Before I buy!!! Pleas help me.

[RKarum]

I was told to move my questions of this cross from the Wehrmacht Cross discusion forum to this side of the forum for discution. Silly me...I thought a cross was a cross much like a duck is a duck. But I guess I was wrong again. Enough sarcasm.
I am looking for everyones honest opinions of this EK1. I am a freak for WWI and WWII personalized EK1's and I like this one but I want to hear from ones that know more about them before I take the plunge. It seems to be in average condition and at a fair price too. My first impression and gut feeling is "go for it" it looks right, but I do have some reservations too ie. marking on the pin, catch and hook construction.

[RKarum]

Before I buy!!! Please help me.

Sorry for the crappy picture of the front side. It's all I have.

[gregM]

Hinge and pin are just what I would expect to see on a S-W marked
cross. the catch has been repaired at some point but all in all a very
nice cross. The makers mark "S-W" is for Sy-Wagner of Berlin.

[RKarum]

Before I buy!!! Please help me.

A better (larger) shot of the front of the Imperial EK1. Is $400.00 to much for what you see? Rob.

[Don D.]

Core cracked on at least three arms, you don't know when the engraving was done..... IMO $400 is too much for this cross.

[Steve Campbell]

Unless the engraving can be proven to be period done and for the owner, it's all speculation. The core is cracked in a number of spots and I believe that the catch may be a repair also. I haven't seen these wartime pieces have the catch attached by a plate like that. This often indicates a repair. With no proof of the engraving being real, $400 is way too much. In fact, I think an unproven engraving takes away from a piece. An item like this engraving aside is worth I would think under $200.

[lewjian]

Repair of the catch is actually a good work, many EKs are repaired but not in this good. The engravings are not characterized by period style, patina isn't evident too. $400 is OK for a period engraved EK but not this one.