The Schrägstich Faker Chronicles

[VtwinVince]

I can honestly recommend doing business with Barry over at emedals in Toronto. I have purchased material from him many years ago which turned out to be good quality fakes, and he without reservation took them back and 'made it right'.

[CollectorInTheUSA]

3 hours ago, Simius Rex said:

This thread has veered off-course and has rapidly degenerated into a pissing-up-the-rope contest. 

 

My goal in starting this thread was to document a new wave of sophisticated fakes hitting the collector's market which includes detailed discussions about their characteristics compared to originals.  It was to serve not only as a reference-resource for collectors, but also as a learning tool for those who want to fine-tune their ability to spot these high-quality fakes. 

 

@CollectorInTheUSA :  I am disappointed and a bit annoyed that you have turned this otherwise educational thread into a discussion about which auction houses it's "safe" to buy from.  It has nothing to do with the focus of this thread and is totally OFF-TOPIC.  Your question resulted in a round-about discussion involving ethical and legal obligations crossing into a baffling Bernie Madoff analogy with various other pontifications and irrelevancies thrown-in.

 

PLEASE START YOUR OWN THREAD IF YOU WANT TO GET RECOMMENDATIONS OF TRUSTWORTHY AUCTIONS HOUSES FROM THE MEMBERS. Simply state, "I don't want to become informed about the items on which I want to bid, so which middle-man-peddler can I trust to do my thinking for me without getting screwed?" 

 

I AM KINDLY REQUESTING THE MEMBERS TO PLEASE GET THIS THREAD BACK ON-TRACK, and mods... please consider moving these off-topic posts to a separate, new thread in the Lounge Sub-Forum.  Thank you.

 

 

 

Simius Rex:  to be quite honest, I'm now "getting disappointed and a bit annoyed" at the tone of voice you used in your reply...   I know it's easy online to slide into sounding rude, hostile, and condescending, but you should know better.  So, stop typing in ALL CAPS, stop putting words into peoples' mouths, and practice kindness in your online activities on a fraternal forum.

[Graf]

Someone requested to have the fakes and the original side by side to compare

 

Cheers

Edited January 10, 2022 by Graf

[v.Perlet]

Hello Graf,

 

yes I think that was me asking for displaying "originals" alongside "fakes"

 

What always surprises me is this "yesterdays condition" on items that are actually a 100 - 150 years old.

All the EK1 shown so far display this - especially those marked KSMT/DRGM do collectors polish them like every week? There is no dust like residue on them and the welding/soldering doesn't leave a trace.

Same question to me applies towards the back cloth of medal clasps - usually also in a yesterdays condition.

 

Those are an EK1 (KO) and a 1870 clasp from my collection - they are clearly not polished up, at maximum I wipe them from dust one or twice a year.

[Graf]

The dust is something personal.

Some collectors clean it and take pictures and let the patina /dust build up again.

Some keep cleaning their Orders and EKs. Their argument is that if you are awarded person will do it all the time if you wear them

Many collectors like to keep the Orders and decorations as they are -dusty,rusty and with patina.

Be careful of patina/dust Many fakers know how to get them easy Also the rust Remember old rust is always dark brown New one is bright orange

 

[v.Perlet]

1 hour ago, Graf said:

Be careful of patina/dust Many fakers know how to get them easy Also the rust Remember old rust is always  dark brown New one is bright orange.

Thanks, yes I am aware about these faker features or "abilities".

But once I run into those shiny and clean awards and perfect backcloth clasps, the alarm bells start to ring.

Regards

v.Perlet

 

1 hour ago, Graf said:

 

 

[BlackcowboyBS]

@v.Perlet nice little medal bar, but it seems original to me, so you might not want to show it in a thread, which is dedicated to the Schrägstrich Fakers work. ?

[v.Perlet]

Hello BlackcowboyBS,

 

no, actually I do, since displaying originals might also help collectors to gather some clues or indices as to what an original looks like - or is supposed to look like.

If Simius Rex should object to this, he is free to take out my post- no problem

 

Regards

v.Perlet

Hello BlackcowboyBS,

 

forgot to mention;

 

Look at the 1st post on this thread, an almost similar clasp from a 1870 veteran. Then take a close look at the crown displayed on the EK2 - you think its an original?

