Bulgarian uniform

[FC-Levski]

I'd make a comment about the first one, which started the thread - it's from the 1947 - 195something period. Until 1947 were used the royal uniforms, with minor changes. Then came those copies of Soviet uniforms and later, like 1956-7 or so, the uniforms were changed again.

[charlet]

hello, and welcome. Thank you for your kind comments. Documentation about bulgarian uniformology is really scarce under our lattitudes.
My only source about this first reform is the "geschichte der bulgarischen volksarmee" (militärverlag der ddr, 1977), which states 1945-1950.

(my only bulgarian book is the official regulations of 1969)

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by charlet

I like it!

They are avalaible, but at really steep prices.
I got mine for a fistfull of peanuts.

Yes, it´s very difficult to find them at good prices. Most of the uniforms available are too expensive for what they are. Mine wasn´t a bargain, but I didn´t pay the brick of cash usually asked for parade jackets.

[CtahhR]

I picked a few up for £1 each about 4 years ago - there was just absolutely no interest. I thought I'd give them a good home.

Usually the price of postage outweighs the value of the items.

There are also large supplies of unissued uniforms and accessories out there. Usually cheaper to buy a Bulgarian uniform than "real" clothes. They're good to work in and after they've been abused to death you can throw them away or recycle them. Good old cheap military surplus!

I'll have to get around to posting some Bulgarian uniforms and helmets etc this year.

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by CtahhR

Usually the price of postage outweighs the value of the items.

I quite agree with you on this one. Both of the PRB cloth items I have bought have been cheaper than the postage, and -IMHO- certainly the offered sets should be offered at the same or even less than the actual shipping costs.

This is an early cap I got a couple years ago. It has a needle and thread inside the crown. Interesting.

[charlet]

Seems there are a LOT of fakes, or tourist-market (ebay-market...) visor caps. You can recognize them by their bloated, inflated crown. In every photos I saw of real worn uniforms, the visor cpas were always perfectly and elegantly shaped.

[CtahhR]

I've found a few original peaked visors from various places that are kept in shape the the insides being reinforced with scrunched up newspaper. Another insight into the world the wearer lived in. I have a pair of socks in the peak of my own. Keeping shape and you never know when you'll need a pair of clean socks!

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by charlet

Seems there are a LOT of fakes, or tourist-market (ebay-market...) visor caps. You can recognize them by their bloated, inflated crown. In every photos I saw of real worn uniforms, the visor cpas were always perfectly and elegantly shaped.

Can you show us an example? I´m starting to fear mine is one of them. :(

[charlet]

Originally Posted by Esteban_cool

Can you show us an example? I´m starting to fear mine is one of them. :(

Yours is perfectly shapped ;)

[Al-muell]

Originally Posted by Esteban_cool

This is an early cap I got a couple years ago. It has a needle and thread inside the crown. Interesting.

In Soviet Union the uniform regulations (at least 58 ones) obliged the servicemen to have a needle and thread in the cap - visor:under sweatband, ushanka: under front flap, pilotka: under side flap.
However, this was not so often observed - I only found two that had this during the years of collecting.
On the other hand - if it's there, You can be sure it's authentic - hardly anyone knows this, hardly anyone checks this.