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Reproduction crushers?

B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
warguy said:
Steve respectfully speaking, I am an ardent collector of original militaria, attend several shows each year in the States and scour the internet and lately have been paying attention to original AAF materials. Original true crushers, especially in that large size just arent that common today. Personally, I wouldn’t wear an original, with the delicate celluloid and fragile sweatbands and stitching in many of them, I wouldnt want to risk it. Just my opinion. The really nice wartime Bancrofts, Flight Aces, and others, if in excellent plus condition are selling for $350 and up when I do see them come to market, and once again, probably 95% of those are in a size 7 or smaller.
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Hi Warguy
I think that unless you’re a re-enactor and want the cap to wear, the size really doesn’t matter would it ? As a collector Vs a re-enactor I would just like one to display. So for me the size wouldn’t be an issue as much as the condition of the cap would be. I think having an original in fairly nice condition for display would be pretty cool.
 
MauldinFan

MauldinFan

Well-Known Member
Micawber said:
By choice my personal active collecting days are over but I do keep an eye on market trends and values.
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Same here, I used to buy like mad, but the only stuff I look for anymore is repro, or anything army railroad or war correspondent related.
Once you've owned most of the stuff once or twice, there's not much thrill of the hunt anymore.
 
Mr. Mike

Mr. Mike

Well-Known Member
Still have this one to offer, in case someone of you might be interested. It's not a Flighter but an original. 7 1/4 size though but in excellent condition.

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ausreenactor

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
foster said:
Diamond Dave was making these for Eastman, as of about 10 years ago. I do not know when he stopped supplying crusher caps to Eastman, but I think it was around the time he started making A-2 jackets, maybe around 2014/2015?
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Wow...that was a decade ago?
 
Micawber

Micawber

Well-Known Member
MauldinFan said:
Same here, I used to buy like mad, but the only stuff I look for anymore is repro, or anything army railroad or war correspondent related.
Once you've owned most of the stuff once or twice, there's not much thrill of the hunt anymore.
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The thrill of the chase! I think I've posted about it before. I started collecting militaria back in the 1960's when all kinds of stuff was still floating about within the family, neighbours, friends. WW2 gear was still available in 'surplus' stores and on markets etc. I've built up several collections then sold up, not for the money but I felt I had got to where I wanted to be ...or I when I found searching for that elusive item had become too much of an obsession!

Anyway, Googling 'repro / reproduction USAAF crusher caps' returned various 'interpretations', I see Soldier Of Fortune over here offer one but it's not of DD or Society Brand quality . Depends on how accurate you want to be

www.sofmilitary.co.uk

US Officers Service Crusher Cap Army & Air Force Pilots Brown

US officers peak cap with brown leather peak and leather chinstrap. Can be seen being worn by US Air crews in many war time photographs and where called crusher caps as they had a crushed look after they had be worn with headsets, the crusher look became the look of a veteran flyer. Includes Cap...
www.sofmilitary.co.uk www.sofmilitary.co.uk

More reading ... https://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/threads/hornbeam-militaria-usaaf-crusher.26372/
 
MauldinFan

MauldinFan

Well-Known Member
ausreenactor said:
Have said it many times... buy an Original Garrison cap... save the dollars....
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Even those are almost impossible to find in larger sizes. The cap I used to wear when I did USAAF displays or my War Correspondent class As is a former Texas A&M cadet visor cap I got around 1999. It looks great but I'd still love to have a crusher in that quality.
 
MauldinFan

MauldinFan

Well-Known Member
ausreenactor said:
Have you considered the new US Army visor? Sorry....
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Saw one last weekend for the first time. They’re more cut like the German ones, I think, and overall the shape is just odd.
You'd think as a good repro WW2 crusher would likely work with the new uniform, so I'm even more surprised nobody is making them now.
 
ausreenactor

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
MauldinFan said:
Saw one last weekend for the first time. They’re more cut like the German ones, I think, and overall the shape is just odd.
You'd think as a good repro WW2 crusher would likely work with the new uniform, so I'm even more surprised nobody is making them now.
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Think American Patrol were shipping bulk orders to bases.
 
A

Adama36

Well-Known Member
MauldinFan said:
The whole pinks and greens thing irritates me no end as I would have dearly loved to have had that when was still an Army officer.
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BTW, how these new Pinks and greens compare to the original ones? I was wondering, for instance, if these new pink trousers could be an accurate option for reenactment?
 
ausreenactor

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Adama36 said:
BTW, how these new Pinks and greens compare to the original ones? I was wondering, for instance, if these new pink trousers could be an accurate option for reenactment?
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Texas A&M use a WWII pattern trouser for their ROTC. I have a pair here. Still fit too....20 years on.
 
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