WWI Austro-Hungarian caps

Brian,

The cap is the part of the collection of the Hungarian Military Museum. Sadly we have no informations about the origin because the large part of the museum's registry destroyed during the WWII. However the cap was the part of the collection since the interwar period.

Most probably a private purchase piece.

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Brian,

What do you think of the visor? It seems much thicker than ones on any cap I have seen. The visor on my Hechtgrau is paper thin!

Chip
 
Chip,
I have several caps with visors that thick and I have seen plenty others. Seems like it varied between maker.
Brian
 
Thanks Brian. Obviously, I haven't seen as many of these as you. :) I was just remembering that the Czech made repros I have seen had thick visors.

Chip
 
Thanks for posting that last cap. Very nice. Just to keep things rolling on this thread...here is a shot showing the badges/kappenabzeichen on the latest addition to my collection. I only have three caps that I can say for sure that the badges are original to the cap and this is one of them. Interesting to note that this cap is made of felt rather than wool. Not unusual to see felt caps...but the cap body is usually a single molded piece. This one has the body sewn together like a wool cap.

Chip...I just noticed that your grandfather was an electric signalman. My grandfather on my mother's side also trained as an electric signalman but didn't make it overseas. My paternal grandfather trained as a pursuit pilot...also, luckily, he didn't ship out either. Survival rate was pretty low for fighter pilots.
 
Brian,

My Hechtgrau pressed felt cap is constructed the same way. It also has a sweatband identical to the one in yours, i.e., the color and cross-hatching.

Is your new one a Kaiserschützen example? It looks like it has the feather quill pouch on the side. I like the Italian officer's and enlisted collar stars added as souvenirs.

Chip
 
Chip,
I thought your hechtgrau felt cap had a one piece body? I haven't looked at the photo for a while. The cap was not factory made as a kaiserschutzen cap, but had a pocket sewn on later. When I got the cap all that remained of the feathers was the stems and a little white fluff. Yep, those souvenir Italian stars are cool. I have seen two or three other caps from Italian collection that have then. I have also seen a couple caps that have Russian cockades as souvenir badges.

An interesting thing about these caps with the cross-hatched sweat bands...they also all seen to have the same lining material. It's a smoother linen with kind of shiny finish. I have seen about 5 or 6 of them...I think all from the same maker.
Brian
 
Here is my latest find...acquired from a Czech collector. You may have seen this 1917 dated cap already as he has posted it on another forum.
 
Nice find Brian, you're getting quite a heard of these aren't you old friend..Guys, these old hats are great, luv'em...thanks for sharing them :thumb up:
 
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