Desert Pantera?

I know there some commercial desert pantera items out there but what about this one?





(source: Internet)

Thanks,
Philip

It's a good set, label appears to be Kama who only manuf uniforms for govt and police, commercial sets don't have suspenders.

Chris

thanks!

I've seen people selling commercial sets honestly. Unfortunately I've never seen a good picture of them to compare against the real thing. Anybody know if there are features to look for?

Steve

HI Steve,
I happen to have a commercial set. Here's side by side comparo, note the issue set color varies slightly but that's because it's a slightly used set.

The maker Helikon Text is a polish company and here's a link to the catalog:

http://www.helikon-tex.com/catalogue/Helikon-catalogue-march2009.pdf
The catalog is interesting and they have a multicam uniform very similar to the issue one made by KAMA (no worries Steve, the suit I have is a KAMA!)

Commmercial is on the right.
The label is done as a nato type label with bottom part in polish






Chris

Cool!! Thanks. Well, they certainly are different cuts. Funny label. The camo pattern appears to be identical. Identical cloth too?

Oooo... and very, very nice mountain unit badge on your real jacket. Sweet.

Steve

Fabric is ripstop and appears totally identical.

Not to brag, but above the mtn troop patch is the task force "lynx" local made patch. This TF along with TF Falcon were created and brought in midway between 8 and 9 rotations to Iraq and were created for a purely combat role, which was a change as prior to that the chief role of Polish troops was to train IA.

This uniform came from a TF Lynx guy.



Chris

CollectinSteve wrote:Cool!! Thanks. Well, they certainly are different cuts. Funny label. The camo pattern appears to be identical. Identical cloth too?

Oooo... and very, very nice mountain unit badge on your real jacket. Sweet.

Steve

Great stuff!

Steve

where can I get these Poland Desert camo???? I need size 170/88.

Sometimes the appear on ebay. Maybe Chis (zvez) knows where to get some.
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=desert+pantera&_sacat=See-All-Categories

thanks I just check it out and they have a small woodland but it is officer. I contacted the seller for info.

The tab is what I thought that was neat. It does mean sniper, right?

Neat-looking camo pattern, too.

Here's a KAMA issue set on ebay a bit pricey and not sure if your size:
http://cgi.ebay.com/polish-desert-camouflage-uniform-set_W0QQitemZ280462092976QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414cd7eab0

I've got an exc condition KAMA set in jacket size 116/178 and pants 112/172, jacket is mint and never washed, pants appear exc. and have been washed. $120 plus $12. postage in US.

Another set, mint pants 84/163 and jacket 116/172

Chris

camoman1945 wrote:where can I get these Poland Desert camo???? I need size 170/88.

Thanks Chris,

Put I am looking for 92/172. I guess in the collectors world you need the pants too. I am looking just for the shirt.

You can always check here www.allegro.pl Finding a shirt in Your size shouldn`t be a problem, price between 15-30 for the shirt sometimes less but the shipping costs...approx.20-30 dependig on the weight and package.

Not easy to see on my picture but the colors of the 2 jackets are really different
Gilles

yep I had two distinct colors in my collection one with a beige tan predominance and the other pale gray shading but tough to capture in a pic.

vonstuck wrote:















Not easy to see on my picture but the colors of the 2 jackets are really different
Gilles

The two versions are:

1. wz124/MON - Constructed exactly like the US (Airborne or Special Uniforms) - Lower sleve pocket on the left arm and two upper pockets on each arm. 4 cargo pockets on the trousers - two front, two back. No Polish flag insignia factory attached. The wz124 has the lighter colour. It was the first issued uniform in the wz2000 Desert Pantera pattern.

2. wz124PI/MON - Only a single sleeve pocket on each arm. Only two cargo pockets on the trousers, on the side of each leg. Polish flag insignia factory attached. This was the second issued uniform in the wz2000 Desert Pantera pattern.

There is an issue boonie hat with a neck flap. I'm not sure if the hats were produced in both patterns, likely they were.

Filupe, your set is original and in nice new condition, but it looks kind of badged up a bit... All those badges are commercially available, not sure if they all go together though... you would need to look at some photos of Polish soldiers in Iraq to find the correct badging combinations (try here: http://www.wp.mil.pl/pl/galerie/ ). Don't know about the Sniper badge - there is one that is a pic of an SVD that might mean sniper but I don't know... The name label is a bit of a giveaway that it is "badged up" (MTBIKER is no Polish name...) - you can get these name badges made up easily just like the DPCU ones in Aus, in fact I got some made up for myself a couple of weeks ago....

Hi all.

Nice to see board of collectors' forum regarding Polish Armed Forces. I used to be collector myself and never would have expected that my working apparell, equipment etc will be valuable collectible.

Let's get down to it, I'm no expert but I think some of you might find my input useful.

Philip wrote:I know there some commercial desert pantera items out there but what about this one?

