SS VT Crusher at auction

[Rich Moran]

This is at a current auction, your thoughts please?

[Bob Lyons]

His 10 place Luftwaffe ribbon bar is bad...

[Rich Moran]

His 10 place Luftwaffe ribbon bar is bad...

It's anyone's guess with these things these days. There is so little original items around that dealers & auctioneers struggle to find and list good items. I honestly cannot tell with the crusher, there is no interior wear seen but the exterior looks like it was worn and then poorly stored.....or made to look like it was. The underside of the bill is clean and free of oil from fingers touching it too. Really suspicious to me.

[Bob Lyons]

Wish I could be of assistance Rich, hopefully Stonemint may jump in with some assistance.

There are others on the auction to be wary of too, his EK 1 marked '113' (Hermann Aurich) is bad, and he also has
a Flight piped NCO 4 pocket tunic with Flak Regiment 14 unit stamps on the liner, and with a machined on breast eagle,
also a worry...

Bob

[Rich Moran]

The SS Himmler dagger is also a wtf item. Honest parts dagger? LMAO......Stonemint saw the post and no comment. Speaks in a loud volume!!!

[Rich Moran]

Then there as these forum links to ponder over with this:

SS Gray-Top White-piped EM/NCO Crushers

Early Crusher - SSVT

The common theme I am seeing is the liner on the above SS VT crushers with cloth bills posts are brown in color, the standard SS fare for visor cap interiors. there are more links if a search is done but the 2 above high lite the best of what's been posted. Some are NCO version as well but both officer and NCO version consistently shows the brown material used typically with SS visors. I know other colors were used and could be ordered as well, but whats seen on this forum the verified originals are all brown interior materials.

[stonemint]

Gents:

I do not collect crushers, so I do not comment on them (Ben VK is the man on these).


I will say I have known Bruce Hermann for years, and I have regularly bid on his auctions, and I have also consigned items to his Auction.
He is one of the few stand-up guys in the hobby.
However, like any dealer, he cannot be an expert in all areas.

If you feel an item is fake, take the time to email him and let him know, and he will pull the item from his site.

In any event, lets keep the focus on the crusher (feel free to start threads on non-headgear items in the appropriate forums).

[Arran]

I've seen this hat in person and quite liked it. In my opinion its a private-purchase rather than the classic brown cotton lined issue cap. It does have the correct treated textile band stiffener which is not mentioned in the description. The velvet band and chincord/buttons have been added over the integral black wool band, from when it was an NCO's cap...

[ErWeSa]

As I am no expert for these I don't know whether I should make a comment at all (and have hesitated to do so so far). So, if not appropriate, please disregard/delete.

What makes me think is the sweatband - are there any examples of these caps known with sweatbands like this? All those the pictures of which I have seen (never had one in my hands) have the simple turned over version, nothing like this later, more sophisticated, 2-part sweatband.

[Arran]

Here are some Heer crushers with similar sweatbands. The Pekuro type with the velvet edging can also be found...