schwarze SS Muetze, pre end of 1934 or not.

[Hugo Rietzel]

An interesting post, thank you F.B

I'm just lancer in Mannheim (BASF Ludwigshafen), the address I've known now

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks F.B., for sharing such an interesting and splendid item and providing the background to its manufacture and provenance. Im sure we are all glad to see it in your collection where members here have the opportunity to closely examine and enjoy.

On a side note, we often see the owner's name or initials perforated into the sweat band of such caps. It is always precisely done... I assume by the manufacturers compared to the handwritten name tag sometimes inserted under the sweatshield. Do you have any additional observations or views on this?
Many thanks Paul

You see the firm here (pictured) and likely they had a device to put the name or whatever into the sweat band to personalize it. I think that Wim Saris included data from Clemens Wagner to this effect, that for an extra charge, they sort of monogrammed the cap.

I think this cap embodies such a feature done at the time, but I do not think it belonged to Egon Zill, the SS sadist.
It belonged to someone else in the Mannheim-Heidelberg-Karlsruhe area, where I have a chunk of black SS things, since this area was long part of the US garrison.

The cap is beautifully made, with great skill and its has a wonderful form to it.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Also from the Karlsruhe-Mannheim-Heidelberg area, well known to all of us with a USAREUR lineage.

[backtothefront]

Thanks again F.B. It seems to me that the extent of one's collection should reflect the owner's ability to properly interpret and consider the finer details and complexities which would be overloooked or misinterpreted by most of us. For this reason I keep my collection simple and enjoy seeing such interesting items, as this fine hat, in the hands of experts who generously share the background and finer points to the fullest. Where else could we see this?

[HPL2008]

You see the firm here (pictured) and likely they had a device to put the name or whatever into the sweat band to personalize it. I think that Wim Saris included data from Clemens Wagner to this effect, that for an extra charge, they sort of monogrammed the cap.

Here's the respective data from a Clemens Wagner catalog page posted by Wim:



For the benefit of the non-English speakers: Wagner offered two different options for personalizing a customer's cap. Two gold- or silver embossed letters on the cap's lining cost 0.50 Reichsmarks. A monogram in black tin letters affixed to the sweatband cost 0.10 Reichsmarks. (So, Wagner did not offer the perforation technique seen here.)

By the way; an interesting detail I just noticed: The company logo of the Zeumer company can be interpreted as a stylized "Z" as well as the Wolfsangel found in Mannheim's coat-of arms. Rather clever, really.

https://www.mannheim.de/stadtwappen

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks, dear colleagues.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Other thingies from my heap on the theme of Blechbuchstaben
- - ------- - -

Who these people were is lost to time....this new cap of mine, however, comes with a load of freight as to the association with or without the noted SS sadist.
I suppose such freight should have deterred me from buying it, but I note that two persons with much experience than mine saw in this object similar things as I believe to see.

The disinformation and misinformation that courses around the other websites has no place here, thanks to Adrian and his allies.

Of course, I am always prone to catastrophic error, as are all of us, namely.

I was raised in the pro Seminar system in a German university with the famous Quellenkritik, that is, the examination of the origin, nature, character, promises and perils of original sources,
whereby we study the things from the past in great and full depth. That is what this thread is, such a Quellenkritik.
Other threads aspire to do so, but they often fall short. Not on this site.

[backtothefront]

By the way; an interesting detail I just noticed: The company logo of the Zeumer company can be interpreted as a stylized "Z" as well as the Wolfsangel found in Mannheim's coat-of arms. Rather clever, really.

https://www.mannheim.de/stadtwappen[/QUOTE]
As a rank amateur, I feel somewhat vindicated when an expert makes note of the same observation or questions of mine. Thanks, paul

[Friedrich-Berthold]

By the way; an interesting detail I just noticed: The company logo of the Zeumer company can be interpreted as a stylized "Z" as well as the Wolfsangel found in Mannheim's coat-of arms. Rather clever, really.

https://www.mannheim.de/stadtwappen

".....As a rank amateur, I feel somewhat vindicated when an expert makes note of the same observation or questions of mine. Thanks, paul[/QUOTE]..."

Our Herr HPL2008 is an authority of the finest quality. And Mr. Paul should not keep his light behind a bushel, here, either. Thanks to you both.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Attachment 735874Attachment 735495Attachment 735494This cap is very similar in make, style, etc to this well known cap, ex the Mollo collection.

See evidence.