{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-1937-dated-late-pattern-metropolitan-police-shako-by-erel-size-56-missing-cockade","title":"Original German WWII 1937 Dated Late Pattern Metropolitan Police Shako by EREL - Size 56 ½ - Missing Cockade","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice 1936 dated Metropolitan Police Officer's pattern Tschako, with the late pattern police green wool body and black leather trim. This replaced the original all leather style used up until that point. It has a very fine quality police officer eagle aluminum \u003cem\u003ewappen\u003c\/em\u003e (front plate) a black leather chinstrap around the \"pickelhaube\" style lugs. The \u003cem\u003eFeldzeichen\u003c\/em\u003e cockade is unfortunately missing, as they often are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lovely Polizei helmet (shako) as used by the metropolitan police! Unlike some of the more common ones found trimmed in brown for rural police, this tschako would have been used by the \u003cem\u003eOrdnungspolizei\u003c\/em\u003e (Order Police), the \u003cem\u003eSchutzpolizei\u003c\/em\u003e (Protection Police), or the \u003cem\u003eGemeindepolizei\u003c\/em\u003e (Local Municipal Police), personnel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interior is in very good condition, though the leather has definitely degraded a bit, and now is somewhat stiff. The top tie is missing, and several the end of one of the liner \"fingers\" has fallen off, while several others are partially torn through. We checked carefully under the liner, and there is a stamp reading \u003cb\u003e1937\u003c\/b\u003e, and the top crown is marked with size \u003cb\u003e56 1\/2\u003c\/b\u003e with a paint stamp. There is also still the full retailer and maker on the inner dome top below the size:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRobert Lubſtein \u003cbr\u003eBerlin NW 21,ALT MOABIT105\u003cbr\u003eGES. GESCH.\u003cbr\u003eFABRIKMARKE\u003cbr\u003e(Logo)\u003cbr\u003eEREL\u003cbr\u003eBERLIN\u003cbr\u003eFIBER-TSCHAKO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mesh vents are in very good condition, with both sides retaining their sliding covers, though they are a bit stiff due to age and light oxidation. With both the Maker and Retailer located in Berlin, we can probably assume that this was issued to a Police Officer in the Berlin Metropolitan area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall exterior condition is very good, showing light wear and some deterioration due to age and storage. This is particularly apparent on the gloss black leather areas, which show some checking and crazing due to the finish deteriorating. The wool covering of the main body is in great shape, retaining the color well, and it does not show any signs of moth damage. The leather chinstrap is in somewhat delicate condition, showing some cracking and dry rot from age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA very good example from one of Germany's best manufactures of the time! Ready to display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHistory of the shako-\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eThe word shako originated from the Hungarian name \u003ci\u003ecsákós süveg\u003c\/i\u003e (\"peaked cap\"), which was a part of the uniform of the Hungarian hussar of the 18th century. Other spellings include chako, czako, schako and tschako.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom 1800 on the shako became a common military headdress, worn by the majority of regiments in the armies of Europe and the Americas. Replacing in most instances the light bicorne, the shako was initially considered an improvement. Made of heavy felt and leather, it retained its shape and provided some protection for the soldier's skull, while its visor shaded his eyes. The shako retained this pre-eminence until the mid-19th century, when spiked helmets began to appear in the armies of the various German States, and the more practical kepi replaced it for all but parade wear in the French Army. The Imperial Russian Army substituted a spiked helmet for the shako in 1844-45 but returned to the latter headdress in 1855, before adopting a form of kepi in 1864. Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, military fashions changed and cloth or leather helmets based on the German headdress began to supersede the shako in many armies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the mid-nineteenth century shako was impressive in appearance and added to the height of the wearer, it was also heavy and by itself provided little protection against bad weather as most models were made of cloth or felt material over a leather body and peak. Many armies countered this by utilizing specially designed oilskin covers to protect the shako and the wearer from heavy rain while on campaign. The shako provided little protection from enemy action as the most it could offer was in giving partial shielding of the skull from enemy cavalry sabers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43683315679301,"sku":"ONJR25OL0031A","price":595.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR25OL0031__03.jpg?v=1771965581","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-1937-dated-late-pattern-metropolitan-police-shako-by-erel-size-56-missing-cockade","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}