Paul R

I would guess post war.

I considered that it could be harsh to the weapon as well. I am still on the fence for several reasons: 1. I dont want to adversly harm the weapon. 2. My grandfather had it chromed to protect it from exposure(rusting) and perhaps liked the effect/look as well. 3. I would like to see the weapon restored to it's old original glory, BUT the fact it was chromed is part of the history. I have seen the work of Bill Adair and he does a great job. I am just so torn... I understand what you are saying completely. I may just keep it the way it is. Semper Fi!!!! Paul

That is another great Red Star grouping!!

This must be a presentation piece only, as I cannot see this being practically worn on a uniform otherwise.

I have just heard from members of my family that I am to receive all of the military related items from my mother's side of the family. All the males were in the military for some part of their lives. My Great Grandfather was in the Ambulance Corps in WW1, my grandfather was a corspman (PhM1) in the Navy who landed on Guadalcanal. My uncle served in Germany and Washington DC in the 60s. Anyway, included in the lot with uniforms and etc are a few weapons. I will have my great grandfather's service M1911 .45 and my grandfather's M1 Carbine. Since most of my relatives live in Louisiana and Texas, where the humidity is high. As a result, my grandfather chromed the exposed metal parts. Now is there anyway to restore these pieces to their original finish or am I better off leaving them the way they are. The way I understand it is that all the markings and codes are still visible. I will never sell these pieces, so I am OK with either option. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Regards Paul

Thanks for sharing your amazing collection with us!! I cannot believe the number of makers for these pieces. I wish you luck in tracking them down! Do you have some of the rarer makers? BTW, I love the Luftschutz cuff title!

What a gorgeous collection! I assume that you have most if not all of the makers there?

I appreciate you taking the effort to do this. It really does mean a lot and you have shown a huge amount of good will by continuing with this thread. Just out of curiosity, how many pieces have you sold thus far(are we talking about a dozen or hundreds)? Could you please show us some examples of your bars along with any craftsmanship specifics that are unique to the reproductions you produce? This way, we know what to look for in case someone wants to start selling their bars on Ebay or etc. Also, are there any individuals who are buying more than a few pieces from you(Just a yes or no question)? These are the people I would be scared of buying with the purpose of resale.

This one seems good... The first product on the top of the page is permanent. You would write with big letters the word. FAKE on the backs and even the front, that way someone wont simply change out the backing. According to the ad, it would only been seen under a black light! http://www.unitednuclear.com/markers.htm

Thank you for the great information. How would I go about exploring deeper into that raid to find which facilities were impacted(great pun, huh? lol)?

Now that is a great idea. A mark that will not distract from the appearance of the product!! Those markers are fairly inexpensive, right?

OK guys... cease fire on both sides. As a collector and a former re-enactor, I can understand both sides of the argument. The way I see it is that if someone sells a product and is 100% open about it, there is nothing further that needs to be addressed. It is not a gun company's fault when a kid breaks into a house, steals a weapon and does something illegal with it. It is the fault of the person who actually perpetuates the crime. He should pay the price. Gerst, I have never seen your work before, so I have no comment on how close it is to the real deal. I agree with making some sort of permanent mark (certain nick on the pin or a black sharpee marker dot on a certain area of the backing) so it would make things easier for the less experienced collectors. It might not be a failsafe(to people who do not know about how you mark your product), but you can always say you did what you could! I am glad that Gerst came here. I am sure that he did so in good faith. I wish that more makers of reproduction pieces would do the same! IT would make our lives so much easier. Instead of attacking him, we should be working together to come up with a happy medium. A person is a faker only if their intent is to defraud someone. I dont see this with what Gerst has written so far.

What could it be... Here are some blown up images of the death card collar tabs... What do you all think? Is the tint of the collar tab piping the same as that on the collar piping?

Hi Mav, I was trying to see if these men attached to the General Staff had any differences to their insignia. I am trying to figure out this tab... It cannot belong to those Flying Leader boards, as the highest rank possible for that organization was Major. The tab is for an OberstLt equivalent. The books specify that pattern of shoulder boards for the Flying Leader Corps, but the tabs were said to be the pink Engineer type. The yellow piped engineer tab has to be for some specific group... but I cannot crack it.

Hi jesper, That is one great tunic. I am definitely in love!! It looks like a private purchase piece. Are there any tailor tags or marking on the inside? Paul

A beautiful piece!! This is one of those under appreciated awards. I love it!

I think that you are doing very well!! The KVK series is my favorite of the General TR awards.

That is a great sequence. The M2 is a great weapon! It has been around since 1919, pretty much unchanged. Perfection cannot be improved!

A very early one too.

Heck... even local municiple trolly operators had uniforms. The possiblities are limitless.

Well, I have an Order of Lenin with a 1966 date on the document, which I am dying to find a case for. I have other orders such as the flat back order of Badge of Honor, Order of Friendship, Red Banner of Labor, and many others. I would like to find cases for all if not at least some of them eventually. REgards Paul

The Order of the Red Banner of Labor is now going for between 150 and 250 on Ebay!! These cannot even be researched. I say buy up all the Order of the Badge of Honors while you can! I remember a few years ago, Orders of the Red Star stilling unsold for 5 dollars!!! IT makes me feel kinda ill what they are going for now. There were only four million of these rare orders awarded.

I am looking for original cases for my orders. How difficult are these to find? Paul

Are these covered by the "stolen valor" laws like military medals are? I bet that the Medal of Freedom is not easily found.

Please do make a nice clear scan. I know someone who may have lots to say about this one!! Paul