Phil2012

Hello, dear colleagues! I'm back after a very long time!.. I still collect Project 941 "Akula" badges and medals! I'm going to show you the items I got during this time!

Hello! I agree: no connection with Russia... Best regards, Phil

Hello Chuck, first of all, I wish you a Happy New Year! Your first item is an icone of "Christ Pantocrator", made as a pendant with tsar's crown. I don't know about the other items, but some members will tell you!.. Regards, Phil

Hi, there! In my collection of badges and medals of russian submarines "Typhoon", more than 90% of the badges are made of brass (and hot enamel). You know the disadvantage of brass: it tarnishes quickly. Each time I get a new badge, I wash it. I most oftenly use dishwashing liquid because it's very efficient to remove old dirtiness. One day, I used this one: On the following pictures, you'll see (in three steps) how this liquid cleaned and made the brass shine: It's a matter of 1 or 2 minutes, simply using your fingers, then you just have to rince with warm water and to dry thoroughly . That's all!..

Hello! Here is my collection of badges and medals about "Typhoon" submarines: The support on which are attached the badges and medals is a material called "carton-plume" in french (if I translate word-by-word: "Feather-cardboard") : It's a kind of sandwich, made of stiff foam between two sheets of white and smooth cardboard. In France, it's available in 3mm or 5mm thick. It's very light, and very easy to cut out. I cover it with adhesive film which looks like velvet. I prefer dark green color for elegance: Most of my badges have screwbacks. I just have to make a hole in the support and to screw the disc on back: But it's different about the medals. In this case, I use a piece of stiff plastic. This attachment can hold the object perfectly flat on the support: And here are some pics to show how I achieved the frame: Et voila !

Hi, there! Do I make a mistake, or the authentic ones are made of sterling silver?.. I write this because I think I've seen one on a wellknown auction site, last year.

Hello, friends! I also think that these pics feature lifeboat crew members. Here, in France, such people can be awarded with a lot of medals as you can see on this new picture:

Hello François, I just asked some russian correspondants. I wish I'll get replies soon...

Hello! I would like a lot to buy the Nakhimov Order miniature! Does anyone know if it's possible, and where?.. Thanks in advance!

Hello! Here is my little memorial (made by my russian ex-fiancee and I, some years ago), which includes two icons: St Nicholas and St Serafim Sarovski: Each year, a lampada is lit on august 12th : The "Kursk" badge is the enamelled variant.

Hello! Nowdays, the VLKSM badge with Lenin's head still is used! But only on Dembels custom badges! A "dembel" is a young man who is about to end his military service. On this occasion, there is a tradition which consists in customizing the uniform and to wear custom made badges. Here is an example from my collection of "Typhoon" submarines medals and badges: As this VLKSM badge still is used on this specific ossasion, it's not possible to tell if such a badge is recent or from soviet era...

Thank you very much, JapanX !

Thank your for this idea, François, must be the right explanation!

Hello François, merci! thank you for answer! I don't know about the size of the badge on second pic: I don't own it, I copied the pic from an auction website to get an example to illustrate my question. Beside of this, I noticed that many badges are available both in the two grades of manufacturing and in the same size. Here is the example of K-141 "Kursk" submarine: My badge, made of gilted brass and hot enamel (very scarce): The most common badge, made of painted heavy metal: ; These two variants are the same size. Manufacturing a hot enamelled badge certainly is more expensive than manufacturing a painted one. Do you think it's the only reason why enamelled variants are more difficult to find? Or do you think that enamelled ones are made for selected people or on specific occasions?..

Dear colleagues, a lot of soviet and russian badges are available in two grades of manufacturing: hot enamelled heavy metal, and painted light metal. Here is an example: Enemelled heavy medal: Painted light metal: I Wonder if anyone could post some explanation about the coexistence of these two qualities for a same badge. Thanks a lot in advance! Phil