Conversion of East German to Third Reich

[uk wiking]

are we educating people to spot bad fakes or are we encouraging more tat to enter the collctors market, hence pushing up well known dealers or genuine dealers prices.

[cpittman]

Since the color of EG material is gray and not any of the shades of feldgrau used for German enlisted men's field blouses during the war, I would think that not only reenactors and hardcore historians could tell the difference, but just about anybody who collects German items or who had ever seen a color photo of an original uniform. And if you aren't going to have it in a collection or use it for reenactment, what are you going to do with it?
As a reenactor I feel there is a valid use for converted items which are reproductions meant for display rather than fakes meant to fool collectors. Even for collectors, in some cases it might make sense to have a converted item. Let's say for instance you wanted to have a mannequin to display your original SS greatcoat but didn't want to cover up a rare SS field blouse, a Swedish conversion with repro or even original collar tabs would add to your display without needing to spend a fortune. Also I know some people who got so fed up with getting burned buying repro items described as "original" they now buy ONLY repro stuff which looks just as good on the shelf and you don't have to lose sleep at night being afraid you were ripped off.

Chris P.

[Lasse]

I got no intend on doing fakes to sell, iam making my uniform becus i cant aford an original, iam just 13 years old so i see it like a perfekt thing to do when you cant afford original.

[uk wiking]

apologies all round , i did not intend it in any dis respectful way , i maybe said things the wrong way round, i merely meant is this a lession on making repro's or to make counterfeits, ps i do know the colours where out,but these things have cropped from time to time , anyway im sorry, nice to see young guys getting into this, thats worth more than any prized collectable. god natt.

[Aufklarung_Abteilung]

Despite the polyester content of East German tunics, they COULD be dyed using RIT. I was successful in dying the detached collar to deep bottle green and I believe the entire uniform itself could also be dyed to approperiate shade of feldgrau.

[Steve Das Reich]

Hi,

For those members who reenact, living history, etc.

May I suggest a little known retailer and supplier of repro and original TR kit.

Mr Richard Underwood, of London England, he specialises in converting ex swedish 1940 uniform, into extremely good conversions of mainly W SS kit.

Correctly died feldgrau, button holes etc. he even does the 1944 pattern tunic and trousers kielhosen etc.

He is offline at the moment reworking his website, but can be E mailed at [email protected]

prices are very resoanble £75 for a jacket, £65 for trousers.

Regards

[Ebusitanus]

I do not know why to go through so much agravation when your fellow reenactors will always look down on you (unless they are equaly farby). Just get a decent reproduction from a decent vendor and be done with it.
The price-agravation relation is not worth it to be investing in something "wrong" in the first place.

[Steve Das Reich]

Hi All,

I don`t know what every other re enactor in the world thinks ?.

But in my opinion, I use my Swedish conversion to take part in private battles and my Janke repro for public events and top class shows.

Fighting battles knocks the hell of of your uniforms and would be very costly to replace after serious wear and tear.

For the same reason I would strongly advise against using original tunics, trousers etc.

Best regards

Steve

[Ebusitanus]

I for one just fo not take pleasure being out in the field without the maximum degree of autheticity. Of course I would not take any original equipment with me as much as I can (Save those pieces that have no good replacement yet like k98 pouches, gas canisters, gas pouches, helmets, etc..) but I do make it a point to feel right as much as I can. And that includes filling the breadbag with period stuff like butterdish, esbit cooker, spoon-fork, asorted foods, etc...
The worst I have done in this regard is to wear non converted east german boots to a paintball game (Yes, I do wear my uniform to paintball) in order not to slip so easily with my correct metal boots.
I just could not wear a converted tunic and actually take pride in the look my HBT begins taking after dragging it out in the field..small rips, sweat spots, ocasional grease stains, etc...
Yes, I´m one of those who look after the "time rush" rather than the "cap busting". I actually even enjoy very much just doing marches through wooded hills with my pards like doing a patrol. We stop and cook our period correct foods and when doing a "full weekend" we camp down with our Zeltbahns and even dig some foxholes.

[Lustmolch]

Some time back I did a conversion of a Swedish tunic for a friend, turning it into an M1943 German (I was fortunate to have the correct patterns for the pockets). Apart from making up new pockets, I did the fly cuffs and undid the folded seam on the back, thus making it less noticeable. He later told me that he had several re enactors asking where he had got it from, so it couldn't have been that bad a copy.

It is interesting to see that Soldier of Fortune (the clothing company, not the publication) are offering simple M43 from Swedish conversion in their current catalogue. These are ex Band of Brothers props and from what I can see, the only major conversion work has been to put new pockets on (the colour of the material is mismatched), replacement of the Swedish buttons with German ones in the original Swedish positions and replica litzen, hoheitsabzeichen and shoulderboards. For such a conversion, they want £120 Sterling - the replicas they sell (right cut, buttons but no insignia) are only about £50 more.

[Wittmann]

No, silver buttons are out of question, at least in field jackets. And the shape of NVA buttons is wrong, they have sort of rim thatthe originals don´t have.
Here is my original M36 that I´m using as model:

An Heer M36 with SS insignia????

A rather used tunic with unissued looking SS insignia, im curious is there any mark of an heer eagle over the right breast pocket????

[Ville Kosonen]

Here is a close up on breast.
This is actually ex-Finnish army jacket with SA-stamps or size 54 inside.
They were given by Germany as clothing help during the war.
All that I have encountered are missing original insignia.
These insignias are original minus NCO-tresse.
Originally from Finnish SS-veterans, but I trade these from my Finnish collector buddies (took me years to find something to trade with them!)

Regards,
Ville

[Wittmann]

Here is a close up on breast.
This is actually ex-Finnish army jacket with SA-stamps or size 54 inside.
They were given by Germany as clothing help during the war.
All that I have encountered are missing original insignia.
These insignias are original minus NCO-tresse.
Originally from Finnish SS-veterans, but I trade these from my Finnish collector buddies (took me years to find something to trade with them!)

Regards,
Ville

So it is an Army (Heer) that you have convertet to SS......

It would look better if you applied an Army breast eagle and heer shoulderstraps etc.....

[Lustmolch]

Here is a close up on breast.
This is actually ex-Finnish army jacket with SA-stamps or size 54 inside.
They were given by Germany as clothing help during the war.
All that I have encountered are missing original insignia.
These insignias are original minus NCO-tresse.
Originally from Finnish SS-veterans, but I trade these from my Finnish collector buddies (took me years to find something to trade with them!)

Regards,
Ville

So it is an Army (Heer) that you have convertet to SS......

It would look better if you applied an Army breast eagle and heer shoulderstraps etc.....

Just my opinion, you understand but I would be inclined to leave it as it is, if it's an original.

[Mak Los Mien Schnitzel]

Since the color of EG material is gray and not any of the shades of feldgrau used for German enlisted men's field blouses during the war, I would think that not only reenactors and hardcore historians could tell the difference, but just about anybody who collects German items or who had ever seen a color photo of an original uniform.

Mr Pittman, without sounding rude, you'd do well to check out my thread about people claiming to know what colour "feldgrau" really is.

http://www.thirdreichforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=37159

I don't believe there is such an ability as knowing all the shades of Feldgrau, it would have required someone to have checked every uniform to come out in 6 years of war