Collector's Guide to Cloth Third Reich Military Headgear

The "Collector's Guide" is conveniently organized into two main parts. The first provides a background of the German cap-making industry, and technical details about the caps themselves, while the second half provides information on many of the actual cap manufacturers and their products, including interior colors, patent and D.R.G.M. numbers, different forms of maker marks, and for many companies - detailed company histories as well. In this section, for the first time ever in print, the history and fate of the Robert Lubstein company - maker of the EREL-Sonderklasse caps - is also revealed.

The Collector's Guide is a "must have" book for headgear collectors. This superb book includes cap construction basics are covered, including materials and finishes (doeskin, Eskimo), and a brief overview of the inidividuals, equipment, and procedures involved in manufacture. Descriptions of each type of cap (including lining and sweatband colours) for each service and comparisons with modern Bundeswehr and former East German headgear help novice collectors avoid costly mistakes. A series of Quick Reference Lists allow for a convenient check of questionable items when inspecting a potential purchase. The Collector's Guide details - for the first time in print - information on the Army Offizier Kleiderkasse, interior markings such as D.R.G.M., Ges. Gesch, and the many generic labels: Stirndruckfrei; Meisterklasse; Sonderform; Erstklassig; Deutsche Wertarbeit, etc. The book also includes a history of the German cap making industry with details of product information, interior colour details, makers marks. Also revealed here for the first time is the history and final fate of that most famous of all companies, Robert Lubstein, maker of the renowned EREL-Sonderklasse caps.

Gary Wilkins
Hardcover 280 pages 2002