Original Item: Only One available. This is a very nice early pattern German WWII SA "Stormtrooper" Kepi (Dienstmütze), often called a "Coffee Can Hat." It is made of "whipcord weave" light service cloth type canvas, but unlike most we have, this one does not have colored fabric or felt on the upper portion to indicate which Gruppe it is from. We have looked at it thoroughly, and cannot find any evidence that it ever had this covering, so it is for General issue to members who were not associated with a particular Gruppe.

These caps were worn by SA personnel, especially the "Stormtrooper" groups. It is made from heavy tan canvas, with an an early pattern plated alloy Reichsadler (National Eagle) on the front top. There is a nice dark brown leather chinstrap, held in place by the correct chocolate brown buttons. The interior has a darker brown twill lining with a light brown oilcloth faux leather sweatband. There is no RZM tag or any size markings, however it seems to be a size 56-57cm.

Condition of the kepi is very good, and it still retains the original shape well. The oilcloth liner shows loss o the lacquer layer and wear from use, as well as some wears of fraying and wear through. There is however no major tearing, and the liner is in nice lightly worn condition. The chinstrap on the front of the cap definitely does show some shrinking and cracking due to age, and now is stiff and in delicate condition. The exterior light brown fabric is in great shape, with minor fading,  and the brim does not have any cracks or folds, though there is a bit of wear to the fabric around the edges. These are rare in any condition, and this is definitely a very good example.

A hard to find SA Stormtrooper Kepi, ready to display!

Sturmabteilung, literally Storm Detachment, was the NSDAP Party's original paramilitary. It played a significant role in Adolf AH's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for NSDAP rallies and assemblies, disrupting the meetings of opposing parties, fighting against the paramilitary units of the opposing parties, especially the Red Front Fighters League (Rotfrontkämpferbund) of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), and intimidating Romani, trade unionists, and, especially, Jews – for instance, during the NSDAP boycott of Jewish businesses.

The SA were also called the "Brownshirts" (Braunhemden) from the color of their uniform shirts, similar to Benito Mussolini's blackshirts. The SA developed pseudo-military titles for its members, with ranks that were later adopted by several other NSDAP Party groups, chief amongst them the Schutzstaffel (SS), which originated as a branch of the SA before being separated. Brown-colored shirts were chosen as the SA uniform because a large number of them were cheaply available after World War I, having originally been ordered during the war for colonial troops posted to Germany's former African colonies.

The SA became disempowered after Adolf AH ordered the "blood purge" of 1934. This event became known as the Night of the Long Knives (die Nacht der langen Messer). The SA continued to exist, but was effectively superseded by the SS, although it was not formally dissolved until after NSDAP Germany's final capitulation to the Allies in 1945.