Another Oak Leaves and Swords

[Bob Hritz]

This is another set I have. it is beautifully detailed and marked 800 on both the oak leaves and the swords. On this example, the reverse is nicely frosted. Anyone know the era and maker?

Thank you,
Bob Hritz

[Bob Hritz]

Verso

Bob Hritz

[Peter Wiking]

I think the oaks is a modern set from St&L. They remind me about the oaks Detlev had for sale. He had many sets of modern manufacturing, sold as postwar/1957 sets, but a bit more polished than your set. In my opinion, your set is from the 1980's.

Peter

[DavidM]

I think the oaks is a modern set from St&L. They remind me about the oaks Detlev had for sale. He had many sets of modern manufacturing, sold as postwar/1957 sets, but a bit more polished than your set. In my opinion, your set is from the 1980's.

Peter

Hello

A very nice set, as were the previous ones in the other thread. Admit it Bob, you keep posting these just to torment me as I am searching everywhere for a nice early set but have yet to find one

Peter, I did have a set of 1980's made S&L oaks, which were very much inferior to the ones shown here, and which when shown were classed as the 1980s ones that accompanied the really bad 57 RKs of that period, (the ones with the cores painted after assembly etc). Could these be late 1970s or are there some indicators to suggest 1980s production?

Thanks.

Regards
David

[speedytop]

Hi,

here is my oak leaves with swords, stamped 800:



I don't know, when I bought it, it could be in the 1970's or 1980's.

It is from an "official" shop, the "Kleiderkasse für die Bundeswehr", where all the officers and several NCO of the West German Army bought these decorations, the original 1957 versions and the copies.

In the last catalogue with pre 1945 decorations from August 1989 you could buy oak leaves with swords for 9 Euro (18,-DM), oak leaves for 6 Euro and an knight's cross with case for 30 Euro. The offered decorations were silvered.

Last in 1981 they offered silver and silvered.

For example 1981:
Knight's cross complete, cased, in silver 34 Euro, silvered 26 Euro.

Regards
Uwe

[Peter Wiking]

David
Difficult to pinpoint the exact year. When i said 1980's it could well be the early 1980's. It could be late 1970's. At the mid 1980's i held in my own hand EK's and RK's of the 1957 design. The quality was not good. Shiny metals with a plastic looking core paint. The ones i looked at had just been imported to Sweden from St&L.

The oaks made around 1957 (1955 to 1965) has a very fine reverse surface, same as the fine set Uwe kindly posted. The reverse is not polished in these early sets. They have this fine smooth surface straight from the dietools. The set from Uwe is the only style i personaly accept as period and that will match a early 1957 RK, be it St&L or Otto Schickle.

The set from Bob is more raw and further more have that round "dish" imprint at the reverse, that clearly could be seen in the sets from the 1980's. It also appear more stressed and worn down at the obverse. Probably from reworked tooling.

A good indication to what and when quality dropped at St&L is to look at the Bundesverdienst Kreuz. The quality between those made in the period 1951 and 1970, compared to those made in the 1980's, is like day and night.

I think Bobs oaks above are "old", but not as far back as the 1960's, but rather touching the 1980's mark. It is a interesting set. I would not throw it away.

A long explanation from what i know and what is my opinion.

All the best.
Peter