Dunkelblau OR *Tellermütze

M

Melf

New member
Hello and sorry for the lack of activity. Also thanks to Tony for answering me on my previous cap post (which I didn't answer but saw).

I bought this Dunkelblau OR Feldmütze a few days ago for 200 USD, and I decided to share it since I haven't seen much Dunkelblau Infanterie OR caps out there and would like opinions on it, this one is in excellent condition for it's age (1897-1907), with only a bit of moth damage and a few stains in the front, but it's very nice overall. Sadly I think the national cockade was replaced by one of Mecklenburg, but I will leave it as it is. It also has reparation in the back. The interior is of a type I've never seen before, but I believe it's original, the material, the colour and condition is that of every other dunkelblau cap I've handled.

Here are the pictures:
View attachment 1
 
Hi,

Sorry to say but in my opinion this is an OR Schirmmütze (peaked cap) without its peak. The Feldmütze has a different shape and construction. If you can get your money back I would. Look at some Feldmütze on Tony's website for comparison and you will see.

Regards, Lars
 
Thanks for your fast reply, but do you have more explanation as to why you think that? Because it has no traces of ever having a visor (could it be a teller?), neither of having a different liner (like those on Schirmmützen), quality and usage also differ (it can't be seen well on my picture but the brown part isn't leather).
The shape is indeed kinda different, the ones in Tony's website and some others in the web are closer to the M1907's shape, but I saw other supposed Feldmützes with the shape like mine.
 
I also vote private-purchase Tellermütze. The difference is the large overhang over the band. Krätzchen have almost a vertical shape with basically no overhang.
 
Thank you very much for your help! I noticed the same about the over-hanging part (compared it to a M1907)
 
I've been looking at other private-purchase Dunkelblau Tellermützen and they all look very similar to mine. One detail that I noticed, was that the "repair" on my cap, was actually a size-change to make it bigger. The cap originally must have had typical lining of these caps, but then was re-sized by cutting it on the back and filling the space with extra cloth, but then the lining and sweatband wouldn't fit anymore, so a dark orange cloth sweatband was put on it's place (which it's actually comfortable and has signs of use). Could this cap have been used by 2 different persons, maybe of the same family?
 
One thing we have learned here is that these private purchase items were very expensive for even the average German middle class family to afford. If you were of nobility or upper M/C and had lots of money then you could buy new off the shelf. However, there was also just as today a "used" market out there where you could source second hand items to equip your young soldat. So your hat was resized and resold because it was not official government issued. However, even government issued items were refurbished to meet new regulations. We see this especially in the older model helmets which were cut down in height for example and refitted to match new specs. On a personal note, I have a Saxe helmet in my collection which has M91 side posts but the height of the helmet and it's heavier construction tell me it's from the 1880's. It really makes sense.....?
 
As the original liner has been completely torn out it will be difficult to determine whether this is a Tellermütze or Schirmmütze. However I doubt it could have been resized in this way and then worn as a private item outside barracks; these items were scrutinized by the NCOs and had to pass muster. So I think this was done after its military life was finished, possibly in a theater.
 
Thanks for your replies. I think that resold is more plausible, because while it could've used in theaters at some point, the size-change and sweatband are done in a way for it to be kept in use (has signals of wear after size-change too), not what I'd see on something that just needs to look like it.
I remember seeing early 20th century kepis which were later used for theater and they all were repaired and mixed with more modern parts in coarse ways, and none represented an specific military. I also thought about inspections, but wouldn't the same thing apply for re-sized pickelhaubes that look different than the rest?
 
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