Chainstitching, soutache, woolen monograms...?

[Bobertil]

Hello everyone
This is my first time posting here, and I hope some of you clever heads can help me.

You see, the embroidery methods for M1895 shoulder boards have me quite confused. Shoulder boards for the bunte Rock are a pretty new topic for me, and one that I don't (yet) know much about. My question regards the cyphers and monograms of the boards: I see both hand-embroidery, chain-stitching, soutache and woolen monograms having being used, but is there a general rule of thumb as to what method would have been used when?

I'm particularly curious as to which method would have been used for issue-quality shoulder boards manufactured c. 1910, as I suppose private-purchase uniforms would use whatever method the customer preferred?

Best regards
Bertil

 

[Valery71]

Hello!
Interesting questions!
From my own experience can say :

The embroidery style used was whatever embroiderer in workshop had/
Lower ranks (Mannschaften ( were unlikely to by able to chose their own shoulder straps or commission custom ones /
But off/candidates were quite free to chose custom embroidery /

 

[Lars13]

Hi Bertil,
In the 1896 clothing regulations both Nummerschnur / Plattschnur (is that what you call soutache?) and chain stitching were allowed for the numbers on enlisted men's shoulder straps, by 1903 only chain stitching was specified.
For regiments with monograms, crowns, etc. there were more options, and both chain stitching and cloth applications were possible for enlisted men.
Hand embroidered I have only seen on private purchase items, certainly for regiments with just numbers. When chain stitching had become regulation, the Nummerschnur / Plattschnur was sometimes used on private purchase items.
Hope that helps,
Regards,
Lars