Fugly fake ribbon bar...

[landsknechte]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=13965

Quite frankly, I'm amazed that a faker would be so modest. If they were going to invest the time and effort, you think they'd come up with something other than one of the single most common ribbon bars in existance...

--Chris

[Sal Williams]

Hi Chris,
How is it you can tell its fake?
Best, Sal

[landsknechte]

Hi Chris,
How is it you can tell its fake?
Best, Sal

The homemade brass backing doesn't exactly engender a whole lot of confidence..

[Sal Williams]

Thanks Chris. I tthought that and the pin was probably it. Shows how much I don't know
Best, Sal

[landsknechte]

The pin doesn't "look right" to me, but I don't know enough to really say if that style pin was or was not period. The fact that it's so crudely soldered (epoxied?) on at an angle doesn't bode well in my mind. I can't imagine that, if it's indeed a prewar piece, that the it would have been worth the maker's while to go to all the trouble to replicate such a relatively inexpensive item. If it was a wartime piece, the use of a strategic metal [brass] troubles me.

I'm running more on intuition than anything concrete, so I'm perfectly open to anyone who could confirm that I'm indeed talking out of my a** here.

Thanks,
--Chris

[stogieman]

You're goint to love this....

... but I see nothing untoward here! Unusual and odd, you bet. Strange? You bet!! But there are REAL brass backing plates in everything from 1-13 that I have handled. The pin while a unusual, is not unheard of. I'd enjoy examining this one in person. The swords are also legit! Note the just visible, small round tabs on each edge of the backing. It almost looks like you have 2 brass plates, nested together here.
I'm not willing to just write this one off!

[Rick Research]

I agree with my Evil Twin. It's fugly, but I wouldn't write it off either.

Not that I like its looks, blaaagh!

[landsknechte]

I agree with my Evil Twin. It's fugly, but I wouldn't write it off either.

Not that I like its looks, blaaagh!

Well, at least I know I was half right... (The fugly half.)

--Chris