN YOUR POST ON Saturday ?

Quote.... Allgemeine SS uniforms with 2 shoulder boards?
Hallo guys,

I am waiting for pictures form a seller that has an Allgemeine SS uniform for sale. My problem with it: it has 2 shoulder boards. Were these even made ?????
(ill post pictures as soon as i get them)

regards, Job

[Vernichtung]

Indeed i should work on how i define things here.
Thanks

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Indeed i should work on how i define things here.
Thanks

How right you are. Some very well informed people work here, and the more precise you are with your terms, the more value you can garner in the process.

The image of the original item would have helped, too. In the process, however, you got some very sound advice and some useful images.

[Vernichtung]

I learned so much from you guys in the last months and i keep learning more. When you have no knowledge or very little the items we are dealing with seem nothing more than good looking things. But the second we learn the history behind these pieces collecting starts to get way more interesting. At moments like that it looks like you are collecting but in a different way(collecting history). About 20 years back my dad had a lot of WW2 German collectibles, he sold everything not knowing these piece were worth so much, it was just for business. As a matter of fact, he bought them because he liked how it looked and because there was money to be made. When i started collecting he told me about some of the stuff he had and that he felt really bad for selling all the stuff back in the day(not just because he could have made more money).
I don`t want to make the same mistake: I don`t want to buy stuff just for looks and not knowing anything about it.
Spotting a real between a lot fakes is one thing, knowing the history of this piece is a whole other.
You guys share that knowledge with other so it won`t be lost and people can expand that knowledge.
Thanks guys!!!!!!!!!

Regards, Job