Danny70

The blade has a problem that I hope can be repaired to some extent. It looks to have been buffed / polished as very little evidence of cross-grain remains. There is no evidence (to my eye at least) of sharpening and the tip is almost needle sharp. HOWEVER... Some complete idiot decided at some stage to re-blacken the inscription. It is so poorly done that I could imagine that it was a child. This is what makes the inscription so 'blurry' in the picture above. It looks like some kind of chemical blackening was used - it doesn't look like a paint anyway. When viewed at an angle the sharp features of the original etching are visible with the added over-spill of the blackener. This is rather difficult to photograph but the last picture probably shows it best. Does anyone know of a way of removing this additional blackening without doing any other damage? So, does anyone see any major problems with this dagger that I have missed? All comments, opinions or help are gratefully received, be they good news or bad! Regards - Danny

The pommel nut shows signs of tampering with what look like pliers marks corresponding to curved scratches on the adjacent crossguard. The grip itself has wear in the form of minor dents and scratches and also two small chips at the top crossguard. The are also signs of a small crack behind the SA roundel which appears on the reverse in the same position. (perhaps the pommel nut was over-tightened at some stage?) The eagle looks to have the same patina (and green gunk!) as found on the crossguards. The lower crossguard is stamped with the Gau mark Nm (Nordmark) and the blade sits perfectly flush with it.

Hi All... I'm looking for your comments / opinions on my latest addition (and the reason I had all those EK's for sale!)... An early Emil Voos SA. I should have been more careful before buying, but I just love these daggers and could not resist it at the price it sold at. It's a definite step up from my first dagger, but still it has it's problems, the most immediately obvious being the missing suspension ring. For some reason, the blade looks slightly off-centre in these photographs, but it must be the angle they were taken at, because viewed in hand, it looks fine. The scabbard is in good condition retaining most of it's brown finish (again, a few minor marks and one dent on the reverse (has to be held to the light to see this). The tip does have gouges and scratches on the reverse and the ball is slightly flatened. It's a good tight and solid fit to the dagger with no movement when in place.

Photos of obverse reloaded... (for now) (Apparently images displaying a swastika violate Photobucket's terms and conditions)

Hi All... Here's my latest arrival, one of the rarer makers - a nicely worn Iron Cross, 2nd Class, marked '60' from the firm of Katz & Deyhle, Pforzheim. (Apologies to Sal!) Regards - Danny

Hi Brendan, Regarding the war pension, I have in my possesion my father's uncle's War Of Independence Medal (with comrac bar) and also his military pension document. He (Anthony Duignan) died in 1942, and unfortunately I know practically nothing of his activities during the war. Do you know if it would be possible for me to view his pensions application, and how I would go about doing so? Thanks, Regards - Danny

Richard, Nice cross, I think you are correct, it looks like a match to me. Regards - Danny

I would give it a tentative thumbs up... It is very difficult to tell from the pictures if it is a 3 piece or not. Is the core magnetic? It has a lot of the features of a Klein & Quenzer cross... domed swastika and similar 3's (especially on the reverse) and heavy beading. The 'veins' wouldn't bother me too much, I would also put it down to rust forming under the paint. At that price I'd buy it anyway, not a huge loss if it turns out bad, and a lucky break if it's a good one! Just my humble opinion... Regards - Danny

Count me in as another person who is horrified at what is happening to this group. An investment such as this is completely out of my league but I have watched the results of these auctions out of interest. I thought that whoever had spent ?25k on the grouping was, at the very least, a dedicated collector with a true interest in the items and their unique history... How wrong I was.. The so called 'celtic tiger' has a lot to answer for, when an idiot who has that kind of cash to spare thinks he can make some fast profit by splitting the group and selling it off... on EBAY for gods sake!... It just shows the level of his intelligence. Yes, he should definitely be named (and preferably maimed!) Danny.

Geoff - I'm glad I could be of assistance! Chris - What? Let's see if I got that right, You want a picture of you wearing Claudia Schiffer's bikini on the beach??

