SS Italian Visor Hat? Ever see one?

[Loubert150]

Insignia look reporoduction. Visor I've never seen before.

[MAP]

I do not like what appears to be a poor attempt to add the black felt/velvet. Also the piping around this band appears to be poorly done.

I'm not optimistic but will leave it to others.

But here is a period photo of one in wear.

[MAP]

There does still appear to be a Barberini Uniform shop in Torino (manufacturer? Retail? Distributor? I do not know).

That in no way authenticates this visor but I thought it was interesting.

[Loubert150]

Strange thing is that is the only photo I can find of anyone wearing such a hat.

[MAP]

I have very little experience with Italian visors and own only two. I do know that there were two styles, the later being called the "Imperial" which had a higher peak and sharper angled brim similar to German WW2 visors and as seen in the photo I attached above. The photo you posted appears to be the earlier style with a brim that is more flat. Beyond that, I have no further experience.

[ErWeSa]

Hi Loubert150,
a fantasy hat IMO. Even locally (i.e. in Italy) produced German peaked caps didn't lack the top-panel-piping. There is a specimen of such a cap in the Moran/Maguire book on pp. 88/89 - a white-top Ortsgruppenleiter cap made by Piedimonte in Rome - was there in the 1990ies when it still existed but they wouldn't sell to individuals (what they produced then). If this cap is grey (hard to see on my screen) then I think it is a guardia di finanza cap, an early one without top panel piping. Compare to this:



Modern Italian visor caps are, BTW, IMO among the most elegant still produced - depending on the manufacturer - (although their elegant shape is due to different factors than the one of the German caps). The cap below was not made by Barberini but by this firm: Uniformi Militari a Bologna or perhaps this one: Diadema | website (you can't be sure who produces - well, Diadema really does - and who only sells, as was the case some 75 years ago).

[ErWeSa]

There does still appear to be a Barberini Uniform shop in Torino (manufacturer? Retail? Distributor? I do not know).

That in no way authenticates this visor but I thought it was interesting.

Yes, they are still active as it appears, they produce uniforms. If you would like to call them :
BARBERINI SRL
19, Via Lessolo - 10153 Turin (TO)
Tel. 02 33610871, 011 8125396

[stonemint]

The seller is jerking you around. This same hat was sold as a repro in the Gottlieb auction:

Craig Gottlieb Militaria Auctions

[MAP]

Nice detective work Stonemint!!

Nice to see they noted the same issues we collectively highlighted above.

[Loubert150]

Thanks guys for the work, I am truly amazed at people. Thanks again