KVK 1st with a real difference

[jambobbyb]

Evening guys thought i would share this KVK1st with a real difference!!! Picked it up today for the bargain price of £8 Clearly its a KVK2nd thats been converted rather expertly in my opinion, into a KVK1st. I have no idea who or when it was converted and at this price im not going to lose much sleep over it but maybe just maybe it was done wartime. Either way have a look and let me know what you think.
Cheers
James

[jambobbyb]

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[jambobbyb]

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[jambobbyb]

Couple more shots, Whoever did this really spent some time on it,

[jambobbyb]

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[jambobbyb]

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[AUSGANG]

I like it. Its impossible to know if the conversion was done during the war or not BUT I do think that the good job done on the conversion shows that it was done to really make a 2nd class into a 1st class and not to make a fake conversion to sell. My field conversion EK1 has the same flattening of detail on the reverse that was done to make the award lay flat against the cloth of the coat. That kind of attention is something you don't find on fakes...

[Peter Wiking]

I do not like it. If it was done by the original owner during the war, he would not grind down the reverse. He would have soldered the hardware directly on the reverse.

Peter

[Jono]

I like it. My gut says period work but unfortunately we won't know for sure. For £8 thats a good peice regardless

[jambobbyb]

Hi Guys thanks for the replys From what i can see if he had soldered it directly onto the back he would have had to file it down somewhat to get to the base metal or else he would have been attaching it to the finish and the catch wouldnt have been able to close due the the hump on the rear, But sadly we will never know thought i would show it as i thought it was pretty neat and £8 doesnt buy you much in this hobby

[Darrell]

.... From what i can see if he had soldered it directly onto the back he would have had to file it down somewhat to get to the base metal or else he would have been attaching it to the finish and the catch wouldnt have been able to close due the the hump on the rear .....

I'm with Peter here. Why not just make the catch higher rather than grind off all the reverse if you follow this logic. Seems like a lot of trouble to a side that wouldn't be seen.

[AUSGANG]

First, all due respect to Peter and Darrell. Now, the point of a conversion is to make a 2nd class award appear to be a 1st class award. An EK1 has a flat back so that it will rest flat against a tunic; therefore, a successful Second to First Class conversion must have some of the raised detail removed from the reverse. This EK2 to EK1 conversion has had as much of the ribbing removed as can be removed without the iron core becoming loose. I'm not familiar with KVKs but I bet it's for the same reason the details have been abraded from the back. I would be surprised if a counterfeiter would go to those lengths, although they might now!

[Darrell]

First, all due respect to Peter and Darrell.

No problem. That's what debate's all about

However, I fail to see what the minute filing down of the beading on your EK would really do in helping the EK sit flatter to the tunic. The EK1's always were loose fitting anyway. They would sit a good 1/4 inch away from the uniform (unless a tight screwback) with the existing pin back assembly.

[jambobbyb]

Well i didnt think this would arouse such interest these are all done on an individual basis so who ever converted them would have done what he saw fit at the time, Does any one else have any "field" converted stuff they would like to show some of its pretty neat.
Nice EK Ausgang

[Jono]

If it was done post war, i want to know why someone whould spend the time changing a second class to a "field converted 1st" and then sell it for 8 pounds
Doesn't add up to me. It is logical that a soldier would file it down so that it would sit nicely and look like a 1st class from the front.