Thanks for the encouragment Rich, It's good to see that someone else's first blades were also far from perfect! Regards - Danny

Thanks guys for the good news! I had suspected that it was a good one, but a friend was looking at it and he put the seed of doubt in my mind regarding the opacity of the enamel. It's good to receive confirmation of its authenticity... back into the collection! Thanks again! Regards - Danny

Hi All... I'm looking for your opinions / help with this Gold Mothers Cross (Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter). I have had it in my collection for quite a while but only recently took it out again for a close inspection. I have some issues with it and would like to know if you guys share my concerns. It came in a case marked 'Alois Rettenmaier, Schwabisch - Gmund.' I have no problems with the case, but my questions re: the cross are: In comparison to my other Mothers crosses, the blue enamel is very heavy on this one, almost opaque - the stippled pattern underneath can only be seen under very strong light. Note in the picture below, this cross (centre) does not have the same transparency in the blue enamel as the bronze and silver versions. One of my other problems with it is that it is ever so slightly smaller that the other two. (1mm approx in height). Does anyone know what the tolerance levels were for these crosses? (I know that some EK2's vary in size by very small amounts). Apologies for the quality of the scans of the reverse of the cross, the bright gold finish is very difficult to scan. The inscription on the reverse of the gold (centre) does not strike me as being as 'crisp' as the others either. What do you guys think? Have I got a fake in the collection?? Thanks in advance for any help or opinions. Regards - Danny

Hi All... Here's a piece that most of you dagger guys would run from! I had been looking for an SA dagger for some time that fitted into my price range (ie - very cheap!). I did not care if it was in great condition or messed with... I just wanted to have one, and thanks to another member here, I ended up with this. It's (a parts dagger) Herm. Konejung with early nickel fittings, (there seems to be a very even patina to all the nickel fittings which I take as a good sign). It's biggest problem is that someone at some stage decided to sharpen it and buff the blade (in the crudest method possible). There is no evidence remaining of any crossgrain, and the beautiful needle point tip common to these daggers has been destroyed. The motto remains quite legible with only the centre line being worn away. The handle (a nice dark wood) has no major problems with minor dings and scratches, but the eagle looks to be a replacement as there is damage to the left wing (not sure if the eagle is genuine or fake, any ideas?). The SA disc looks to be slightly rotated - also suggesting that it has been out of the handle at some stage. The are some scratches on the cross-guards that do not correspond to the timber, again hinting at a parts assembly. However, the fitting is relatively good with no major gaps at either crossguard. It has a Gau mark Sw. The nut shows signs of incompetent adjustment with what look like marks from a pliers or vice-grips. These marks are also on the crossguard. The scabbard has been (again, crudely) re-painted with blistering evident in some areas. I do not know if this is rust under the paint or not, but there is no evidence of it breaking through the paint as yet. All screws are in place but the ball is badly dented. An ugly dog in many dagger guys eyes, but it's my first and only SA, and I love it!! I'd love to be able to upgrade it, but for the moment it stays where it is! Happy New Year everyone! Regards - Danny

Hi Darrell, Thanks for the reply, but no, I examined it very carefully under magnification and found absolutely no trace of any gold colouring, however, I did find (some, but very little) evidence of a silver finish. As to the pin, I think you may be correct, it may not be original to the badge. At first I thought it was made of brass or tombak, but on closer inspection it seems to have some small areas of wear showing a dark grey/black colour. The small pin (of the hinge) attaching it to the badge is rather loose, and the (main) pin itself looks to have been bent slightly to get it to fit into the clasp (Maybe this was the cause of the breakage?). The scratches on the badge itself from the end of the pin look very fresh - again hinting that the pin is a later addition. Still, it displays well in my small collection, so I'm happy enough! Thanks again, Regards - Danny

Hi All... I'm looking for your opinions and/or advice about this recent impulse buy... It's an unmarked silver wound badge. I have always liked, but know very little about, these badges... my WB collection consisted of only 2 black versions (an L/16 S&L and an unmarked one). This was a cheap enough buy due to the damaged clasp. The detail seems good to me although almost all of the original silver wash has been absorbed/lost. It has that very distinct, acrid smell of old zinc, which I take as a good sign, however the only thing that makes me wonder is the 'thickness' of the actual badge. It is quite slim, but this may be a result of late war metal shortages, but I have heard of this feature being one commonly found on fakes. What do you guys think? Regards - Danny

