ушанканатор - USHANKANATOR .... bring it on!!!!!!

[mayserwegener]

Dieter, Battling Bavarian Winter! Mine still has the Soviet pin. Is yours DDR?

 

[Dreispitz]

@ Steve and Jonny, I got it quite some time ago on eBay. It did have the Soviet insignia .. in order to wear it, I removed it. It should be from the mid eighties. The DDR ones are different. The ear flaps are not bound together, for instance.

 

[Dreispitz]

lining looks like this...

 

[mayserwegener]

@ Steve and Jonny, I got it quite some time ago on eBay. It did have the Soviet insignia .. in order to wear it, I removed it. It should be from the mid eighties. The DDR ones are different. The ear flaps are not bound together, for instance.

I got mine at a Church auction! LOL! I have feeling it might be a fake. Is yours grey? The 84r might be the year of manufacturer.

 

[Dreispitz]

here is the colour scheme ...

 

[robrinay]

Great hats for extreme cold conditions. I brought one back from a street market in Prague a few years ago and wore it occasionally when it was sub-zero outside as that's about the only time it was comfortable. I gave it to a friend who runs a recycling centre and has to work outside all year round.

 

[Dreispitz]

I digged it out for we had down to -16 degrees over the last days.

 

[Dreispitz]

thread obviously hacked ....

 

[Edward]

I've got two or three of these at home. My first is a surplus East German model, all-wool. Bought it in Berlin at a Street market in 1999. I also have a couple straight from the former USSR, made from the same stuff as the original USSR military wore (and, of course, AFAIK the Russian Federation still do). Feels like mouton, or a really good fake thereof. I believe they're a civilian production to the original military pattern (sellers on eBay will claim all sorts about different colours representing different elites within the military, but I always take that with a pinch of salt), but great hats. My Russian ones all shipped with a Soviet badge that I could attach if I wanted, while the DDR one has the original badge still on it. I've not changed that at all. Sometimes fun to fit my own badges on the Soviet one and see if anyone notices (social club badge, Chappist things, or an Ace Cafe pin....).

 

[johnnycanuck]

A fun filled Ushanka day

Johnny

 

[johnnycanuck]

That season again.

 

[The one from the North]

And then some historical tidbits, hope you don't mind. In the beginning of WW2, Soviet army winter hat was wool felt hat budenovka. In the Winter War against Finland it was found totally inadequate so the soviets copiet Finnish Army ushanka-style hat. Finnish Army still uses that style of winter hat, In camo nowadays. When I did my military service in the 80's we we're still using gray ones, it's name in military slang was (still is), ahem, 'Private parts of a female elephant'...

 

[Edward]

A fun filled Ushanka day
View attachment 305144
View attachment 305145
Johnny

Nice! I see the front flap is sewn up on the corners, as is traditional. I've never been sure whether this was purely to allow for the attachment of military insignia.... The East German one I have is interesting in that that front panel, instead of being sew on to the front at the two top corners, has two stud fasteners. The upshot of this being it can be dropped down to be worn like the peak of a USAAF B3 cap. I don't think I have actually ever worn it like that (I don't tend to wear that one out), but it's a nice little option to have.

And then some historical tidbits, hope you don't mind. In the beginning of WW2, Soviet army winter hat was wool felt hat budenovka. In the Winter War against Finland it was found totally inadequate so the soviets copiet Finnish Army ushanka-style hat. Finnish Army still uses that style of winter hat, In camo nowadays. When I did my military service in the 80's we we're still using gray ones, it's name in military slang was (still is), ahem, 'Private parts of a female elephant'...

Ah! So the famous Russian hat is actually Finnish like Belgian "French" fries?

Ah, the budenovka! I bought one of those in Berlin in 2002, still have it. It doesn't get worn outside for a couple of reasons now - not least the wife won't be seen with me "wearing that damn pixie hat". I like it, though!