Original and matching pair of 1938 SS RZM Overhoff 36/38 uniform belt support hooks, manufactured by Overhoff & Cie., Lüdenscheid. Each aluminium fitting displays the RZM emblem, SS acceptance runes, oLc maker trademark and 36/38 contract/date marking. Complete with their characteristic pebbled belt-support surfaces and perforated mounting plates. An excellent pair of original SS uniform fittings with particularly clear manufacturer markings.
€ 100
1 in stock
This matching pair of SS RZM Overhoff 36/38 belt support hooks represents an interesting and often overlooked component of original SS uniform construction.
Rather than conventional uniform buttons, these fittings are Koppeltragehaken, commonly described in English as uniform belt-support hooks. They were fitted at waist level to help support and stabilise the uniform belt.
Both examples appear to form an original matching pair. Moreover, each fitting carries an impressive group of period manufacturer and organisational markings.
The markings comprise:
The oLc trademark identifies Overhoff & Cie. of Lüdenscheid, one of the best-known German manufacturers of SS metal uniform accessories and belt equipment.
Overhoff & Cie. produced a considerable range of metal uniform fittings during the Third Reich period. Consequently, collectors regularly encounter the company’s markings on SS buckles, uniform accessories and related equipment.
The markings on this pair are particularly desirable because they combine the RZM, SS, oLc and 36/38 identifiers within the same fitting.
Documented Overhoff SS equipment carrying the corresponding RZM SS oLc 36/38 marking is known from surviving 1938 production. Period SS officer belt buckles provide an especially useful comparison for the form and arrangement of these markings.
A comparable Overhoff 36/38 SS marking can be studied through the specialist Ratisbon’s militaria archive. Ratisbon’s Overhoff 36/38 SS reference
Another documented example appears in the eMedals reference archive, where 36 is associated with Overhoff & Cie. and 38 with 1938 production. eMedals Overhoff 36/38 reference
Each fitting is manufactured from lightweight silver-grey metal, consistent with the aluminium construction widely employed for German uniform hardware during the later 1930s.
The broad mounting plate has rounded corners and a series of regularly punched circular holes. These apertures enabled the fitting to be securely incorporated into the uniform construction.
At the lower section sits the prominent curved support.
Its exterior carries a dense, finely pebbled finish. This textured surface corresponds with the appearance of period German uniform hardware and provided a robust contact area for the belt.
Viewed from the side, the integral hook arrangement and folded construction become particularly apparent.
Importantly, this is functional uniform hardware rather than decorative insignia.
German military and paramilitary uniforms frequently incorporated fittings designed to carry some of the weight of the waist belt and attached equipment.
Without support, a loaded belt could gradually move downwards or distort the waist of the uniform.
The Koppeltragehaken provided a practical solution. Mounted at the waist, the hooks gave the belt a fixed support point while allowing the uniform to maintain its intended appearance.
Pairs are therefore particularly desirable because a complete uniform normally required corresponding fittings on both sides.
Today, many detached examples survive individually. Finding two matching SS-marked examples together is consequently preferable for collectors restoring or studying period uniform construction.
The Reichszeugmeisterei, generally abbreviated RZM, controlled the manufacture and distribution of many items supplied to National Socialist Party organisations.
SS equipment frequently incorporated additional SS control markings.
On the present fittings, the combination of the circular RZM emblem, SS runes, Overhoff trademark and numerical designation creates an especially useful authentication feature.
The same general marking system is encountered on documented SS equipment manufactured by Overhoff.
For comparison, surviving Overhoff 36/38 SS officer belt hardware is recorded by specialist dealers and auction houses. The consistency between those markings and the stamps visible here adds useful supporting evidence when assessing these fittings.
Several characteristics support a period attribution for this matching pair.
First, the oLc diamond trademark has the expected configuration associated with Overhoff & Cie.
Secondly, both components display corresponding RZM and SS markings rather than unrelated manufacturer stamps.
Furthermore, the 36/38 designation corresponds with documented Overhoff SS hardware associated with 1938.
Construction also appears appropriate. The fittings show pressed and folded metalwork rather than the thick or crude casting frequently associated with reproductions.
Small differences in oxidation and wear are visible between the two hooks. Such variation is entirely compatible with genuine uniform use and subsequent long-term storage.
No obvious evidence of artificial ageing can be seen in the supplied photographs.
A specialist militaria dealer currently illustrates an essentially identical form of SS/RZM-marked uniform belt hook and identifies it specifically as an original Waffen-SS/RZM uniform belt hook. View comparable original SS uniform belt hook
The pair remains in very good original condition.
Both hooks retain clearly visible pebbled surfaces. Their perforated mounting plates remain substantially straight, while the functional hook elements are present.
The impressed markings also remain unusually legible.
Light oxidation, surface toning, scratches and minor deformation are present. However, these characteristics are consistent with age and use.
Crucially, neither fitting appears heavily cleaned or refinished. The surviving patina therefore contributes positively to their character as original uniform components.
Small SS uniform fittings are particularly useful to advanced collectors because they reveal aspects of uniform construction that photographs or detached insignia often cannot demonstrate.
This pair is additionally attractive because both pieces match.
Moreover, the 1938 Overhoff markings allow the manufacturer and approximate production period to be identified directly from the objects themselves.
They would make an excellent addition to a collection concentrating on:
For further research into surviving SS uniforms and their original fittings, specialist archives provide useful comparisons.
Helmut Weitze Militaria documents surviving Allgemeine-SS and SS-Verfügungstruppe uniform components and period SS equipment. Helmut Weitze SS militaria reference
Ratisbon’s maintains an extensive auction and price archive of authenticated German militaria, including Overhoff SS equipment. Ratisbon’s militaria archive
GermanDotMilitaria currently illustrates surviving original SS/RZM uniform belt hooks of precisely this general construction. SS uniform belt-hook comparison
These fittings should not be catalogued as uniform buttons.
Their characteristic broad perforated mounting plates, prominent pebbled projections and integral supporting hooks identify them as uniform belt-support fittings.
That distinction substantially improves the historical accuracy of the catalogue entry.
This matching pair of original SS RZM Overhoff 36/38 uniform belt support hooks represents a well-preserved example of specialised German uniform hardware from approximately 1938.
Clear manufacturer and organisational markings provide unusually strong identification. Additionally, the surviving matching configuration makes the pair more useful to collectors than isolated single fittings.
The combination of RZM, SS, oLc and 36/38 markings, together with convincing period construction and natural wear, makes this an attractive and highly identifiable piece of original SS uniform equipment.
