Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Tony J

    For Deletion
    • Posts

      88
    • Joined

    • Last visited

    Everything posted by Tony J

    1. I have the same type of bar also. I wouldn't be so quick to discount it. I have seen a period portrait of this type of bar on an EKII ribbon in wear. At the moment I can't remember where I saw it. I want to say it was posted in a long thread about the 1914 Weiderhollungsspange either here or on WAF. For what it's worth. Tony
    2. Hi Rick, I'm a bit late to this party. I recall reading about this sharpening of swords. I just don't remember where at the moment. Many officer's did so not because of the order to sharpen government owned ordinance sabers but as a show of solidarity with the Kaiser's call to arms. Apparenty it was part of the partiotic mind set at the time and was done as an approval or bonding gesture by many in the officers' corp. Similar to US paras cropping their hair Mohawk style before the D-Day drop. Before the outbreak of hostilities in August of 1914, the sword was still viewed as a viable if not effective weapon in certain situations. The saber saw service with the the cavalyman's lance throughout the war on various fronts. Obviously, the rapid evolution of warfare during the early stages of WWI soon relegated the sword to the side lines as a symbol of officer's authority at the front. Sabers continued to be part of the cavalryman's kit as a functional weapon. Tony
    3. Rod, Interesting question. The only place I have seen any markings on naval dirks denoting damascus has been on the tang under the grip. Then again not all are so marked. Often they just have the smith's stamp. Have you checked Wittman's Naval dagger book? Tony
    4. Rod, Why would you want to do that? You already have the proper and correct portepee now. Tony
    5. Chris, The sword in the left picture looks to be a standard Cuirassier Officer's pallach. The degen pictured in the right photo is an Model 89 degen with an optional straight side folding guard and the earlier nickeled scabbard with the double hanger rings still intact. By 1915 the degen on the right would have been brought up to regulation specs by having the lower scabbard ring removed and the scabbard painted black. These regs were instituted in 1906 for the blackening of the scabbard and in 1910 for the lower ring removal. Given this...IMO the photo on the right is much earlier than 1915 or the degen pictured may have been a studio prop. Hope this helps some. Tony
    6. Very nice sword. The blade is made of Damaststahl. 'Maidenhair' is what the basic damaststahl is often called by collectors. Tony
    7. Thanks Greg! It's nice to see other examples of the oval disc Godet. All the best, Tony
    8. Darrel, Looks too shiney for zinc. It could be silvered steel or just plain steel core with the paint flaked off. Looks a bit too smooth for a cast iron core IMO. I have a similar silvered steel core example as well as a copper plated steel core that was painted. Why? Possibly a means of corrosion control? As I said, love them variants. Tony
    9. Hello Steve, Interesting EKI, almost looks like a TR era '14 by S&L. Have you put a magnet to the core? I'm curious as I don't see the brass you mention. I too love variant EKs. Makes collecting them never ending. All the best, Tony
    10. Chris, The single oval with the C. E. under the squirrel is Weimar era. I have a Weimar Model 89 degen with that tm. I believe it to be pre 1932 or a bit earlier but later than the back to back squirrels of the Imperial era. The Carl Eickhorn arched over a straight Solingen I have on a 1916 dated 98/05 bayonet. Hope this helps. Tony
    11. Paul, That's the pure essence of why we collect. All the best, Tony
    12. Thanks Paul, Much better images. I'll go out on a limb here a bit with an opinion. Your EK is certainly not an award piece nor from the 1870 era. More likely a commercially acquired replacement or for window display in an effects shop. No earlier than the Jubilee era c. 1895 and possibly a little later as the quality resembles a 1914 era EK in some ways. Just some thoughts. Tony
    13. Dante, Can you post a clear picture of the crown and date on the front as well as the mark under the catch on the reverse? Thanks! Tony
    14. PK, Very astute observations that are well written. Tony
    15. Chip and Bob, Good info all. I'm still not sure of the actual out come but the comments and efforts are surely appreciated. The actual cost and/or market value is minimal at best compared with other more prestegious collectables. This buckle is more interesting in the fact that it is unit marked. The numbers are stamped in and their form is comsistant with others I have seen on unit marked weapons. I'll see if I can get a picture or two and post it here. Thanks again. Tony
    16. Kevin, We are certainly living in an interesting time. All the best, Tony
