Description
Product Description: This Heer General Visor Cap by EREL is an absolutely fantastic and supremely desirable visor, that could be a highlight of an advanced collection. The body of this top-quality cap is made of a very beautiful fine doeskin wool, in an appealing light feldgrau shade. The wool has no damage or mothing at all, and retains all of the original smooth surface nap. The central dark green wool badge cloth cap band is also virtually pristine with no damage or mothing. The eye-catching gold piping, indicating General rank, is made of braided gold wire. This piping is free of damage and is joined together almost unnoticeably, with the skill expected for a hat of this level. The front of the visor bears a complete and very beautiful set of insignia. Both the eagle and wreath are gold anodized, with virtually all of the original finish intact, and no evident wear. The wreath has very bright and eye-catching burnished highlights. The center of the cockade is the highly desirable vented type that is only found on the highest quality visors EREL produced. A beautiful braided gold wire chin cord is attached to the visor with two original gold pebbled chin cord buttons. The chin cord has some very light toning, as is usually seen on high quality gold pieces from this era. The visor on this deluxe cap is made of Vulcan fiber, and the upper surface retains all of the original black lacquer finish, with some very light age crazing. Inside, this Heer General Visor Cap by EREL is lined with a beautiful cream-colored artificial silk, that remains tight. The leather sweatband remains completely intact, with the embossed maker’s name “EREL Stirnschutz” in silver lettering. The original rear bowtie is complete and intact. The sweatband shows light wear to the front, and one can still see the two small holes on the band where the metal clip attaching the original price tag was affixed during the time period. In the crown of the cap, the original rhomboid celluloid sweatshield bearing the maker logo for “EREL Sonderklasse” remains completely intact. This cap is an absolutely fantastic and rare visor by the most iconic and sought-after visor cap producer of the period. It would likely be impossible to upgrade, and is in truly near mint condition.
Historical Description: The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors, as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.
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