pikestaff

Good afternoon gentlemen, just read Himmler's biography, but cannot make out all the medals on his bar, anyone know for sure??

thanks

Pikestaff

Hello Mark, ummm, Well, I hope one day I'll do a post and its original!!!! many thanks.

rgds

Pikestaff

Pikestaff,

Unfortunately this is a reproduction. The runes are too thin the wool is too coarse and the almost full covering of wool on the back is not typical of wartime manufacture, when materials were in short suppy. The metal pick and shovel are of the style used on the wartime patches but I have not seen an original one with metal insignia. I recall seeing a few of these in the late 70's when I started out. A few of the more advanced collectors may be able to show you an original one.

best

Mark

I like the profile of the Challenger II. What does it mount for a main gun and what sort of power pack and drive train does it use?

Hello, acording to 'the gatefold book of tanks' the 1983 fv4030 Challenger had a 120mm L/53 L11as main cannon [which I was told is smooth bore?] the engine is a Rolls-Royce Condor 12 V 1200 V-12 diesel.

The latest 'challenger' has since had so many mods and sods its really a new tank

in the second gulf war one ' challenger' did 'take out' another, and also another 'challenger' destroyed a Russian tank THREE miles away.

Pikestaff

I would love a full size 'Bismark' that poor ship was literaly beaten to death, best looking ship ever.

pikestaff

Well maybe the American Navy will sink this one as they did the last one!

[attachmentid=56643]Hello paul, herewith pic of rear, can just see the backing cloth, orange coloured 'sacking' type material' I hope this helps. I have never seen this in books, videos, films, magazines etc either.

rgds

Pikestaff

[attachmentid=56629]Afternoon Gentlemen, I would like yo know if this collar patch is original, I have owned it for over 25 years now, but that does not make it original, or does it??? comments please

Pikestaff

Hi Theodor,

It really looks like a great piece of gear. I wish I could have found more. I was really surprised not to find it in one of my refs that I checked which was the U.S. Army guide on German Forces in WWII that they printed back during or just after the war. A big thick book with tons of equipment, etc. They had something similar used in their chemical warfare units which of course never really got used during the war. But that was about the closest I could find.

Just a gut feeling but they did show a huge two man chain saw and I wonder if perhaps this would not have been used to lubricate something like that.

But hopefully something will turn up and we can solve this mystery. Perhaps if anyone knows of a WWII German engineer vet he could shed some light on this one.

Best of luck with it. Great looking piece... especially with the great eagle marking on it. Wouldn't mind having one in my collection some day. I'll have to keep an eye out!

Dan

hello, perhaps its a delaousing pump, dust around the rear end??? pikestaff

Hello all, my complete cuftitle collection!!!

owned these 30 odd years now.

rgds

Pikestaff

The hangers and portapee look good to me. I have seen Luft hangers tone to a dark brown before, not uncommon at all. I would attribute the colour purely to aging, also bare in mind there were variations to begin with amongst a number of makers producing these... Nice set of deluxe hangers there...

Cheers, Red

Hello, many thanks to you both, now I have to tell my mate it is'nt original........... no wonder he was given it, still, its quite good looking.

highest regards

Pikestaff

Looking at the front of the hangers, the material shows as being brown. I'm hoping that it's just the lighting as it should be blue-grey. If it is blue-grey, I have to tell you that you have a very nice set of deluxe hangers, and from what I can see...the knot looks like a goodun!!

Not all bad then.

Hello, the hangers are brown, I did a web search earlier in the week, all the hangers I found looked like they had brown material fronts, and brown velvet backings.

highest regards

pikestaff

Hello all, herewith scans of hangers and knot, fingers crossed!!!

rgds

Pikestaff

Pikestaff,

There's every chance that the hangers and knot are original. Quite an easy job to marry hangers/knot to a dolch, original or fake.

Is there any chance of posting some pix of same? You never know, if original, it could help to soften the blow of the news on the blade.

Hello, yes, I'll do some scans now and get them in as soon as I can

highest regards

Pikestaff

Hello , thank you for the confirmation,no wonder my mate was given it! I hope no one makes hangers since that war, as they look pucka, and the knot.

many thanks

Pikestaff

Hi Pikestaff

J Temple-West is quite right, this is a well known reproduction. There are many faults, but the obvious one is the Weyersberg-Berlin mark. The ONLY acceptable logo has Solingen. Of interest, almost all Weyersberg 2nd Luft daggers have the Waffenampt above the makers mark. If I recall correctly, there were a few Berlin distributor marked daggers, however the only maker in Berlin was Haco.

Red

Hello, thank you for that, yet it looks so well made, the scabbard shows real signs of age, and the grip furniture is so 'crisp' the hangers show wear to match the dagger as well, I am dumbfounded!!!!

many thanks

Pikestaff

Hi Pikestaff,

I?m moving this thread over to the ?German swords and daggers? section so that the ?Blade? guys can have a good look.

I can only say that all 2nd model examples of this maker that I?ve come across have had aluminium fittings. The other thing that has me a worried is the maker mark. Not only is it too simplistic to be an original, it has ?Berlin? instead of ?Solingen? as the location of the factory. As far as I?m aware, ?Weyersberg? only operated from Solingen.

So, all in all, I would have to give this one the thumbs down.

I've posted the MM from my 1st model luft.

Let?s see what the guys in the know have to say.

Good morning gentlemen, a long standing friend of mine would like to know if this dagger is original, I was supprised to learn that the handle fittings are steel, the grip is solid ivorine or celluliod, the grip wrap is doubled twist, and most of the silver plating has rubbed off the pommel.

thanks in advance.

[attachmentid=49156]Hello, lets hope this worls!!!!

It is starting to get scary out there... check these out! This set is amongst a huge array of LW insignia being sold by the same seller on Ebay. At least he is selling them as repro!

Hello, yers the manufacturers are getting better by the month, although some are outright thieves I get no end of trouble from some of them, no names, no pack drill.

best regards,

Pikestaff

[attachmentid=41981]Hello, just found these hidden away, thought you might like a look at them.

rgds

pikestaff

hello, that officers pair of collar patches,( the right hand patch in the picture), the bottom of it does not look very good, as for metal gulls, I dont know, roger jamews bemder book 'air organisations of the third reich'hows majors rank with one gull each, as far as I know, no ranks just had a wreath on each patch, the gulls would have been sewn on same time as the wreath, there are more members with more knowledge than I, ask in the repro patch section.

rgds

Pikestaff

[attachmentid=40020]hello, here are some really terrible patches, worst I have ever seen

rgds

Pikestaff

[attachmentid=40015]Hello, another pair of repro collar patches

rgds

Pikestaff