If Simius Rex should object to this, he is free to take out my post- no problem

 

Regards

v.Perlet

[v.Perlet]

Came across this bar - is anything in regards to this medal-bar genuine?

 

Regards

v.Perlet

[Simius Rex]

55 minutes ago, v.Perlet said:

Came across this bar - is anything in regards to this medal-bar genuine?

 

This is one medal bar by Mr. Schraegstich I missed seeing because I haven't visited eBay.de lately.  

 

The Iron Cross and the jubilee clasp are obvious fakes, but the other 4 awards are genuine.  It doesn't make sense (yet!!) to fake these common medals because they are readily available for modest prices.

 

All of the ribbons are modern reproductions as evidenced by their whip-stitched edges.  These ribbons are sold in bulk by a seller we know as the "Club".

 

Would it be possible to post a picture of the back of this bar?  That way, we can see this faker's signature diagonal stitching of the backing cloth.  

Edited January 28, 2022 by Simius Rex

[VtwinVince]

Another classic example of this faker's work. These 1870 bars have been all over fleabay the last few years. And the fakers are starting to produce the common medals now.

[v.Perlet]

19 minutes ago, VtwinVince said:

Another classic example of this faker's work. These 1870 bars have been all over fleabay the last few years. And the fakers are starting to produce the common medals now.

Hello Simius Rex and VtwinVince

for me I wouldn't even trust the centennial medal - maybe just the Frontkämpfer medaille.

 

I will see if I can find the link again

 

Regards

v.Perlet

[v.Perlet]

Sorry guys - my bad, I mixed up the EK1 1870 fake from evilbay with the photo I took from your first post in this thread which is the 5 medal bar, - sorry for the confusion.

 

The fake 1870 I had posted already under EK1's.

 

Any interesting comments to this - asking for 2800 Euro!!!!

And a 2nd one much cheaper ?- asking for 2690,82 Euro

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/283829896258?hash=item4215948442:g:McYAAOSw0KZef28G

Regards

v.Perlet

Edited January 28, 2022 by v.Perlet

[drspeck]

These are the latest additions on the evil-bay

[v.Perlet]

Hello drspeck,

 

what is wrong with the H badge? - since I don't know this badge at all

 

Regards

v.Perlet

[drspeck]

10 hours ago, v.Perlet said:

Hello drspeck,

 

what is wrong with the H badge? - since I don't know this badge at all

 

Regards

v.Perlet

 

I don't have any knowledge about this badge so I wouldn't be able to tell if it's ok or not, BUT since it is sold by a notorious faker, chances are it's a fake. That's also what this thread is also about, to give people a heads up to be carefull about anything that is for sale by these notorious fakers.

 

Best. Peter

[drspeck]

Looks like yet another account on the evil-bay is selling this stuff

[drspeck]

Here's what's currently on the evil-bay

 

Here's another one of those Staegemeir appraised pieces

 

 

[VtwinVince]

Yup, this is why our hobby is being ruined.

[drspeck]

The following was recently posted on ebay

 

 

[BlackcowboyBS]

are there any orders or medals out there, which are not being faked by these f***kers?

[VtwinVince]

Oh dear, things are rapidly degenerating. Are we any closer to figuring out who is producing this junk? Latvians? The Chinese?

[Gensui]

Seltene Ordensspange - 1. WK + Kolonien Gefechtsspange Samoa 1888 Orden | eBay

 

Here is a medal bar, which I assume is related to this Schrägstich Faker.

 

BR, Chris

[Simius Rex]

20 hours ago, Gensui said:

Here is a medal bar, which I assume is related to this Schrägstich Faker.

 

You are absolutely correct.  This medal bar is unmistakably the handiwork of the Schrägstich Faker.  The eBay seller offering it (mansamusa2) is one of his 38 aliases. 

 

I'm going to post the pictures of this bar and 3 others Mr. Schrägstich is currently selling because the pages tied to the links will disappear after 3 months.

 

I would strongly suggest that eBay shoppers here make a note of all aliases used by this con-artist listed at the beginning of this thread.  This will help you avoid any disappointments and wasting your money. 

 

In addition to newly crafted medal bars with fake awards, he sells a wide variety of imperial orders, decorations, badges by themselves... and the quality of these fakes is getting better and better all the time! 

[VtwinVince]

Just noticed a couple more of this guy's creations are now on German fleabay, and as usual people seem to be getting sucked in.