Here is a very recent pick up. The piece was literally smashed down byt clothing, at the bottom of a WWII veteran's duffle bag and is EXACTLY as it has been for the last 80 years. 

 

As you can see, the cap has had all of the metal insignia removed, but it is apparant where the pieces belonged. The duffle bag did not contain any other German uniforms or insignia. This was it. For me, it is a bit confounding as there are no markings on the inside of the cap and the sweatband is grey, which I have never seen before. The other oddity to me is that where the eagle was onced attached, the color of the material is a much more pronounced cornflower blue where the rest of the color on the cap is much darker. I was surprised that the chinstrap and the side buttons are still attached, and that the leather, though it shows wear, is still relatively supple.

 

I am wondering if anyone here might be able to give me some thoughts on the cap, the reason for the differences in the color on the op portion of the cap and what steps should be taken to bring this cap back to a more presentable appearance. 

 

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

Allan

It looks like the band was painted over. You can see some dark paint? on the brown material.

8 minutes ago, Preppy Picker said:

It looks like the band was painted over. You can see some dark paint? on the brown material.

 

As you mention it, it would appear that the band was painted over, but I do not see any drippings anywhere, so it was done by someone with a deft touch. The inside material is dark as well, but I would not say it is painted.

 

Were these stiffened using starch? 

 

Allan

If I remember correctly there is a soft and stiff version of this hat.

Im often wrong but these appear to be where the paint brush accidentally brushed these areas.

I have never seen a SA kepi with a grey sweatband. 

Light Blue was it? If so two different SA Groups had Light Blue Cap and Collar tabs, Hochland and Bayern-Ostmark, to me Hochland is a redundancy given the" Highlands" IE the Alps covers both Southern Bavaria and all of Austria.

 

Here's a Light Blue Cap, the Hochland one seems to have been worn with an Edelweiss on the side, though it's lacking on this one, which probably makes it a Bayern-Ostmark one.

Can we see the interior?

The presence of gold button makes it Bayern-Ostmark vs. Hochland (as well as the lack of Edelweiss)

Groups that shared colors were distinguished by "button color" on that hat and shirt, and (my own theory) by buckle roundel color as well.

22 hours ago, Marshallj said:

Can we see the interior?

Here you go, this was BTW an online find of a auction win .

A reissue one from Hochland and or Bayern-Ostmark that was painted Black for one of the Groups that had Black??? Which was Niederrhein and Berlin-Brandenburg..

Post WW2 police cap comparing sweatbands. That grey really troubles me.