Nice one Steve! One of the my favourite EK2 makers. Congrats! Regards - Danny

Congrats Micha! Great cross and very rare indeed... You have 2 of them?? This is the first time I have even seen one of these, thanks for showing. Of course... if you want to sell your other one... I'm always here! Regards - Danny

Chris and nesredep - Thanks for the replies and kind comments. Regards - Danny

Hi All.... I hope this is the correct section for posting this, if not, can the moderator please move the topic. Thanks. I have ventured into unknown territory here by purchasing this gas mask. Hopefully some of you guys can tell me exactly what I have here! I have been setting up a small display, and wanted to get an original wartime gas mask and cannister. I wasn't worried about getting a completely matching piece of kit, but just a good enough visual example. The mask itself is in relatively good repair - still soft and pliable with no tears or cuts. The are some small areas around the edges where the rubber seal is beginning to wear away. The unusual (I think) thing about it is the markings - The most obvious stamps are a '2' just under the right lens, (I assume this is the size?), and the numbers '6241' near the expiration valve. Under the suade? lining it is stamped '1' and '1937 and elsewhere has the Imperial eagle stamp and 'W&A 320' aswell as '41' and the TR eagle. Elsewhere again, it has the numbers '40759 F'. Then, further along there is a small '675' close to a very large '7'. There are further number stamps which are very difficult to access, let alone photograph! The filter has it's screw cap in place, and is marked 'FE 41 clf Fe' It also has ink stamps of the TR eagle with what looks like 'Wa.A. 476' and on the opposite side the numbers 41 over 0791. On its side it has an inked date stamp of 15 Jan. 1945. Finally, the cannister - Rather salty with no obvious stamps apart from the 'D' on the base (I have read that this indicates a post 1941 cannister - is this correct??) It does not have the rubber hermetic seal nor the cleaning cloth or spring in the base. The compartment for spare lenses (empty) has a small typewritten label with 'Ogfr. Hempeler willi' - this, I presume was the original owner (of the cannister, at least). There's not much more I can say about it - unless anyone has a question about something I may have missed. Any help, comments or information about these items would be very gratefully received. Thanks in advance and thanks for looking! Regards - Danny

Thanks everyone for the kind words and encouragement! And so, the search continues... Regards - Danny

Hi All... My cross collecting has slowed down considerably now that I have managed to get an example of most of the widely available makers, so now it's a case of hope to get lucky and be in the right place at the right time! So, up for your perusal is my most recent acquisition, a rather salty '22' - Boerger & Co. EKII. Not one that is seen everyday. This one is unfortunately suffering from the very early stages of a rust problem on the swastika and a spot on the upper arm. Otherwise a great cross with all paint intact and quite a lot of frosting remaining on the beading. It has a good clear maker stamp on the suspension ring. The '3' in the '1939' date is quite distinctive and reminds me of the '3's on Godet crosses. Hope it meets with approval! All opinions or comments are, as usual, much appreciated. Regards - Danny Obverse: Reverse: Maker mark:

Hi Geoff, This is a major part of what I do for a living (graphic designer). If you are interested, I would be happy to have a go at restoring your picture for you (I cannot promise on the result until I see what condition the picture is in at the moment). All I would need from you is a high resolution scan of the image as it is at the moment - scan the picture at 200% and at 600dpi in RGB format. I can return you a jpeg of the finished work which you can have printed at any of your local photographic shops. If you are not happy with the result you can go elsewhere and it will not have cost you anything! Send me a PM if you are interested. Regards - Danny

Hi Max, By any chance, are these crosses being offered by a guy called Pawel Nowak (or something like that)? That (fake) engraved EK1 looks very familiar. If so, stay far, far away! Regards - Danny

Thanks Paul, That's a really good, informative site you have there. I hadn't realised there were 3 classes involved, now I'll have to find out which grade our family friend was awarded. Ulsterman's black and white photo of one shown previously didn't really show how surprisingly ugly they look! Thanks again, Regards - Danny