Brass framed AWS Ek1

[gregM]

I bought this cross yesterday from one of our members at the St.Paul
military show. ---- ( Thanks again Leroy )

A brass framed AWS wideframe with a type 1 core.
The frame has been heavily polished at some point and like a lot
of other AWS crosses, the black on the iron core is almost completely gone.

[gregM]

the reverse is unmarked and the pin has been repaired / replaced
with a wire bent in such a way the it acts as a spring.

[gregM]

Here it is next to my brass AWS with the type 3 core

[ccj]

That's a beauty. Sexy looking cross

[Erickn]

Hi Greg,
Neat EK w/ creative ersatz pin. Necessity is the mother of invention.
E.

[Green]

A nice couple worn AWS crosses

[morel5000]

Nice one Greg!

[Dansson]

Good score Greg!

[EK Hunter]

Very nice pair of crosses.

[gregM]

Thank you all

[Tiger 1]

Nice ones buddy.

[gregM]

Thanks Tony.

[Miro O]

...the black on the iron core is almost completely gone.

...but it is still black. Which makes me think, that AWS belonged between those makers, who coloured the cores in a two step process (like Deschler - see pinned thread in Crosses of Wehrmacht).

But contrary to these, AWS didn´t paint the cores before assembly and after assembly, but first stage was blueing/blackening and only then came the painting. This paint quite quickly goes off, while blackening/blueing keeps holding well.

This effect can be seen on 1st and 3rd core types with magnetic iron cores, not on 2nd core types (which are from unmagnetic metal). I am quite surprised that this feature was never discussed when we take into account how popular AWS crosses are. Or did I just miss that thread?

[streptile]

Very interesting observations Miro. I don't think you missed a discussion; it's just never been brought up before.

My question would be: isn't steel itself black or very dark grey in color? I always thought that, when the paint came off the core of an AWS (as it often did), it simply revealed the dark steel underneath.

[Miro O]

My question would be: isn't steel itself black or very dark grey in color? I always thought that, when the paint came off the core of an AWS (as it often did), it simply revealed the dark steel underneath.

Hi Trevor,

Naked iron has silver colour, very similar to stainless steel. Each different colour it takes, is a result of chemical or thermal process. For example iron profiles, like tubes, I-profile, L-profile etc, are always black when they come from production line, but it is result of thermal forming. It is only "skin" of the metal. If this skin gets rust and you mechanically clean that rust, it is not black again, but silver.

If you recall some - mostly TR crosses (from the top of my head 24 comes to mind), when the paint flakes off, you see silver white surface. And if you check the Deschler thread in Crosses of Wehrmacht section, steel plate for iron core is clearly silver - see posts Nr 16,17, 18 - here is the link to the last one
http://wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/s...0&postcount=18

Of course, it can be argumented that AWS could use steel plates covered with that skin. But I think it is not the right argument. At first, this skin would crack to silver basement at least on vertical areas of the relief during stamping.

At second, I have or had AWS pieces which show blackened (dark brown) surface, while the others flake off to clearly blued ones. Here is one example of blued AWS. Letter W is completely without paint, but it is still clearly blued, as well as other areas without paint.

(blackening and blueing is in fact the same process, but by using few different steps and temperature you receive different results in colour and gloss)