Bad quality German parade belt

[butschekantiques]

Looks like this parade belt didn´t last too long! Cracks even at the time they took this photo! ;-)
Klaus

[Lenny Warren]

Wow, I thought they would at least last for a good few years....

[Ben Evans]

Just another opinion, I wonder if they have bulled up the belt with polish for a parade and the polish has cracked? Used to happen to my parade shoes and boots. Also army officer Sam Brown belts did the same thing. Just food for thought

[Adrian Stevenson]

Thanks Klaus.

Also interesting to see a numbered cuff title on the grey uniform.

Cheers, Ade.

[Wilhelm Saris]

It is practically sure the belt, as worn with the photograph, is one indicated as "Kernlack"-Koppel or "Spaltlack"-koppel,
so a lacquered type of belt. Such a leather can easily break when not handled with care, especially with the upper coated layer
for Spalt-leather (for example he may not have rolled it, but tried to fold it or did not clean it appropriately). The belt worn,
may not have been from simple "Blankleder", that's for sure!
To give a sample a "Kernlack"-belt, not having a cloth backing, did costs in those days about 2.65 RM; a belt from "Spaltlack"
about 1.65 RM and a regular "Blank"-leather did costs also 1.65 RM.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

It is practically sure the belt, as worn with the photograph, is one indicated as "Kernlack"-Koppel or "Spaltlack"-koppel,
so a lacquered type of belt. Such a leather can easily break when not handled with care, especially with the upper coated layer
for Spalt-leather (for example he may not have rolled it, but tried to fold it or did not clean it appropriately). The belt worn,
may not have been from simple "Blankleder", that's for sure!
To give a sample a "Kernlack"-belt, not having a cloth backing, did costs in those days about 2.65 RM; a belt from "Spaltlack"
about 1.65 RM and a regular "Blank"-leather did costs also 1.65 RM.

Well said. Patent leather belts did exist in the SS, but were phased out well before this picture was made. The Allgemeine SS cuff title is of note.

[ObKrieger]

I have never seen an allgemeine SS cufftitle on a grey SS uniform before. Was this allowed?

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The Allgemeine SS did use grey uniforms in certain roles, and we have included such images elsewhere.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

This person appears to have normal SS runes on his collar.

[HPL2008]

The Allgemeine SS did use grey uniforms in certain roles, and we have included such images elsewhere.

Certainly. However, this Sturmmann is not a member of the Allgemeine SS... His rank chevron and shoulder boards identify him as a member of the Waffen-SS. Also, the right-hand collar patch appears to bear the WSS' twin Sigrunen, although I can't make it out with absolute certainty. The shoulder boards show some unit cypher, unfortunately also not legible here.

Of course, the Politische Bereitschaften - i.e. the forerunner of the SSVT and thus ultimately the WSS - still used cuff titles with Sturm numbers, but this is obviously not what we see here, as the uniform and insignia are of a much later period.
(It is even certain that the photo was taken no earlier than mid-1942; note the ribbon of the Ostmedaille in the buttonhole of the field blouse.)

Mr. Butschek: Would it be possible to show a close-up of the upper part of the image, specifically the shoulder boards and collar patches?

In any case, another interesting image.