Team - I came across a very interesting posting on the Wehrmacht Equipment Forum that may assist us in our perennial quest to separate wartime produced entrenching tools from those produced in the post-war era for the early BGS.
Association member MAXIMUS 39 posted pictures of a straight handle e-tool manufactured by Idealspaten seeking to determine if it was wartime production.
In turn, long time member JPhilip replied that although Idealspaten did produce e-tools for the Wehrmacht, complete with their distinctive trademark pressed into the blade, every wartime example that he's handled always featured the production date underneath the trademark. He further remarked that the production date was not included on post-war examples of the e-tool. The e-tool shown by MAXIMUS 39 did not have the production date stamped under the trademark and was thus deemed to be of post-war manufacture.
As you scan the pictures below, note too the manufacturing differences between wartime and post-war shovels. In this example, we can see that the distinctive flare at the rear of the blade present in wartime examples was hammered down in this post-war example.
As for the cover, it was deemed a fake, as the wartime production codes appear to have been added at a later date by an unscrupulous vendor. Most of the known postwar examples I have seen feature riveted contruction vice the sewn variation seen here. I've also heard it said that the fastening buckle on post-war examples are attached from the opposite side from wartime carriers. I have yet to verify this.
The East Germans made extensive use of the straight handle shovel in the post-war years and are thought to have made new leather carriers for use with leftover wartime vintage e-tools. Distinguishing these carriers from "West" German ones remains an area requiring further study.
All the best - TJ
Association member MAXIMUS 39 posted pictures of a straight handle e-tool manufactured by Idealspaten seeking to determine if it was wartime production.
In turn, long time member JPhilip replied that although Idealspaten did produce e-tools for the Wehrmacht, complete with their distinctive trademark pressed into the blade, every wartime example that he's handled always featured the production date underneath the trademark. He further remarked that the production date was not included on post-war examples of the e-tool. The e-tool shown by MAXIMUS 39 did not have the production date stamped under the trademark and was thus deemed to be of post-war manufacture.
As you scan the pictures below, note too the manufacturing differences between wartime and post-war shovels. In this example, we can see that the distinctive flare at the rear of the blade present in wartime examples was hammered down in this post-war example.
As for the cover, it was deemed a fake, as the wartime production codes appear to have been added at a later date by an unscrupulous vendor. Most of the known postwar examples I have seen feature riveted contruction vice the sewn variation seen here. I've also heard it said that the fastening buckle on post-war examples are attached from the opposite side from wartime carriers. I have yet to verify this.
The East Germans made extensive use of the straight handle shovel in the post-war years and are thought to have made new leather carriers for use with leftover wartime vintage e-tools. Distinguishing these carriers from "West" German ones remains an area requiring further study.
All the best - TJ
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