Chris Boonzaier

Either he likes cheap cars or expensive boots! ;-)

Ironically, a friend in Bavaria has ANOTHER captured compass.... it is a 1913 dated one to a South African, with his name and SAMR (South African mounted rifles) After his tim in South West Africa he joined the British army and was captured in 1917, at which time the compass must have changed hands. I assume the Germans did not loot POWs, but thatz compasses were considered military material and were confiscated and redistributed

What boots are worth a car ???

I was hoping to get this... but it went too high... am sure I will regret it more as time passes... http://www.ebay.de/itm/Regenumhang-Kaiserreich-Alpenkorps-BAI-1916-Kammerstueck-Verdun-/252115049896?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEDWX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=nWK0I54iRh8WUMTGksCpCmD%2BBYE%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I really, really, really hope the people on your FB page are collectors... and not into it for erotic reasons ??

Here it is with a few period pics.... http://kaiserscross.com/286801/552301.html

... if he found the dark corner of the basement where I butcher my female tailors dummies, slashing off boobs and bits to make them fit my tunics? What would the cop say who found his way down there... My dirty little secret.... ;-)

Oh wow..... and not post 1918 contaminated!! Veeeery nice...

Wow... I am not really a prewar fan... but that is a nice bar!!

Hi, Liner is there with a steel band... how did you guess the steel band bit?

Was taking some pics today... I never really like camo helmets, but needed one... and this was the one I liked best.... Of note.... it has a really good original paint job under the camo, which I found very reassuring....

Indeed... its the dilema that basically all uniforms with added badges have (MG Badges, WW2 Arm shields etc) unless you have it right from the family, you will never know for sure when it was added .... which is why through the liner would have been so cool!!

Hi, does anyone have anidea what the text in black pen says?

Another card....

Fantastic! I have kept my Rick notes as well! :-)

Nice to see the possibility of discussing a piece again :-) The difference being, it is much flatter (less relief), has 3 leaves (WW2 have 2). However, I do not know when the model changed, so I have open ears to that. If it is WW1, the following points. - Chip is right, it is only sewn through the band, which in retrospect seem to be the obvious way to do it. I dont know why i thought of it going through the lining. A carpet needle is not needed, all that was done was to sew a loop, pushing the needle through the badge as you go, then pulling it tight. Very similar to the way a loop for medals is sewn. To be honest, I am just as happy with that as through the lining, although through the lining would have been a slam dunk "good" imho. - Why an Austrian one? I have seen a number of 10th Jäger pictures where the men are wearing the stalked edelweiss. The latest dated one was on a 1917 Studio photo on an auction I missed. I assume the stalked ones are pretty unusual to find on a cap, but having a couple of uniform sets that came from the families of men killed in Action during the war, it is possible that a cap was worn until 1915, 1916 or 1917 in "the old style" and was never updated to the regulation edelweiss. Wishful thinking? Yes it is. - White thread... here is a thing, there is enough period grey thread out there... why white? Of course, one could argue "A faker would maybe use white because noboby would expect a faker to use white!" ... but I am guessing we will probably never know. - My end of the day feeling, Original cap, WW1 Austrian Edelweiss, how long its been there noone can say. For me it makes a great impression, there is no sign "it cannot be", thread seems old and worn, looks to have been on there some time... someone else would be just as justified to say "i dunno, i look at it and dont like it..." - I guess its a gut feeling piece

Hi, OK, a few thoughts. I think this is the standard WW1 Austrian one?

Hi Chip, sceptisism is always justified in such cases. I will look closely when I get home. Best Chris

I was happy to find this postcard of Machine Gunners from the regiment....

Fantastic, The barracks is so typical... and their singing is top notch! A treat to watch... coming back from a run... Colonial Infantry in Kabul,

I have a soft spot for the hinges on a plate like that. Try explaining that to a psychologist. A super piece :-)

That is a superbly cool helmet... I be jealous.....

Here is one that belonged to a bavarian officer, later Wehrmacht General

I was never really keen on these, but this one came my way... now I love it! Unfortunately I do not know who the winner was, the quality is good. Are there Better and worse wartime makers? Best Chris

I know!!! Its nothing "official"... but going by the workmanship, I dont think its modern... and as the price was in the mid double figures... definately not made for resale. There were all kinds of local Leib Regiment associations (from different towns and villages), I am assuming it was made for one of them.