Early SS Officer’s Visor Cap.
This lovely example dates from around 1933, a year or so before the RZM began marking caps and their components.
The body of the cap is composed of high-quality dense wool, with a band of fine black velvet.
The insignia, which has developed a rich, dark patina over time, is almost certainly original to the cap, and has settled nicely into the textile; the attachment pins go through the lining.
The pale gold polished cotton lining is finished with an intact diamond-shaped sweat shield and an 'ersatz'’ leather sweatband with forehead perforations and a sponge pad.
The chin cords are tarnished silver- typical of early caps.
Overall a classic piece of headgear in excellent condition.

Pre-War Black SS EM/NCO Visor Cap.
This is a lovely "Sonderanfertigung", special quality private purchase cap worn by all branches of the SS while in dress uniform prior to the war.
Caps like this are most commonly associated with the Allgemeine SS.
This cap, which dates from 1935-36, exhibits a lovely cream silk interior embossed with gold SS runes above an RFSS label; a further RZM label can be found under the sweatband (the makers number is too faint to make out).
The final marking is in the form of an SS/RZM stamp on the underside of the visor.
The condition is excellent, with no mothing or damage.

Nice quality, issued, black wool construction visor cap with a whipcord weave a black, whipcord weave centerband and white wool waffenfarbe piping to the top crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband.
The internal crown stiffening wire has been removed but internal padding and a vertical stiffener to the front center are still intact and give the cap a nice, relaxed, saddle form shape with overlapping side panels.
The cap has a blackened, leather, chinstrap with two, black painted, sliding, rectangular, sheet metal, length adjustment buckles and a central, rectangular, sheet metal, joining clip.
The chinstrap is secured to the cap by two, small, black painted, smooth finish, sheet metal buttons. Could not see any markings on the reverse of the chinstrap. The cap has a forward, extended, black lacquered, vulcanfibre visor with a raised lip near the forward edge. The orangish/tan bottom edge of the visor has a subtle, repeating diamond patterned and is well marked with black inkstamped SS runes encompassed by the initials, "RZM".
The interior of the cap is fully lined with orangish/tan oil cloth to the crown and orangish/tan cheesecloth to the body.
The crown lining has the original, clear celluloid, sweat diamond fully intact.
The crown lining beneath the sweat diamond is well marked with the gilt printed, circular bordered, outline of the SS runes encompassed by a second circular border. The interior of the cap also has a wide, tan ersatz pressed paper sweatband with ventilation perforations to the front forehead section. The sweatband is complete but has numerous tears.
Original owners name and the number "525" are hand written to one side, of the sweatband. Oilcloth RZM/SS tag is missing.
Nice inkstamped date and location to the top inside liner "Koblenz 4. 38".
The cap is in overall good condition with minimal age and usage toning.
Cap has replaced insignia which is original but does not quite match the age and condition of the cap.
Still looks great for display purposes.

Nice quality Luftwaffe NCO visor cap for the Flak branch of service.
Cap has three rows of red piping, with the body of the cap fabricated from a gray wool.
Metal eagle and wreath are totally original to the hat. The interior is clean and intact.
It has a light orange brown lining with clear celluloid diamond printed with maker name G.A.Hoffman factory logo and address.
It is a size 55.

