Felt Tschapka

pointystuff

pointystuff

Active member
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1915-GERMAN-MILITARY-WAR-HELMET-FELT-TSCHAPKA-/251030824375?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a729a65b7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The inside of the liner is black and the cockades seem fishy, but otherwise it looks pretty good.
If it's a copy, it's the best one I've seen yet.
 
I thought these larger Kuerassier cockades looked fine... (although there's one too many) :-k
 
OMG... that's a real tough one... It looks really convincing, but maybe some toughts can make us look further?

- The tschapka appears to be in unissued condition, yet one of the linerfingers is damaged altough the leather appears to be in very good condition...
- As mentioned before, the liner is black inside?
- The felt of the body is soiled but not underneath the mortarboard, which should be good because dust should falls vertically down and can't be under this mortarboard... yet the felt of the mortarboard itself appears to be very clean. Didn't the dust fall down there?
- No dust at all in the stitching, not even in those little holes, yet there is dust at the inside of the dome?
- The stitching of the mortarboard looks very un-German or it has been stitched on a monday morning after having to many beers on sunday evening...
- The shape of the mortarboard isn't a square at all... also made on a monday morning?
- The mortarboard looks very thick?
- The patina on the helmetplate has on the wearer's right side a darker vertical "line" and this goes further down to the rim... On the felt between those two areas there's no difference visible... How is this possible?
- The two kokarden are not right. There has never been a Feldzeigen on the mortarboard. Why?
- The round reenforcement plate and it's rivets seem to have no patina?
- What does the stamp inside the dome tell us?
- Remnants of an unidentified gray substance can be seen on the left inside of the brim or is it some kind of patina?
- The price stays low...

I know, questions, questions... I'm not saying this Thapka isn't the real deal, but for me there are to many questions...

Adler
 
Sorry to be late but my opinion is that this one is good. It is exactly the same manufacturing process than mine, except the liner, and the same regimental stamp for the UR. 11. On my felt Tschapka the stiching are not very regular too. I think that the winner of this auction can be very happy!
 
Salut Maxime,
Could you post photos of the outside of your Tschapka as well? =P~
 
In my humble, non-expert opinion, I thought it was a real example also, made entirely different than the typical fake ones we normally see on fleabay.

For $821, someone got a huge bargain, I believe.

The last time I saw a near-perfect set of large Jaeger-zu-Pferde or Kurassier kokardes like these sell, they brought roughly $600, more or less.

Even without having the kokardes in hand, I'm convinced they were originals, just on the wrong helmet.

I'd say the liner is the same as PickelMax's. His example has the same cut of black finished leather, with his liner having flaking on the finish probably due to a degree of dry-rot of the leather. The eBay example appears to be the same leather liner, just in nicer preserved condition.

Joe's photo shows the same style mortarboard that is very thick cut, and I believe the photo also shows the felt is 3-layers thick, as was the eBay example.

I do agree with Karel's thoughts that the stitching on the top of the mortarboard looks like someone drunk or hungover did the stitching job! :-"

All the Best,

Alan
 
For Alan, I believe that the liner of mine is different because the leather is brown and not black and it seems to be made with a lighter laether.

For Ron, look at here :
https://picasaweb.google.com/pickelmax/UlanenTschapka#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Maxime
 
I have a hard time distinguishing between very dark brown and black colors, same goes for very dark blue (like in U.S. Navy blue) and black colors. I'm not color blind, but those 3-colors give me difficulty unless I'm holding them side-by-side, and in good lighting. I presumed from seeing your photos that the dark chocolate brown coating color on the leather liner was black (in contrast to the lighter brown exposed base color of the leather liner where the finish has come off). Sorry for that mistake.

Yes, the leather in the eBay helmet might be thicker, heavier weight leather indeed, than your liner is. Regardless, it is a typical black color leather liner that we often see in felt helmets.

You have a really great ersatz Ulan helmet indeed, PICKELMAX, congratulations! Thanks for sharing pictures with us, it is a delight to view your helmet!

All the Best,

Alan
 
ww1czechlegion said:
I have a hard time distinguishing between very dark brown and black colors, same goes for very dark blue (like in U.S. Navy blue) and black colors. I'm not color blind, but those 3-colors give me difficulty unless I'm holding them side-by-side, and in good lighting. I presumed from seeing your photos that the dark chocolate brown coating color on the leather liner was black (in contrast to the lighter brown exposed base color of the leather liner where the finish has come off). Sorry for that mistake.
Click to expand...

Yes, you're probably right for the coating that could be black but just for one side of the liner in my Tschapka. The inside face is made with a light brown rawhide.

Yes, the leather in the eBay helmet might be thicker, heavier weight leather indeed, than your liner is. Regardless, it is a typical black color leather liner that we often see in felt helmets.
Click to expand...

Absolutely right!

You have a really great ersatz Ulan helmet indeed, PICKELMAX, congratulations! Thanks for sharing pictures with us, it is a delight to view your helmet!

All the Best,

Alan
Click to expand...

Thanx, Alan!
 
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