Original German WWII Heer Army Infantry Officer Schirmmütze Visor Cap by Rare Maker Peter Saur of Berlin

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a German WWII Wehrmacht Heer Army Infantry Officer Schirmmütze visor cap, with a lovely "Crushed" shape. This "saddle-form" shape is highly desirable, and accomplished by removing the crown support stiffener ring. It really looks the business and was made by the rare maker Peter Saur of Berlin, the first example of any cap we have ever had by this firm. It features the typical feldgrau (field gray) "doe skin" weave wool construction, very popular with officers, with a flaschengrün (dark bottle-green) "badge cloth" band and a traditional high forward crown. The cap also has matching Weiß (white) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, the Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) for Infanterie (Infantry) and Motorisiert Infanterie (Motorized Infantry). It also has the correct silver bullion chin strap, indicating that it is for an officer.

It is decorated with a well detailed stamped brass insignia on the peak and and an open aluminum wreath surrounding a metal tri-color cockade on the band. The insignia are in good shape, with the wreath still bright, while the eagle has matured to a gray patina due to the original plating oxidizing, and also shows some of the brass base metal where the plating is missing. The cockade still retains the red felt inlay, which is still a vibrant red color. while the metal ring around it shows some oxidation. The chin strap is attached with the standard silvered pebbled buttons on either side of the cap, which show some wear and oxidation. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black patent leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear along the edge and is checkered brown on the underside, showing some wear through the finish. The top has a lovely pattern of checking and crazing, which only happens after decades. The visor is still firmly attached to the body of the cap.

The cap is lined with lovely blue gray rayon faux silk, which shows light staining from use, as well as some wear through. The underside of the crown still retains the celluloid sweat shield, with most stitching intact, though the plastic has cracked and a small piece is missing. The original maker information is still relatively clear and reads:-

Peter Saur
geprüfter
Uniformmützenmachermeister
Tr??-Brückenstr. 65
?? A2/306 Berlin R. L. B.

The sweatband is made from gray finished pressed paper faux leather, and is in very good condition, showing some cracking and flaking. It has definitely become stiff over the years, and we were not able to lift it up to look for markings without risking damage. The size seems to be about a 57-58cm.

Overall conditions is really very nice, with the main issue being that the cap is now quite oval in shape, probably having been hung up on some type of support for a long time. Placing it back on a proper hat form will probably help it relax somewhat.

A nice example of the classic hat worn by German Wehrmacht Infantry Officers in WWII, made by the rare firm of Paul Saur! Very impressive and ready to display!

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
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.