Opinions on Unusual K98 Pouch Features

[Stinch]

I recently got in this K98 pouch. At first I thought the pouch was KM marked but now I have it in my hands, that is not the case. It is maker marked FR. OFFERMAN u. SOHN BENSBERG and dated 1941. It has three features that make this pouch unusual.

1) With a date of 1941, this is the earliest late pattern pouch (closed belt loop) I've seen.

2) Eagle and swastika stamped on the back, but no "M" below. Instead there are the clear letters "ZZA". I expected to see a "W" but now I'm certain there are two SS runes before the letters "ZZA" and an illegible character at the end, possibly a number "4". I've never known a K98 pouch to have an acceptance stamp, but could this be?

3) Small rectangular hole punched into the back that has gone through and made an outward impression on the left pocket. Leather dye ink has run into the cut edges which indicate the hole was there BEFORE the leather was dyed. The threads do not appear to have been dyed so I'm sure the pouched wasn't re-dyed. If the hole was a production mistake, I can't see how it would have received an acceptance stamp.

What are some opinions regarding the eagle and the letters below?

Overall front and back:

[Stinch]

Maker mark:

[Stinch]

Rectangular hole with dye inside (note the clean thread):

[Stinch]

And finally the eagle:

[Stinch]

Both stamps together:

[Kurland]

Very cool pouch
You are really the pouch king
Gr. Peter

[Stinch]

Originally Posted by Kurland

Very cool pouch
You are really the pouch king
Gr. Peter

And to think I just wanted to get a couple of pouches to go with my K98 rifle.

I didn't pay too much for this pouch; guess the hole deterred most people. The seller said it had a waffenamt but I assumed it was a misidentified KM model. I've never seen or heard of an eagle like this on any leather article. I have more questions than answers.

[Peter Wiking]

3) Small rectangular hole punched into the back that has gone through and made an outward impression on the left pocket. Leather dye ink has run into the cut edges which indicate the hole was there BEFORE the leather was dyed. The threads do not appear to have been dyed so I'm sure the pouched wasn't re-dyed. If the hole was a production mistake, I can't see how it would have received an acceptance stamp.

Hi
To me it is a hole cut with a knife as a modification so it would fit on the metal hooks in the uniform. This would prevent the belt with pouches from sliding down. The pouches was dyed before the hole was cut. The black you see is the surface leather being pressed into the hole.

Peter

[Rick Admiraal]

To me it is a hole cut with a knife as a modification so it would fit on the metal hooks in the uniform. This would prevent the belt with pouches from sliding down. The pouches was dyed before the hole was cut. The black you see is the surface leather being pressed into the hole.

Yea i think you are right, if you look at soldiers that are just done with combat or are in it you see many K98k pouches sliding towards each other, covering the belt buckle.
It happends to me with re-enactment to, sometimes.

[Stinch]

Thanks for the hole feedback. I agree the ink inside the hole is from the outer black surface having been pressed into the surface of the opening. Whoever made the hole also punched the outer pocket as well.

It has been brought to my attention that the eagle style and with the ZZA or Zentralzeugamt is questionable. Apparently the SS-ZZA marking were used for firearms and are not known for SS leather items. Searches on the internet for "Zentralzeugamt" have not been helpful. Perhaps there is a book on the subject. RZM markings seem to be the most faked SS stamp so I'm not sure why a little known ZZA would be.

While not impossible, it is also rare to find closed belt style pouches dated 1941 (I'm aware of only one other maker). That brings the maker stamp into question. What are the chances of a rare SS-ZZA and a rare early pattern pouch having the same markings? As the saying goes, "If it is too good to be true, maybe it is."

I didn't pay too much for the pouch and the seller didn't mention the SS-ZZA markings. Just one of those surprises. In the meantime I'll keep looking for similar stamps and wondering .

Rich