New SS items of interest

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Esteemed FB;

We are all partisans to one degree or another. This is a realm of alliances both long term and diaphanous. The madness of the period seems to cast its dark shadow on these relics. Their cost only exacerbates the issue.

In the interested of collegiality I have been given permission to post these images of an SD tunic that is a true woodwork find. It was found in the attic by new homeowners. Thankfully they contacted a dealer and did not dispose of it. Of course this is just a story, but a story with a papertrail.

The tunic is cut much like the Stammabteilung tunic previously posted. It is private tailored and made of high grade trikot.

Attachment 198642Attachment 198643

As concerns the cut of these things, here are some examples some of mine and some of others.....

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The above are more or less uniform, but by no means identical to each other. The RZM Herstellungsvorschriften do not include the SS uniform. There existed a separate directive and pattern sheet for the black uniform of an early date, but this document does not cover variations in their number.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

A look in the RZM Handbuch and one realizes the thousands of tailors who potentially could have made these things, so one cannot get the same uniformity as today had in Hennes and Mauritz.....for which we are actually grateful.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

No sooner than I mention one of the later war peaked caps of inferior make, perhaps by an other maker of repute, one has appeared on one of the more quirky and controversy laden sites. Imagine.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I prefer the cap that was on the more staid and reputable site.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Another example of the cap of late war and sort of desultory quality.

Authentic and desirable, but not as rare as the cap with the RZM/SS stamps....
If these are Clemens Wagner caps, which I guess reflects the ideas of some here, then they do manifest a decline in quality from the production of same in early years.

[Anders S]

Another example of the cap of late war and sort of desultory quality.

Authentic and desirable, but not as rare as the cap with the RZM/SS stamps....
If these are Clemens Wagner caps, which I guess reflects the ideas of some here, then they do manifest a decline in quality from the production of same in early years.

Perhaps they do manifest a decline in quality from the production of same in early years. However, I'd love to have this one, with the "been there" look, currently for sale by a Norwegian friend.
Unfortunately he is asking a bit to much.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Very nice. Dear Anders, my comments are not a value judgment, but merely a historical fact that earlier Wagner SS caps were more carefully made, and with better materials because of the absence of the war and the absence of pressure for rationalization. These war time caps are authentic, and they are desirable. You also got yours for a poem of a price and can be very happy. In North America these things are costly, and likely just too costly.
But my point is not prices, but the external pressures that made this regalia cheapo in the era, itself. Whether cheapo or its opposite, the key is authenticity.

[BenVK]

The cap above posted by Anders used to my cap. I have fond memories of it because it's the only item that I have ever bought from someone invited into my house. Many moons ago, the seller posted it on the German daggers forum and was given the usual run around by some of the loudmouths there. On the off chance, I emailed the seller to ask if it was still available and he came round as he lived not too far away. We had a very pleasant afternoon discussing militaria dispite the fact that the cap had Mickey Mouse fake insignia on it. Face to face discussions can go sour when you have to tell someone bad news which is why I usually prefer to keep a distance. Not in this case though and the seller was a true gentleman and a bit of a raconteur which I enjoyed immensely.... I wish I could remember his name..I bought some other very nice regalia from him that day.

As FB has mentioned, these caps are pretty basic and obviously were churned out at quite a pace. I find it interesting that the Gottlieb cap came from the UK as obviously did mine.
British troops didn't bring back souvenirs in the same quantities as their American counterparts and most of it has been hoovered up long ago. Actualy the number of grey caps of this type that survive to this day and keep on appearing is quite interesting as well. Was a kleiderkasse store discovered and plundered? Mine was never worn IMO and the wear of the velvet band was due to all the little post war hands handling it and or course the dreaded Lepidoptera.

[BenVK]

Here's another that appeared recently. They really aren't as rare as most dealers would try and make you believe. They are more like London buses, you wait for one for ages and than three come along at the same time!

I'd glady swop one of these for a Luftwaffe tropical M41 cap.