Philip, this is the genuine military issue desert camouflage uniform - polish uniforms since, I guess, 50s (introduction of first general issue camouflage uniform in "rain drop" pattern and withdrawal of old WW2 style uniforms) up until around 2008 (introduction of newer variant of wz.124/MON uniform) were always labeled inside, usually on chest with black ink stamp indicating size (height/chest size parameter for jackets or height/waist size for trousers), the garment's pattern and destined user ("wz.", short for "wzor" means pattern and letters after slash indicate the user, e.g. MON stands for Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej - Ministry of National Defense) and something else - depending on the period of manufacture, manufacturer and other factors (the additional information on the stamp might be quality controller, category of quality, lot number, date of manufacture, etc). So always look for it; the white label is less significant and usuaslly bears the maker's information (in uniforms preceding the wz.124Z/MON and wz.124PI/MON).

The pictures you've posted show the second (newer) variant of the pattern 124/MON, this particular variant actually got it's own designation as "wz. 124PI/MON" (pockets are NOT pleated, each sleeve has only one pocket, flags are attached by velcro, there is no elastic in the waist of the coat, there is no lining inside the coat and stamps are made on small white labels - but I'm not sure about these two factors, and the trousers have 2 cargo pockets located on the sides).

CollectinSteve wrote:I've seen people selling commercial sets honestly. Unfortunately I've never seen a good picture of them to compare against the real thing. Anybody know if there are features to look for?

As for this question Steve, "Zvez" has delivered very nice comparison of interesting "wz. 124PI/MON" set (badged by the member of probably 1st mountain riflemen battalion from 21st Mountain Riflemen Brigade which was sending it troops at the time, assigned to TF Lynx during IX deployment of polish military contingent in Iraq as Multinational Division Center-South in 2007; we cannot tell exactly - the battalions patches are always the same emblem as it's parental brigade but the colours are different for each of the elements, that way camouflage versions of patches which is all tan backing and brown lettering for desert operations, green and black for greenside ops, etc always look the same and there is ususally no way of knowing from which battalion the individual came).

filupe wrote:OK my turn ...

Would like some more information on the patches .. I'm guessing para and sniper qualified .. but 'mtbiker'? => Mountain Biker?

As for your set Filupe it is the forementioned wz.124PI/MON that belonged to air cavalryman from the 7th air cavalry battalion when deployed to Iraq (you can tell by the black patch used in Iraq by Polish forces). On the left chest there is Airborne Parachute Jumper Badge with the number 25 (indicating number of jumps taken - these usually aren't "updated" as the troopers carry on with their jumps). Small blood group patch can be seen (which is unauthorized by regulations but acceptable by commanders in the theatre of operations and sometimes back in country when in the field and the patch is looking neat and tidy). Name tape looks like private purchase. As for the "sniper" scroll it indicates that the owner of the uniform was designated marksman within his squadron as there are no snipers per se in Ground Forces and therefore 25th Air Cavalry Brigade (part of which is the 7th battalion from which the said uniform came).

vonstuck wrote:















Not easy to see on my picture but the colors of the 2 jackets are really different

Now THIS is a truly NEAT piece. Early wz.124/MON uniform for one thing. Nicely badged up but missing the epaulettes, my gues warrant officer's. Look at the Parachutist Badge the golden leaves indicate Master Instructor and the Rome number II says he is the 2nd class instructor. Nice find.

jimmyduncan23 wrote:

These are worth mentioning, I'm glad someone posted 'em. These are commercial manufacture uniforms made by Miwo Military Lubliniec company which is popular choice among the soldiers when it comes to purchasing additional equipment and uniforms especially for the deployments. These pixel uniforms were used in limited numbers by the means of private acquisition in Iraq, Afghanistan and Chad.

Hope I helped, take care!

PS: hope you don't mind me digging up old threads.

sonderbarliebe,
welcome ot the forum and thanks for posting very useful info!

Likewise! I'd even forgotten about posting that. I've since acquired some desert webbing in this pattern which I'll photograph and post at a later date ...
On another note, Chris ('Zvez'), recently got in Paul J. Els book, 'We fear naught but God' Pictorial edition. Has your pic in it with R. Reid-Daly and MacKenzie in Transkei uniform!

I'm also happy to see this thread resurface again Sonderbarliebe, you'll find that there are quite a few avid collectors of Polish uniforms here on this Forum. I am certainly one of them!

Steve

wow! I'm famous! Didn't know that! He should've asked could've given him a print of the original pic.

filupe wrote:Likewise!  I'd even forgotten about posting that.  I've since acquired some desert webbing in this pattern which I'll photograph and post at a later date ...
On another note, Chris ('Zvez'), recently got in Paul J. Els book, 'We fear naught but God' Pictorial edition.  Has your pic in it with R. Reid-Daly and MacKenzie in Transkei uniform!