L/11 Screwback

[milsurp]

Hello,

Here is one of the newer pieces to my collection and I'm curious of your thoughts on this one. Based on the photos I saw when I agreed to buy it, I loved it, but in hand there is something I am just not too sure about, let me explain. It started when I noticed the core had been painted (or possibly repainted??) whilst in it's silver frames, is this unusual or unheard of? Other collectors state this did happen, but this is the first visual proof I have seen, if indeed it is OK. Once I noticed the paint, the feel good factor, didn't feel so good and I started to generally question the cross and the only way I can sum up what I am trying to say is that it has a modern feel to it, but that may just be down to it's condition. Another point I found was that the screwback clasp is not interchangeable with another screwback I have, is this the standard or the exception? Certainly one of the redeeming features is the case, which is undeniably original and so I think the cross is OK, but I would appreicate some analytical discussion on this one please.

[milsurp]

Sorry for the poor quality pic, but hopefully you can see what I mean from this photo.

[Darrell]

Craig,

Did you buy this off e-stand not too long ago? I think I can remember seeing it.

[joe campbell]

screwbacks often can not be interchanged
because of both screw diameter and threading.

joe

[VonLuger]

If from e-stand and its less then 7 days and you don't like it return it...without it in ones hand and judging from a picture only we can say it 'seems' OK...
If words will make you happy from a semi good photo, and asking about it being redone in reality its hard to do...
your gut feeling you have bad feeling return it!!!!
and on screwback unless from same manufacturer I wouldn't worry about fit...
But if it appears repainted-no way to prove when its done unless they do the SEM testing which cost more then a cross 1st class..up to you, but rule of thumb if you can live with it keep it..........

[Anthony Evans]

can you sent the pic of the mm

[milsurp]

Hello,

Thank you for the replies. Fair enough about the interchangeability of the screwback clasp, I thought this was probably the case. I don't really want to return it, I like it 99% but the 1% is annoying me, so if I can put the issues I mentioned to you to bed then that will take me to 100% satisfaction.

So is it unusual or unheard of that the core were painted whilst in the frames, i.e. after it was assembled? To be more specific, does any other L/11 owner have this 'feature' on one of their EKI's or EKII's?

[Mike Kenny]

Hi Craig,

Are you 100% positive it is black paint on the beading? I ask because I have seen on some crosses a very dark PATINA forming on the inner edges of the beading, making it look like paint. I ask because I have an early 57er RK by S&L (imo it has not been repainted and it is not one of the cruddy current examples whcih ARE painted after assembly) which has a similar effect on the inner beading - a very dark patina. I have also seen this on S&L 39er RKs with frosted beading (I'll check my L/11s later). Why only the inner beading I don't know - maybe some sort of weak chemical reaction where two different finishes (black paint and silver frosting) meet?

Imo one thing you can do is look VERY carefully along the "seam" where the inner edge of the beading joins the flat face of the core and see if this is joined/gummed anywhere with paint. Trying some sort of paint remover would be dangerous if spilt and removing dark patina would probably look the same as removing dark paint anyway.

After reading your concerns and then reading your cross is cased, I think it is probably fine and unmessed with - patina only.

Regards
Mike K

[Calvin Hall]

Anyone else have an L/11 screw-back EK1 to post for comparison?

[Colorado]

Does the plate spin freely (continues on it's own when you flick it?)? Here is another L/11 posted. Did Deumer have two sets of dies? The swastika shape and spacing and the spacing between the numbers appear different. I was trying to look for similarities in the beading, maybe our Adobe Photoshop experts can check.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=l%2F11

It does look painted over as you state. If you are mentioning to us, it will nag at you forever and you won't be happy. From experience, I wasn't.

[George Stimson]

Does it have the "blob" at the base of the first "9" in "1939"?

[milsurp]

Thanks George, I think that was the picture I needed. You might find this interesting.

Does it have the "blob" at the base of the first "9" in "1939"?

[milsurp]

Here's another comparison with Philippe's L/11.

[milsurp]

Thanks for all the other replies guys, I appreciate it, I knew there was something amiss with this one, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Mike it is deffinetly paint IMO and not patina, hopefully the pic below illustrates that a bit clearer. Thanks for the link colorado, I did look at this before I bought it, but I hadn't picked up on some of the smaller details because the photos on the E-Stand were fairly low res. The plate does spin freely though.

What do people think?

[milsurp]

Another...