Reini Posted October 28, 2005 Posted October 28, 2005 Hello,I've received these unmarked clasps with some badges and was hoping for some help. I am fairly certain they are genuine. Are all three zink? I think the Aufklaerer and Fighter are , but the Bomber lacks the backing plate on the hinge. As always , I thank everyone for their input.BestKurtThe first is the bronze fighter:
Reini Posted October 28, 2005 Author Posted October 28, 2005 Next the gold bomber. This is the only one I have any doubts about.
Reini Posted October 28, 2005 Author Posted October 28, 2005 ...reverse...there seems to be a repair on the back of the wreath...
Mossy Posted October 28, 2005 Posted October 28, 2005 great looking bars, especially that bronze fighter. where do you keep finding all these! hahaSam.
Richard Gordon Posted October 28, 2005 Posted October 28, 2005 I echo your concerns on the Bomber clasp too. There definitely looks to be a repair to the wreath which you can see from the front and back. Therefore the finish to the front has also been re-applied.The others look fine to me!Rich
J Temple-West Posted October 29, 2005 Posted October 29, 2005 Cracked wreaths were quite a common fault with these clasps. The repair is nicely done. Going on the circular machining marks and overall look, I'd say its fine. As are the other two.
PKeating Posted October 29, 2005 Posted October 29, 2005 I believe they're all original and the repair appears to be period. As John says, it's nicely done. They were indeed quite fragile, due to the holes adjacent to the wreath, and tombak and zinc clasps often cracked at one or more of these points, especially if the wearer applied pressure to the badge and/or the pin in an attempt to bend one or both to induce more pressure between the pin and the hook, lessening the risk of losing the clasp. The holes were a silly idea for obvious reasons but do you think they were initially intended for the suspension of hangers by hooks and chains, before the soldered eyelet system was adopted?PK
Reini Posted October 29, 2005 Author Posted October 29, 2005 Thanks , guys!As for the holes. Sometimes , at a so-called 'hinge' , as one might call the connection between the leaves and the wreath , the strength can actually be increased by adding the holes. This will increase the amount of stress and deflection that the area can withstand without failing. If the badge makers determined that the highest stress would occur in that area , they might have added the holes to actually try and prevent breakage. Just a thought.BestKurt
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