Olive, tan & fake Afrikakorps cufftitles

[Antonio Scapini]

I add to this thread a cufftitle I have in my collection since years and years.
Matt told me he saw few like these over the years, I remember I saw a pair, but my memory doesn't is of help so it is possible I'm mistaken. To be sure I've looked for another made in this way but I never found it.


I have my idea. What do you think guys?

[Antonio Scapini]

back.

[Tim O'Keefe]

Agree with your assessment on the "O". & that most of the original AKCT's have a more oval shaped hole in the "O" vs the fakes. From the front this is helpful in determining originallity. Agree a look at rhe reverse is best but not always possible.

Here is a later original tan style ct attached to another tropical tunic post War.

Here's my observations and clarification of the difference's regarding the "O's"

Earlier I should have asserted the inner portion of the "O" is where you can detect a slight variation. The curvature to the inner top and bottom (green portion) of the "O" is almost always slightly sharper on the fake.

Maybe not quite a bullet technique but this may be a limited guide when assessing an attached AKCT? Any other opinions about this please.


-Ray-



***Look at the consistency of the 3 originals. compared to the fake below and conclusive pattern of other fake tittles. The fake's with the diamond "O" to the reverse I refer to as "Diamond Backs" just like the deadly snake

[Tim O'Keefe]

I add to this thread a cufftitle I have in my collection since years and years.
Matt told me he saw few like these over the years, I remember I saw a pair, but my memory doesn't is of help so it is possible I'm mistaken. To be sure I've looked for another made in this way but I never found it.


I have my idea. What do you think guys?

Thanks Antonio for adding your CT to this thread. When i first saw this version years ago was not too sure about it. But over the years have seen a few more of these pop up here on the WAF. Agree with you & Matt, this is an earlier original version also imo.

[Antonio Scapini]

Thanks Tim for your opinion.
I thought it was a late production. Why do you think it is an early one?

[Tim O'Keefe]

Thanks Tim for your opinion.
I thought it was a late production. Why do you think it is an early one?

Only cause its an olive & not a tan version. The olive version was produced from mid '41 to mid/late '42. The later tan version was produced in late '42, to late to be issued. But agree it could be a mid/later olive version too.

[Tim O'Keefe]

These last two ct's posted demonstrate much of what we have been talking about. While Antonio's version does not have the "perfect" "A", it does show the oval in the hole of the "O" and the short arms of the "F" from the front.

The tan version attached to the tunic has all three of these traits, perfect "A", oval "O" and the pattern Ray mentions, and the short arms in in the "F"....

[Beattie-B]

back.

It's often overlooked but many fakes can be spotted by looking at the backside and analyzing the "RP" in "Korps". There should be a sizeable difference in the size of the squares inside the letters, often the "R" has a more rectangular square inlay while the "P" has a more squared inlay.

[Tim O'Keefe]

It's often overlooked but many fakes can be spotted by looking at the backside and analyzing the "RP" in "Korps". There should be a sizeable difference in the size of the squares inside the letters, often the "R" has a more rectangular square inlay while the "P" has a more squared inlay.

Thanks for the comment, While this is generally the case, its not always true. The holes in the "R & P" do not have to be different shape/size. This is a myth from years ago. Take a look at the first AKCT that started this thread, the top ct in the set of three. Notice the holes are the same for the "R & P" from the reverse. However the "Diamondback" fakes do have holes resembling slits more than squares or rectangles, so still a helpful observation

Yes Ray have heard the term "diamondback" to describe these "tartan weave" fakes as well.

Top three originals, notice the first of the three, then a Diamondback fake...

[Beattie-B]

Thanks for the correction Tim, I never understood the whole tartan weave (what I'm supposed to be looking at\ for)

Thanks for the comment, While this is generally the case, its not always true. The holes in the "R & P" do not have to be different shape/size. This is a myth from years ago. Take a look at the first AKCT that started this thread, the top ct in the set of three. Notice the holes are the same for the "R & P" from the reverse. However the "Diamondback" fakes do have holes resembling slits more than squares or rectangles, so still a helpful observation

Yes Ray have heard the term "diamondback" to describe these "tartan weave" fakes as well.

Top three originals, notice the first of the three, then a Diamondback fake...

[Tim O'Keefe]

Thanks for the correction Tim, I never understood the whole tartan weave (what I'm supposed to be looking at\ for)

The weave in the reverse of the lettering resembles a tartan in appearance, on these paticular fakes...the originals have a much cleaner appearance from the reverse. Post # 24 shows the difference pretty well.

[-Ray-]

Thanks for the correction Tim, I never understood the whole tartan weave (what I'm supposed to be looking at\ for)

A coarse choppy or botchy pattern behind the script is another way to put it,

-Ray-

[Antonio Scapini]

I add some more fakes to this very useful thread.

[-Ray-]

"Aaalright",,, SS Afrikakorps CT!


-Ray-

[Tim O'Keefe]

Thanks Antonio for posting those two other modern fakes. The previous tartan weave fake's shown date back to the '70's.

This one is another of the modern fakes, this time from China, some details have been corrected.
Don't have a photo from the reverse. So if anyone gets one please post it up.