Swords: Gold WW1 "Thin Blade" Baden

Many of the square shaped wartime swords had very thin blades, like this example on the ribbon of baden's Z?hringen Lion Order. Compare this nicely gilt bronze one with a real siulver-gilt one from W?rttemberg-- and see the styles of "Leaves & Swords" that went with higher classes of the Z?hnringen Lion.

Notice the wear bulge cause by the proings being bent back under the ribbon but on top of the steel sheet metal backing. Early WW1 ribbonbars did not have holes punched in the backings, and sdevices were attached this way. The style persisted into WW2 for professional custom made bars, but by the 1920s virtually ALL metal backings haad holes manufactured in each space of the ready-made backings to securely affix any devices.

More on that in the main section of the Article.