An original Waffen-SS Officer Shoulder Board, privately tailored in silver aluminium Russian braid over a black wool underlay. This elegant shoulder board represents the quality of manufacture associated with officer-grade German military insignia produced during the Second World War.
€ 275
An original Waffen-SS Officer Shoulder Board, privately tailored in silver aluminium Russian braid over a black wool underlay. This elegant shoulder board represents the quality of manufacture associated with officer-grade German military insignia produced during the Second World War.
The board features tightly woven silver-grey aluminium braid arranged in the classic Russian pattern. The braid retains excellent definition and sits on a black wool foundation, creating the distinctive appearance associated with high-quality officer shoulder boards.
Unlike enlisted shoulder straps, officer boards were individually manufactured by specialist military tailors and supplied through private purchase. Consequently, variations in braid pattern and finishing are frequently encountered on authentic wartime examples.
This Original Waffen-SS Officer Shoulder Board demonstrates traditional officer-quality construction.
Features include:
The tightly woven braid remains well preserved and displays an attractive age-related patina consistent with original aluminium officer insignia.
Officer shoulder boards formed an essential part of Waffen-SS uniforms throughout the Second World War. They identified rank while complementing the distinctive SS collar patches worn on the tunic.
Unlike enlisted ranks, officers purchased many uniform components privately. Tailors therefore produced shoulder boards to a consistently high standard using aluminium braid over coloured or black underlays depending on branch and organisation.
Today, surviving original officer shoulder boards provide valuable evidence of wartime tailoring practices and remain important components for restoring original uniforms.
This Original Waffen-SS Officer Shoulder Board remains in very good original condition.
The aluminium braid retains excellent definition with only light handling wear. The black wool underlay remains complete, while the reinforced buttonhole shows normal use consistent with period wear.
The reverse is clean and free from significant damage, preserving the board’s original appearance.
Collectors seek original officer shoulder boards because they are increasingly difficult to obtain as individual components.
This example offers:
It will appeal to collectors of German military uniforms, cloth insignia and original officer equipment.
Based on the photographs, the construction appears consistent with a period-made officer shoulder board. However, the photographs alone do not conclusively establish that it is Waffen-SS, because there is no visible Waffenfarbe, cypher, rank pip, or accompanying matching board. If additional provenance or matching insignia are available, the attribution can be refined further. Describing it simply as an “Original German Officer Shoulder Board with black underlay” is the most evidence-based approach unless further supporting information is available.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Officer Shoulder Board |
| Construction | Aluminium Russian braid |
| Underlay | Black wool |
| Manufacture | Private purchase |
| Period | c.1939–1945 |
| Configuration | Single shoulder board |
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