Another Meybauer flight badge

[Eric Stahlhut]

Hope the pix are OK.

Anyhow, I'm surprised at the lack of attention given to flight badges on this forum. One would think that there would be a bit more discussion!

Here's an example that has seen much use. It surprisingly has THREE weep holes. The one that is not visible is located directly in the center of the little birdie.

Comments or observations?

[Eric Stahlhut]

reverse:

[Rick Research]

Señor Stogatroni has a non-Meybauer with a belly-buttoned birdie (I ought to know, I scanned it for him! 200% obv/rev, 500% details), but being a slothful slug fallen into the Ways Of Zink, he has neglected to put it up here.

Post your new thread, Stogie-Rick, and tell us what you think of Eric's badge before he disappears into Brigadoon again!

[stogieman]

Hmmmmmmmmm.....

Really like the back of this badge, the front, I'm not so sure of. But, I can't tell you exactly why yet either....

[stogieman]

Front of mine

It's very close to mine, but there are some subtle differences. of course, to be honest with you i don't especially like the way the front of mine looks either. But, I know both these to be original badges. Just don't like them much. There is such an outrageous difference in quality from early, Juncker badges, and early Meybauer badges, when compared to 1917-1920's era production.

[stogieman]

trying again

sorry, here's mine:

[Eric Stahlhut]

Yep

I have also noticed that the quality of early Meybauer pieces tends to be quite shoddy. Probably as a result of the rather stiff competition for materials used to fabricate top of the line items. It was during the post-war years when quality shot way up and they started producing very fine items.

[stogieman]

you have misunderstood

... the quality of these badges is BETTER, pre-1917, not less. Depression-era Germany, 1918-1930 did not produce higher quality badges.

[Eric Stahlhut]

Ooops!

This whole time I was under the impression that the firm of Meybauer was one that came into it's prime during the 20's because most items I have posessed or handled have been items that were replacement items for WW1 awards or more predominantly, awards created and issued during the 20's and on through the 30's.

Afterthought: one would think that there would be far more examples of even the ubiquitous EK1 if this firm were producing them during the war. Instead I have seen mostly 20's vanity pieces.