SS Cufftitles

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 01-01-2010, 08:30 PM

Here is a breakdown of the categories Ausruestung "A" in the table of organization of RZM licenses extracted from the Mitteilungsblatt der RZM in 1938. A4 was for "Textilabzeichen" as seen on the RZM tags illustrated here in the 1938ff. variety of paper tag.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 01-01-2010 08:30 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 01-01-2010, 08:50 PM

The advert of a firm in Oberfranken. There is no RZM license present on this advertisement, but I am not sure such means anything.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 01-03-2010, 03:31 AM

A want ad for an embroiderer for a firm in Saxony.

**Frog** · 01-06-2010, 04:07 AM

Arriving late to this fine display.

Here is the seldom-seen CT of the SD, in situ, as seen before on this site:

**Frog** · 01-07-2010, 12:30 AM

And (also seen before) an NCO Oberbayern CT:

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 01-07-2010, 02:32 AM

Very nice, thank you. Very rare and pleasing regalia. The piping on the Raute was for former membership in the Gestapa. There is a difference between the Gestapa and the Gestapo.

Does anyone know the difference?

**Frog** · 01-07-2010, 03:00 AM

Gestapa (Geheimes Staatspolizeiant) was the predecessor to the Gestapo, I believe.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 01-07-2010, 03:49 AM

by Frog

Gestapa (Geheimes Staatspolizeiant) was the predecessor to the Gestapo, I believe.

Staatspolizeiamt

Correct. Bravo.

**Frog** · 01-07-2010, 08:24 PM

Yes, correct on the spelling!

I was in a hurry to be the first to respond, thinking there might be some sort of prize or awards ceremony for the right answer.

**Richard Kimmel** · 01-08-2010, 04:46 PM

Food for thought.

When it comes to cloth items I'm an old school believer in the rub, smell and visual appearance method. The odor of age can be very telling in cloth items. I would also point out that many synthetic fibers were developed prior to WWII and that Germany had developed Dacron*, a synthetic fiber. You may also be familiar with the name Cellulon*, which was one of the synthetics used by German firms producing cloth items during the wartime period.

Should you be among the staunch believers in the use of "black light" U.V., you may be passing up opportunities to add excellent, genuine items to your collection while, on the other hand, you may be being separated from some of your own good pieces. For as many cloth items that glow, there are equally as many reproductions that do not. Even though I believe in, as I previously said, the old school method and even using the burn test, burning a tiny fiber from a cloth item will bring you no closer in determining the difference between wartime production, postwar production including reproductions.

The synthetic fiber material Rayon* burns rapidly as does cotton, both giving off the odor of burning paper and both leaving a white ash residue. German cloth producers also used fluorescent whitening agents to make whites whiter long before the First World War and most definitely before the Second World War. The German firm of I.G. Farben was one of the very early manufacturers of chemicals and dyes containing fluorescent agents.

Even on later war production of lesser quality glue that may have been used to affix paper labels onto items may have properties that will give off a slight glowing when exposed to U.V. light. These lesser quality glues may also appear to seep through the paper in places.

Experience may be the only true method combined with first impressions, your gut feeling and should the price be right then take the chance!