Kriegsmarine KM Matrosenmutze

[Peter BL]

Hi all...I thought I'd post up my latest edition for some opinions. Non-removable top but looks to me like an early quality cap.

KR...Peter

[Peter BL]

Some more

[Peter BL]

Last pic

[Gordon Williamson]

Well the ribbon and insignia look fine. The cap itself doesn't have any obvious flaws from these pics, but private purchase types are always harder to tell, and for that reason with the Matrosenmütze I only ever buy official regulation issue types where there are set, standard features to go by. Blue lining is great in a Visor cap, but ss soon as I see it in a Matrosenmütze or Bordmütze, I walk away.

I'm sure blue lining was used from time to time on this type of headgear during the period,but its a bit like dealing with "variants" in badges, there is always a small level of doubt when dealing with private purchase KM headgear. Period KM headgear is rarely maker marked ( apart from private purchase) but postwar BM headgear is nearly always maker marked and vast quantities of early postwar BM headgear have been "converted".

Having said all that, your cap may well be 100% wartime. In its favour is the location of the maker. Bochum, in the Ruhr, isn't a sea port and most of the makers I have seen in BM headgear have been in the big sea ports, like Kiel, Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven etc.

What is the material used for the cap band stiffener? Postwar are virtually always pasteboard, whilst official wartime pieces are always celluloid. I've never seen a postwar one with a celluloid band stiffener.

[Peter BL]

Hi Gordon...thanks for the comments...here's a couple more pics. I think the stiffener is the cardboard type.

KR..Peter