Original Item: Only One Available. Early war WWI French M-1910 enlisted man’s kepi for technical troops fitted with signal branch buttons. Pre/Early WWI Dark Blue wool body with red piping with a French tricolor rosette and signals button affixed to the front, and a Regimental numeral 8 made of brass affixed underneath.
Original leather chinstrap is intact and unbroken (it is quite rare to find an intact chinstrap), Original Sweatband is intact, albeit loose in some areas, and showing signs of wear and age. Polished Cotton lining is intact, and features the Paris maker’s stamp on the crown. Visor is of painted leather, which shows signs of cracking and crazing from age. The original visor binding is intact. Size of the cap is roughly a 7 ⅛.
These caps were worn up until the introduction of the “Horizon Blue” uniforms in 1915. Of course, older items lingered within service for longer until worn out and replaced.
WWI French enlisted material is very difficult to come across in the collector market today. Naturally, enlisted items are generally more scarce, as those items were typically used until discarded. Add in the high attrition of the Great War, massive loses within the French Army add to the scarcity of these items, especially early war material. An excellent example ready for display!