Original SA whermanshaften

[Marc verstraete]

Hello All,

Here a small study of the SA Wehrmannschaften buckle. Until this day there where no fakes of this buckle. I say until today because recently I have been asked by some members of the group to look at some pictures of those buckles witch where for sale much under the price by some Internet dealers. This is always a bad sign.

I have encountered two variations of this buckle. The difference is very small and consists in:
1) An imperfection is the right wing next to the eagle’s head.
2) Two types of prongs

First a picture of the full buckle.

Marc V.

[Marc verstraete]

Back

[Marc verstraete]

Markings on a mint buckle

[Marc verstraete]

Imperfection in the wing can be clearly seen.

[Marc verstraete]

Buckle without imperfection in the wing.

[Marc verstraete]

First type of prongs

[Marc verstraete]

Other type of prongs

[Marc verstraete]

Some of these buckle come with a RZM tag. Strangely enough those tags are not made for those buckles but for the open claws buckles for the SA, NSKK, ex...
No explanation has been given to me until now as why those tags are used.
I also have never seen an other tag on those buckles. I would have expected a tag in the style of the SS or HJ.
Finding the SA Wehrmannschaften buckles with those strange tags is not new eider; I bought my first buckle with tag about 18 years ago. Long before fakers started to make fake aluminium buckles.
Any new explanation about this matter would be well appreciated.

Marc V.

[Marc verstraete]

Other side of tag.

[buckle1]

Marc,

There are a couple of other things about the "Wehrmannshaften" w/the wing flaw that bother me. If appears that the eagles head also has some imperfections above the eye and on the beak, either that or the head has been damaged. What really concerns me is the color of the buckle. These buckles always have a bright silver/white frosted finish this one looks gray.Is the finish gone or is this the actual color? The prongs and prong pins look good to me except for the bend on the one which is identical to one in my collection. Considering that this is one of the most striking looking buckles of the 3rd Reich it does not have a very strong popularity w/collectors for some reason. Does't make much sense that the fakers would try to re- produce a buckle that has little appeal to the collectors, but who knows?

Bill

[Marc verstraete]

Hello Bill,

The colour of the buckles is Normal;
1-I use low resolution to post the pictures so I loose quality.
2- the grey looking buckles are actually the mint condition ones and they have a dull colour compared to the ones who have been worn.
3- the light was not optimal when I took the picture.
On the picture above, the dies indeed also damage the eagles head.
The next series of pictures will show the lost is quality of those buckles during the production of them.

Marc V.

[Marc verstraete]

This photo and the previous one are both from buckles with no defect. The first one has been worn and the second one is mint with label.

[Marc verstraete]

This photo shows that the die already has some problems.

[Marc verstraete]

.On the next two pictures, the defect is clearly visible on both of the buckles, the one in mint condition and the one who has been worn

[Marc verstraete]

Mint with defect.