bcalkins

Andi, That looks like a very nice cap. Congratulations on finding it. Here is a cap I got a couple years ago. It also has an added pocket. It is unusual for being a regulation model 1915 cap, but made of a felt fabric. Do you have other KuK caps? I have just finished an English language book on KuK cloth headgear that should be available by the end of October. Best regards, Brian

Here is my latest find....1917 dated regulation feldkappe.

Attached is a photo of a similar cap sold as a WW2 period M42 German foresters cap...

After doing a little research...I think I have figured out this cap. While it looks somewhat like a WWI German ski troops cap, I believe it is a German or perhaps Austrian foresters cap from the WWI era to maybe the early 1930's.

This is a very cool cap...but it's origin is not Austrian. Austro-hungarian caps are my specialty and I have seen photos of literally hundreds of existing examples and I have never seen one with this type of piping. It looks more like a WWI Bavarian ski cap. The edelweiss also is more of a WWII pattern. WWI Austrian edelweiss, when it has leaves, had three, not two. I am not saying this is a put together piece...but if all original...I think the edelweiss and Austrian officers cockade have been added some time before you got it by someone who thought it was Austrian. Can you post photos of the right side of the cap and also the inside? I would love to see and it would maybe help to solve the mystery.

Wonderful examples...everyone! I especially love Max's caps because that is what I collect. I will try to attach a few pics of some of my caps.

Be sure you get a Serbian cockade, rather than a Yugoslav. The difference is in the order of the ring colors. The wartime Serbian cockade had white as the outside band color. I'm pretty sure of this, but try to double check. I think this is a French made late war cap for the following reasons... The cloth chinstrap was very common on mid and late war French kepis. The cap body is simplified with no piping or extra outside flap. The French and Brits supplied a lot of uniforms to the Serbs to refit the army at Corfu. Last, the visor is a typical short Serb/Russian style (later Yugoslav visors were wider and flatter). I collect WWI headgear from all the Balkan countries. If you are ever interested in selling, please give me a shot at it. bcalkins@thephxzoo.com f

I would say that it's a Serbian officers cap from late in the war, French made.