SS Hauptamt Tunic

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Those who began collecting in the age of the Internet certainly have some strange ideas as to what is, to use their favorite term, "untouched." They lack the common sense to understand that insignia on uniforms would be removed for cleaning. Most cleaners of the era would then reattach the insignia. Insignia could also be removed and reattached or replaced when the owner was promoted or transferred. The frugal people of the era did not dispose of a tunic due to the fact that insignia needed to be changed. What ever occured with a garment between the 1920's until 1945 was not done to satisfy the pickiness of a collector in the 21st Century. It was accomplished to be expedient. Insignia can be changed by a tailor, cleaner, an individual's family or the individual himself. This of course will present a wide array of workmanship.

Well said. Bob also has made the point that insignia collectors raided these things in former times, leaving them missing a collar patch or a cuff title, because of the popularity of badges over the whole tunic. The same still holds true for the zombies and drones who rape caps of especially the "sculls" in order to get the special version of the droopy Deschler or the marzipan Pforzheim stinker from 1940.

In more than four decades of this Mr. Toad's wild ride, I have seen an awful lot, and thereby find some of the fuss budget tantrums (based on no collection other than minute study of pixels....) to be pretty curious.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Foetid.

[tempelhof]

"Ausgehstiefel" or, as we would say in English, "Walking out boots" would make sense as being more lightly constructed. I guess these would be, as the name implies, a version for a more "dressy" occasion.

Great posts by both you and Bob Coleman on more detailed considerations I am sure most do not think of every day and that many have not thought about at all.

I have learned something here.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

"Ausgehstiefel" or, as we would say in English, "Walking out boots" would make sense as being more lightly constructed. I guess these would be, as the name implies, a version for a more "dressy" occasion.

Great posts by both you and Bob Coleman on more detailed considerations I am sure most do not think of every day and that many have not thought about at all.

I have learned something here.

Just imagine what some of us could have done with a more constructive approach to the world around us.....that is, what I could have done... Bob Coleman has had a productive and fulfilled life in society and industry.

I ingested too much dust and ink, which has skewed my world view. Also, the foetid woolens have twisted my outlook greatly.

My warm thanks to Bob Coleman for his wise and able guidance on this site and the fruits of his decades of experience.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Some photos for colleague tempelhof of some Officer's footwear...
Attachment 362280Attachment 362281


CMH

Very nice material from your fine collection.

[BOB COLEMAN]

I have learned something here.

This is the purpose for which this Forum exists. No nastiness, no ridiculous comments. We all will learn at one time or another by being a member of this Forum which Ade so wisely formed.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

This is the purpose for which this Forum exists. No nastiness, no ridiculous comments. We all will learn at one time or another by being a member of this Forum which Ade so wisely formed.

Well said and I pledge allegiance to Adrian and to Bob for his able stewardship of us refugees from tyranny, superstition, and, above all, digital age cannibalism and stupidity.

[UHU]

Those who began collecting in the age of the Internet certainly have some strange ideas as to what is, to use their favorite term, "untouched." They lack the common sense to understand that insignia on uniforms would be removed for cleaning etc..

It a phenomenon not exclusive to this field of collecting. I was in Berlin a few years ago and am a big fan of the Bauhaus school of design. While wandering about the city I stopped in many antique stores. One in particular was a treasure trove of Bauhaus furniture, owned by a very nice and very educated lady. She had an incredible selection of original chromed furniture, most of which I had only ever seen in books and museums and it was priced accordingly.

We got to talk and she lamented the difficulty of selling a historical piece of furniture to many of the young-and-well-to-do (aka nouveau riche), because it did not look like it had just left the factory in Dessau. In response some less scrupulous dealers were stripping these pieces and having them rechromed (sacrilege!).

To be perfectly honest I was a little baffled by this revelation, because it had never really crossed my mind that a 70 year old piece of furniture, which had survived WWII, the Cold War, the division of the country and changing taste would NOT show signs of age, unless it had been buried in an air raid shelter for the past few decades, wrapped in oil cloth and just recently discovered. It's an antique. It's old. It's lived life. What on earth is the matter with these people that they do not understand this?

[Friedrich-Berthold]

It a phenomenon not exclusive to this field of collecting. I was in Berlin a few years ago and am a big fan of the Bauhaus school of design. While wandering about the city I stopped in many antique stores. One in particular was a treasure trove of Bauhaus furniture, owned by a very nice and very educated lady. She had an incredible selection of original chromed furniture, most of which I had only ever seen in books and museums and it was priced accordingly.

We got to talk and she lamented the difficulty of selling a historical piece of furniture to many of the young-and-well-to-do (aka nouveau riche), because it did not look like it had just left the factory in Dessau. In response some less scrupulous dealers were stripping these pieces and having them rechromed (sacrilege!).

To be perfectly honest I was a little baffled by this revelation, because it had never really crossed my mind that a 70 year old piece of furniture, which had survived WWII, the Cold War, the division of the country and changing taste would NOT show signs of age, unless it had been buried in an air raid shelter for the past few decades, wrapped in oil cloth and just recently discovered. It's an antique. It's old. It's lived life. What on earth is the matter with these people that they do not understand this?

Well said. Thank you. A thoughtful and insightful intervention. Even things in more or less a perfect state of preservation show age if you look closely.

The thought of such furniture from the 1920s and such being restored is pretty repugnant, but that does not surprise me.

There are many wonderful things in Berlin. Watch the film "Berlin, Sinfonie einer Grossstadt" by Ruttmann in You Tube. It is a day in the life of Berlin in 1927, and it is a genuine pleasure.

[tempelhof]

my thanks to Bob Coleman too.

and, sir, if it's the inhalation of dust and ink which, for you, has led to what i have seen and understood of you so far, i'll have a little as well.