    17. Kevin, You may be right about not enough time has past to heal the wounds. I guess when the last survivor of that tragic era passes, only then will the sting be mitigated to the actual participants. You really need to read some history my friend. There were several uprisings by the "enslaved peoples' that were brutally crushed by soviet communist forces. If my memory serves me right there was a worker's revolt in East Germany early on, The Hungarian uprising in 1956, incidents in Poland shipyards just to name a few. There were ocassional revbolts in the Gulag camp system. The reason is not that the 'enslaved peoples' did not rise up, it was that the sheer crushing weight of numbers were against these unfortunates. The soviet union was large and the Baltics were small. Pure mathematics. We should also not forget the Brothers of the Forest in the Baltics that waged an active partisan war against soviet occupation well into the 1950s with the last Brothers being killed or choosing suicide instead of being captured in the early 1980's. This was a brutal silent war that the soviets conducted against native peoples who did not wish to be enslaved by soviet occupation in their own country. Let's not forget that the swastika is an ancient symbol that was perverted by the nazis. Before the war the swastika was asymbol of scounting, good luck and served a a religious symbol. The hammer and sickle ihas no previous good history but instead is very offensive to those that suffered under it's yoke and the many tens of millions that died under that cursed symbol. In sheer numbers many, many times more than under the swastika. Please don't think that I'm condining the actions of either side. I am not. Evil is evil whether it is brown or red. As for flaunting the most hated symbol in the world, fascism is on the rise in Russia. How would you explain that? Lastly, Democracy is having the ablility to do as you like. With responsibility for ones actions of course. That is one of the benefits of a true democracy. Freedom of choice and action. On the other hand, in a democracy one has the choice to not partake in any actions that they are morally opposed to. Unfortunately people in many countries with a history of strong central rule have a hard time adjusting to this type of personal freedom. Remember that Democracy is positive and constructive while anarchy is negative and destructive. There is no comparision. All the best, Tony
    18. Kevin, While I agree with your right to say what you do, you are a bit mistaken about some of what you said. With all due respect, of course. Soldiers from the Baltic region who fought on both the German and Russian sides in the 1914-1918 War were often awarded decorations by the armies they were in. I have seen pictures of independent era Baltic soldiers wearing 1914 EKs won while in the German service as well as various Imperial Russian awards by those in service of the Czar. Both the German and Russian Empires were losers in WWI. Yet the bravery decorations continued to be worn with honor by the recipients. Combat and bravery decorations transcend politics and are a reflection of a time at war. A brave soldier is a brave soldier regardless which army he served in. We should respect that without undo cynicism. Should the criteria of wearing bravery or combat decorations be governed by who was the winner and who was the loser? In that case no soviet awards showing the hammer and sickle show be allowed to be worn. Allies or not. After all the soviet union collapsed from internal rot and in effect lost the cold war with the west. Besides the soviet regime also was guilty of mass murder and other many such unpleasantries in their own country and those that it had brutally occupied. Excecutions, deportations, imprisonments and exile in the territories as just some of the harshness of the communist regime. Regarding the 'acceptance' of soviet domination in occupied countries. Please don't confuse the 'official' propaganda of how 'many' people in occupied countries 'welcomed' the soviets as liberators. That is blatant nonsense. While some of the populations may have welcomed occupation the majorities dis not. The facts prove that to be a propoganda lie. Just ask yourself this. Why have all the previously independent nations, who forcably incorporated into the soviet union, chose independence and sovereignty at the end of the soviet era instead of trying to remain part of that rotten oppressive system? As was said above their are always opposing sides to any friendly debate. Taking one side over the other does not necessarily make one a nazi or a communist sympathizer. All the best. Tony.
    19. Chip, Now I'm really confused. Jeff Noll's book 'The Imperial German Regimental Markings" is my only reference source at the moment. In the Regimental Markings Directory, of the four plain G. markings shown three refer to it as being related to Garde and one to Grenadier. Further on when G.R is listed the ratio remains similar at 3 to 1 Garde to Grenadier. When the script R of a reserve regiment is thrown into the mix the figures get really skewded toward the G being Garde instead of Grenadier by a ratio of 16 to 1. That's why I'm confused. So the 5 would be the Regiment instead of the company? I'm still thrown for a loop about the two Roman numeral II's being the garniture number. I have weapons that are unit marked and the weapon numbers are arabic style. Seems that the mystery remains..................... I appreciate your thoughts. All the best, Tony
    20. Hi guys, I recently picked up a Prussian EMs buckle that is unit marked 5. G. R. 2. C. II on the bottom. Garde or Grenadier? What would the 2. C. II stand for? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Tony
    21. Yep, that's Infantry assault badges alright. Look to be complete. Tony
    22. The fellow on the right has an Estonian flag patch on his left sleeve. The Infantry assault badges don't look to be de-nazified from what I can see. They have the Heersadler still so they aren't '57s. Tony
    23. [quote I'm a collector, and when a piece is in my collection... Uwe
    24. Uwe, This is a picture of General Staff Colonel Boleslavas Jakutis. I will post some more about him soon. The dedication on the photo reads as follows. To the Honorable Mr. Ginsburgis. (from) General Staff Colonel Jakutis. Bruselles, 1929, 29th of May. The picture was taken in Kaunas , but I can't make out the photographers name in the lower right corner. More to come later. All the best, Tony P.S. How 'attached' are you to this picture?
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.