FDJ Buckle

[Kurt Doench]

Michael,

Good idea, I'll sort through my pics to see what I have already photographed and take pics of the rest tomorrow when there's better light.

Regards,

Karl

Hi Karl,


You might actually consider initiating a Thread on Buckles. It will give Forum members an opportunity to see your collection, as well as give others an opportunity to contribute. It might be surprising to see just what all is out there? Just a thought.

[Mike G.]

Hi Karl,

Thanks for the clarification. Found it. This is the buckle I was thinking of. Some collectors have referenced the brass variant as a Cadet Buckle. That would now seem to be incorrect as Klaus Walther clearly identifies the Gold Plated/Gilded type you have, as the Cadet Buckle.

It is a rare buckle. Nice acquisition. Thanks for sharing with us. Very educational and enlightening.

[Kevin Rea]

hello Karl,
As for your FDJ buckle, there is also an aluminium version but it seems to be very scarce. I don't know if it is early or late production.
Kevin

[olivyaya]

Gordon and all,

Many thanks for all your help. I would love to see that picture showing the buckle in wear.

@ Frentebro: Here is an early gold-coloured NVA one. According to Walter, Uniformeffekten, this was only worn until 1958 and only 2,500 were made. One sees newly-gilded standard NVA buckles at the auctions sometimes, but I feel this one is the genuine article. The buckle is not in the best condition, and it doesn't show well in the pics, but the yellow blotches are really gilding and not oxidised base metal where the silver has rubbed off.

I have one very similar to this one somewhere in my basement... it feels to me it is more likely to be a buckle made of brass and silver plated, not the other way round... but this is only my feeling...

[Gordon Craig]

Karl,

Thanks for reminding us about the buckle being shown in Walter's book. Do you have a reference for the pebbled surface buckle without any insignia? Looking forward to your buckle pictures. I posted pictures of your FDJ buckles on the Gunboards DDR Forum but haven't had any replies to the post.

Michael,

I have a thread going on the Gunboards DDR Forum on polizie belts and buckles. Both East and West German.

Cheers,

Gordon

[Kurt Doench]

Olivaya,

Thanks for your input. As I wrote, it does not show too well in my photos, but actually looking at the buckle it is totally apparent that there is gilding on top of the base metal, and not brass base metal. Unfortunately, most of the gilding has come off.

Gordon: I don't know the Gunboards DDR forum, could you post a link?

Many thanks!

Karl

I have one very similar to this one somewhere in my basement... it feels to me it is more likely to be a buckle made of brass and silver plated, not the other way round... but this is only my feeling...

[Kevin Rea]

Nva

Hello all,
Just checked my DDR buckles. I have 4 NVA enlisted ones:
1. Nickel-plated brass, non-magnetic.
2. Magnetic steel with copper plate and nickel on top of that.
3. Gold-sprayed steel (Navy?)
4. Gray painted steel

KVP;
1. Nickel-plated brass
2. Nickel-plated magnetic steel (There is also a Soviet-style KVP buckle)

KVP/NVA?;
1. Nickel-plated pebbled steel, no logo. (I have a picture of two SSK-wielding KVP members on maneuvers, one wearing the standard KVP buckle and the other wears the blank pebbled buckle.)

It seems that that the plated brass buckles are of earlier construction.
If anyone has any other unusual DDR buckles it would be great to see them.
Kevin

Olivaya,

Thanks for your input. As I wrote, it does not show too well in my photos, but actually looking at the buckle it is totally apparent that there is gilding on top of the base metal, and not brass base metal. Unfortunately, most of the gilding has come off.

Gordon: I don't know the Gunboards DDR forum, could you post a link?

Many thanks!

Karl

[Gordon Craig]

Karl,


Here is a link to my thread on belts/buckels etc on the Gunboards Forum. You can get to the rest of it from there.

http://www.gunboards.com/militaria/t...?TOPIC_ID=4145

Cheers,

Gordon

[Frentebro]

I once stripped one of the late gray-enamelled steel buckles & under the paint it appears to be brass-anodised as a second line of defense under the paint (In fact this anodising can be seen on the unpainted back side.). Might be passed as naval.

[Kurt Doench]

Hi Kevin,

Great to see you joining in on this thread, and very interesting that you have a gold-sprayed NVA as well. Do you have a photograph that could be posted here for comparison with mine?
These are definitely not Navy, as the NVA didn't follow the old custom of gilt buckles for all Navy ranks. Navy ORs wore the standard silver box buckle. Navy officers had a silver brocade with gold buckle [not vice-versa, as I originally and quite mistakenly wrote] and admirals wore a gold buckle with a gold brocade.

Very interesting info on your different silver NVA buckles. Will look through mine and see what combinations I can come up with.

I saw one FDJ in aluminium but didn't get it as the price seemed way out for me.

Blank pebbled buckles: Walther (vol.I) lists the silver as being for Anwärter, Wachtmeister and Meister (aspirants and NCO ranks) of all 'bewaffnete Organe' (armed organisations, meaning the various police etc. forces) and worn from 1949-54 (simultaneously with the one with the police star with black-red-gold centre), and still until 1955/56 by the DVP.
The gold blank buckle was, according to the same source, for other ranks, NCOs and officer pupils of the Deutsche Grenzpolizei 1952-58.
Both these early pebbled beutral buckles should not be confused with the silver neutral one I posted earlier, which is by contruction from a much later period.

Kevin, if you like you can send pictures to me for posting.

Thanks and best wishes,

Karl

[Frentebro]

Interesting that the blank pebbled buckles were also used by the Bundeswehr, on the field belt (painted brass) & also the pants belt (nickle, by OLC). The earliest use of this design i know of was by the Condor Legion.