What does "RZM" mean?

[Ebusitanus]

I got a water canteen from Ebay and its marked with a "RZM" surrounded by a circle..what does that marker mean?

[EDIT]

Ok..I found this nice website:

http://www.german-militaria.co.uk/RZMmarks.htm

So, since my Canteen has a RZM M6735/38 on it, it would be "M" for Metal, "M6" for Aluminium product and the "38" most likely the production year.
Now, what do I have here? An Waffen-SS canteen? That would be awesome for a merely 5 bucks I paid.

[Brig]

you have a political canteen. I don't think the Waffen SS marked their canteens with an RZM, but I know the SA/HJ/etc did. How is the clasp, standard as with Heer canteens or is it a sort of round cylinder?

[cannon]

Can you show a picture of your canteen. I would be able to help you better with pictures. The 38 would stand for the date. RZM is the manufacture. These canteens are believed to be used by early SS units.

[S&K KAHN]

The RZM is the abbreviation for Reichszeugmeisterei, a body which had been set up as early as 1 april 1929 to supervise production and pricing of all nazi party uniform items. The basic functions of the RZM were to see that NSDAP contracts went to aryan firms and to ensure the final products were of a high standard yet priced to to suit the pocket of the average party member.

Be wary of the site you mention. The single circle RZM shown as a fake is wrong. The official RZM rules on what the authorised versions are as follows,
single or double circle,
z with or with out a slash"-".

[Ebusitanus]

you have a political canteen. I don't think the Waffen SS marked their canteens with an RZM, but I know the SA/HJ/etc did. How is the clasp, standard as with Heer canteens or is it a sort of round cylinder?

Not a good image that would make it justice. The make up of the Canteen itself is identical than my regular M31 Heer ones, color included. The only real diference I can percieve is actually the RZM marking on it. The clasp is also of a high quality Heer type. The only "weird" thing is that strap that goes around the base of it bottle neck.

[cannon]

Dont forget these canteens did not have the leather tabs in the middle of the felt cover on each side to hold the strap in place.

[Ebusitanus]

Dont forget these canteens did not have the leather tabs in the middle of the felt cover on each side to hold the strap in place.

I do not understand what you mean. In any case this canteen has a leather strap on the other side of the shown in the photo.

[Brig]

with that type of clasp, quite possibly an early SS. I don't think it's SA or Party because of the clasp, maybe HJ

[jman]

Hi all,
I have a Walther PPK pistol with the RZM mark (the correct one, where the M forms the inner, darker circle) nicely engraved on the left side of the slide.
This gun was a 'bring-back' by an American officer who was in G-2 and one of his jobs was to go into villages in Germany after the'd been secured and collect any weapons, cameras and binoculars and lock them up for the MPs. This PPK came from one such sortie.
My question is: that since it was obtained in this fashion, from a village and not from a combatant per se, can I asume it was probably the property of a party member?

[Ebusitanus]

Or just a soldier/officer who had left that weapon back in that village. Could have been an issued weapon IMHO.

[jman]

Thanks for the reply but let me demonstrate my ignorance - what is IMHO?
jman

[Ebusitanus]

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

There are alot of these things in internet, made to make chat exchanges be faster.

[jman]

Ebusitanus,
Thank you for the clarification!
Regards,
jman

[cpittman]

The canteen in question is the "Political" type used by SA, SS, HJ, NSKK, etc. I have two of them; they are not quite as expensive as regular M31 Army issue ones. A Walther pistol with an RZM mark is an honor weapon for Nazi political leaders and is worth a small fortune.

Chris P.

[jman]

Thank you Chris, for your thoughtful reply.
Jay.