Article about: original SS cap skulls are more anatomically correct than the reproductions and as such are more sinister................. I wouldn't like to meet him on a dark night. peer into the eye sock
Wonderful set Anders. I must admit though, I try to only buy these things as and when they appear for sale at a reasonable price which is an increasingly difficult task. The reason being that the chances of finding an original cap that was once stripped of its original insignia do come along once in a while so it's worthwhile having them ready in advance. Otherwise the credit card takes a serious bashing because of that overwhelming feeling to "set things right" again quickly and at any cost. Maybe it's just me though?!
Just a thought but how many of us have owned an SS cap that convinced us, without question, that the badges were the originals and had never been replaced, taken off then replaced or tampered with in any form or another? Not many I would guess?
I agree with you Ben, it's worthwhile having them ready in advance.
Finding these birds and fellows aren't easy, it's even more difficult finding them at a reasonable price.
(I usually pay a lot for them, however, the sellers usually accept my weird payment plans so it doesn't hurt so much in my wallet). I know none of us are rich...
Regarding your other post, how can someone be sure that the metal insignia have been on the cap since pre. May 1945? I know that my Assmann set looks like it has been on my cap forever...
And now, totally off track; This is for you Ben, even if I am a poor student at the moment, I'm currently paying for this one, I think it'll look good on my mannequin.
(Sorry, let's go back to the insignia.)
Just a thought but how many of us have owned an SS cap that convinced us, without question, that the badges were the originals and had never been replaced, taken off then replaced or tampered with in any form or another? Not many I would guess?
I have a couple this way. But SS caps are very often fiddled with thus, and one must be realistic that a lot of regalia that endured in Germany got stripped of insignia, either by trophy seekers or by those who wanted to preserve a family heirloom while adhering to the denazification strictures.
Ergo, I think some beginning collectors overstate the importance of a piece that is "100% untouched" especially when I am aware that alot of SS material was simply destroyed quickly in the spring of 1945. An authentic cap stripped of badges is thus a not insignificant thing, actually. I own a black officer's cap that came from Barrandov film in Praha. The insignia are replaced, but the cap is every bit as wonderful in its own way than a piece that is organic. The object traveled a different path from then until now, which in some ways is more interesting because of film in the CSSR.
But I do own some caps where I am reasonably certain the insignia are organic to the piece in question. Collectors do huge damage to caps with the prying off of insignia, bending of sweat bands, and otherwise abuse of rare and fragile things. I hardly need write this fact to you. But you can see how various caps get degraded from their first appearance on a website to their second and third, whereby the inner wear is extraordinary.
Absolutely FB, very nice MP40 by the way Anders, does it still shoot?
The only cap I ever owned that I was pretty sure of still having it's original insignia was a black NCO example, a Wagner I seem to recal, that needed restoration so I was forced to take the insignia off unfortunately. The TK on that cap was almost welded to the cloth and it had the remains of a very crispy spider behind it that just crumbled to dust when I touched it. Sorry if you've heard this story before, it's one of my favourites!
"Just a thought but how many of us have owned an SS cap that convinced us, without question, that the badges were the originals and had never been replaced, taken off then replaced or tampered with in any form or another? Not many I would guess?"
A very interesting and valid question Ben.
I have seen quite a few threads recently that attempt to establish whether matching or mismatching badges were the norm on an original cap. I personally don't feel it's likely but as I have never the taken the badges off the caps I know to be original to the hat I can't really comment. Mind you, I am always extremely impressed by the ability of specialised badge collectors to identify makers from the front view of insignia.
Having collected these things from the early days I still have caps in my collection from vets and museums that I feel comfortable retain their original badges.
Here is a skull badge from a cap donated to a museum by a vet.
D'Alquen
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