BACKGROUND:                         
The German Army Group "South" had just completed its conquest of Ukraine by the end of 1941, and was in a striking distance from the home territory of the Don Cossacks. By 22/07/1942, the Axis captured all of the northern banks of the lower Don River; in the coming days they drove deep to the south, in the direction of Caucasus. By the end of that year the front-line extended along the Caucasus range in the south, where it almost reached the borders of Georgia and the outskirts of the city of Ordzonikidze; the Germans managed to occupy almost the entire homeland of Don Cossacks as well as of Kuban Cossacks. Soon the very first local Cossack volunteers began to offer their services to the Germans, with the obvious hope of restoring the past freedoms and honours assigned to Cossacks during Czardom but unceremoniously abolished by the Bolsheviks. Lieutenant Colonel von Freitag-Loringhoven (the Intelligence Officer of Army Group "South") initiated the recruitment of the first Cossacks in the Cossack homelands, to serve in Cossack units subordinated to the Germans.
One of the first such units was formed from willing Don and Kuban Cossack renegades taken prisoner near Millerovo in southern Russia (in the summer of 1942), when a Wehrmacht Captain named Kandutsch (the Intelligence Officer of the 40-th Panzer Corps) suggested that Cossack collaborators might be useful in guarding of Soviet prisoners-of-war whose large volumes made them difficult to handle while the German combat units were more urgently required for combat duties rather than guarding of prisoners. The Cossacks who enlisted were formed into the Cossack Cavalry Squadron 1/82 of the 40-th Panzer Corps, under the leadership of a Cossack Captain named Zagorodnyy (later a recipient of the prestigious Iron Cross First Class).
HAT DESCRIPTION:                         
This is a former German / Russian Cavalry Officer’s hat.
Black wool exterior band and red wool crown with silvered aluminum crossing straps and few small holes on top of crown.
The insignia is a combination of silvered aluminum eagle and silver oak-leaf wreath and cockade in silver/aluminum wire threads and hand embroidered.
The interior is fully lined in black rayon.
Brown leather sweatband is poor condition shows heavy ware.
Larhe size is roughly size 57-58.
Hard to find original Cossack chat.

SS Kepi for Junior Officers.
This c. 1931-33 kepi is a rare survivor!
Under the 1931 regulations, ranks up to and including Truppführer (i.e. the equivalent of other ranks and NCOs) wore no crown piping.
The rank of Sturmführer and after 1933 Sturmführer up to and including Sturmhauptführer (i.e. the equivalent of company grade officers) had black-and-white crown piping.
The piping as been added to this cap after manufacture, either as a result of promotion or changing regulations.
It is of the "soft bodied" style with a treated buckram body stiffener that is much more pliable than the rigid pasteboard variety also seen.
There art some small moth nips and repairs, but this cap is in otherwise excellent condition with moderate wear and a lot of character from the "early days" of the Reich!

This is a scarce example of an iconic piece of headgear which consists of a machine spun, black wool construction, detachable beret and a separate, black wool covered, protective crash helmet with a heavy internal padding.
The beret is woven in the correct pattern with the circular weave being clearly visible and the top crown retains its original small lappet.
The bottom edge of the beret has a dual-ply hem designed to help secure it to the crash helmet. The front center of the beret has an early, (Circa 1935-1939), machine woven national eagle which is positioned above a machine woven, oak-leave wreath and national tri-color cockade on black.
Both the eagle and wreath/cockade are originally hand-sewn to the beret.
The exterior of the crash helmet has a black wool covering with heavy, internal padding and a deep, horizontal, indentation near the bottom edge designed to insert the beret for a secure fit.
The beret still fits snugly on the crash helmet.
The crash helmet has six, large, evenly spaced, inserted, rubber ventilation grommets positioned around the middle of the body, each still retaining its original wooden "plug".
The interior of the crash helmet is fully lined in black oilcloth, cut and stitched into six equal triangular sections. The interior of the crash helmet also has a wide, brown leather sweatband fully intact.
Medium wear overall with no damage, and approx. a size 55.

Panzer wrap tunic and panzer pants available in UNIFORM section.

HJ Landjahr (HJ Farm Organization) field cap.
Light tan cotton twill construction visor cap with green piped crown.
Front center of the cap has a first pattern stamped silver national eagle and on the centerband is an enameled HJ membership badge.
Brown leather chin strap is affixed to the cap via two small brown painted buttons.
The interior of the cap is fully lined in copper colored rayon and brown leather sweatband.
Cap is a very nice large size 58.
Very Good condition!

While the SS was never officially stationed to North Africa, they were issued tan tropical uniforms for wear in the Mediterranean and Balkans.
This mint, unworn specimen was manufactured by Eduard Brammer of Hamburg in 1943;
Brammer was a manufacturer of headgear, much of it tropical, for several branches of the German Wehrmacht.
Skull is correct, and appears to be original to the cap, while the eagle is the sleeve variety, and likely a replacement (although photographic evidence exists that these eagles were occasionally worn on caps).