LW tropical field cap

[Tobiasz667]

Hello everyone, what do you think about this LW tropical cap, is it a fake?
Regards

[ErWeSa]

I am no specialist for this kind of cap, but there are several hints here:

1. fabric, 2. only one eyelet on either side, back of the eyelets, 3. tan interior (not red), 4. machine embroidered (not woven) insignia on the same fabric as the body of the cap, 5. machine embroidered cockade (not woven)...

see here (free download of all three volumes): The Afrikamütze Database; A Guide to the Identification, Context and Interpretation of the German Army Tropical Peaked Cap, 1940–43, Part 1: The Authentic Cap. Artefact Services Research Papers 8/1 : Mike Seager Thomas : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

[Tobiasz667]

yes, but it's a Luftwaffe cap, as far as I know, they didn't have a red interior, I certainly haven't seen a cap with one ventilation hole on one side. Has anyone seen one like this?

[humble collector]

I had a side cap with red interior a long time ago. I traded it to a dealer on a tunic.the eagle looks good on the cap. Really need it in hand to look at the stitching and UV test

[Tobiasz667]

Were infantry caps the same as those for the Luftwaffe? ventilation holes, linings, material, etc.

[humble collector]

They typically had a makers mark and cap size. The materials varied due to early examples were of higher quality, and as the war progressed the materials became less expensive for cost cutting. This cap has a silver braid around the top indicating officer. The Adler is cotton. The Adler would typically be aluminum spun to match the aluminum braid. The inner vent hole rivets are awfully shiny. I’d steer clear of the cap. However, I’m not fully versed on headgear so I’d wait on a more seasoned colleague to chime in

[ErWeSa]

yes, but it's a Luftwaffe cap, as far as I know, they didn't have a red interior, I certainly haven't seen a cap with one ventilation hole on one side. Has anyone seen one like this?

My fault, you are of course right! Looking forward to the specialists' opinions.

[JohnB1945]

As Humble Collector mentioned, would need in hand. If you don’t already own one, you can purchase a UV light cheaply. A negative UV light reaction doesn’t guarantee it’s original, but may be an additional piece of the puzzle. Also, many 80+ year old textile items have a musty odor to them.
On an optimistic note, these caps were made by many different fabricators, and over time the manufacturing materials available to them changed, as well as the necessity to reduce production costs and methods.

[CBH]

The rivets are the wrong type, so fake cap.