Cuban Caps.

[Al-muell]

Maybe not the proper place, but...
Few days ago I have found a cap that may be cuban army's. Unfortunately, I haven't found any way to determine wether it is or not.
Does anyone have a good pic of Cuban cap?
Or identify basing on the pic below?
The emblem is very similar to soviet motor rifle collar emblem, but has longer wire.

[DougD]

First, I do not know anything about Cuban Militaria, but i would be turned off by the cap badge as it looks like the Rifles insignia off a Soviet officer shoulder board.

DD

[Al-muell]

Well, the badge isn't identical (but of course doesn't have to be original) as 1st pic shows.

The other thing is that if it's cuban this similarity doesn't have to be something wrong. There are tons of cuban visor cap badges in former SU (see pic below) and many cuban badges (as the one shown below) are very similar to soviet ones. Possibly they were all made in SU...
I once came across a "cuban parade belt" - it was standard soviet parade belt (with stamps in russian) with a cuban buckle attached. And yet it was original, what indicates that they were manufactured in SU.

[Taz]

Hi Al,
Nice Photos.
It's all very vague at the moment, not much information at all on Cuban uniform regulations. The cap you first posted seems to be an older model, in the fairly recent Photo below they look rounder. They are being awarded the 50th ani of the FAR medal so not too long ago.

Regards Eddie.

[Al-muell]

Those caps look weird...
I have heard that they had changed uniforms few years ago, changing the rank boards from soviet style to US style, but I had no idea they introduced this sort of caps... Those older look better I think.

[Esteban_cool]

Yup, older looks better...
Modern caps looks like common baseball ones. However, Fidel kept the original cap (at least when he was still wearing his green uniform). Maybe he´ll be buried with it:D

[pride]

Arrived just today an example of cuban "baseball" cap:

[Al-muell]

Major's cap.
Apart from the photographs of Cuban generals, this is the only cap of this type I have seen with rank insignia - a single star that was probably made of velvet/velour oslt. and is glued or "ironed" to this cap. The cap indeed belonged to a retired major, but my Spanish was insufficient to determine whether wearing insignia on those caps is or was ever obligatory. It seems that they don't have much of a regard for uniform regulations in Cuba.

These caps seem to be everyday service caps, but I have seen a photograph of Cuban soldiers practising for a parade in China and they had the same caps.

It is a bit dirty, as the previous owner continued to wear it with civilian clothes, lately with a self-made "Yo soy Fidel" badge pinned in front.

HAven't seen them for sale, but this one cost me 5cuc (~5USD), same as...

[Al-muell]

...this cap.

It is a souvenir for tourists - one of the few models, but from my observations it is exactly the same on the outside as soft "patrol caps" worn by Cuban soldiers. It is possible that indeed they make caps for the army and add patches with flag/red star/Che on them and sell them to tourists. This one has even the adjustment device same as army caps, however, most sellers offer them with Velcro adjustment, which I haven't seen on military caps.

[Taz]

Cuban Air Force Officers Cap