Dumb question about EK2

[Douglas Jr.]

Hi folks,

I was at home during a rainy afternoon yesterday and started to think a little bit about the EK2 and some things that I have heard during the years. I remembered that a fellow colletctor told that if you hold an EK2 by its frame and shake it, its core center (the black part) can´t move. If it movesit is a bad cross.

Sorry for the dumb question but I´d like to know if there is such "authenticity test" ?

Thanks,

Douglas.

[EKman]

First off, I won't say that there are no such things as dumb questions, but yours is certainly not dumb. Loose Core Syndrome is common in EKs. Often times, over time, the iron core will become loose because of age and seperation from the frame. So, no, a loose core does not indicate a fake, rather, it is a common thing to find in real crosses.

[Dave-B]

I've always thought if the cross is a "shaker" or "rattler" then its a good thing!

Not all crosses rattle...some do,some don't!

Dave

[Dez H]

I believe the issue of how secure the core is within the frames has little to do with the originality of a piece, you need to look at the piece overall not just at one factor. For years there was a collector’s myth that if the swastika was low on an EK it must be a fake, due to the low swastikas on Souval Knight’s Crosses. Compare original EK2’s and you will notice the height of the swastika does vary from nearly level to the beading, to quite low. <O</O

[notned]

I have this absolutely beautiful EKII from Klein & Quenzer (mm 65) and the core is the loosest i have ever seen rattles like mad...but it is such a beautifull cross i really don't care...in fact all of My EK's have rattled somewhat...

When i was a young boy, i was told that a good test to find if an EK was genuine...was to shake it and if it rattled, it meant that it was of three peice construction and therefore NOT fake. BUT nowadays these mongruels who make the fakes, are getting them that good and in three peice construction...its just soo damn hard to pick out these fakes...makes a man want to give up...as the fear of getting burned is a frightening reality...boo hoo!

[Sebastian Bianchi]

In fact, I like the ones that rattle a little! I have a few crosses that do, and it's no problem at all.

[Douglas Jr.]

When i was a young boy, i was told that a good test to find if an EK was genuine...was to shake it and if it rattled, it meant that it was of three peice construction and therefore NOT fake. BUT nowadays these mongruels who make the fakes, are getting them that good and in three peice construction...its just soo damn hard to pick out these fakes...makes a man want to give up...as the fear of getting burned is a frightening reality...boo hoo!

In fact that was the story that I was told when I started to collect EKs ten years ago... then my friend told me this story and I became a littel bit confused...

Thanks for all the comments, folks!

Regards,

Douglas.

[Raym']

As far as I am aware, no one has yet got round to producing fake EK2s with the 'rattle' effect. I always view it as a good sign.

[ynot]

I think I read somewhere that EKIIs made late in WWII don't rattle. Who knows how true that is?

I think it may have something to do with the tolerances of the iron core, it would have to be slightly smaller (I'm talking tenths of a mm) to fit nicely into the frame before soldering, otherwise there could be too much reworking to be done. Just a thought.

Tony

[eindecker2]

for what its worth - I ahve found that almost every non marked EK2 will rattle, I tend to relate this with the fact that the EKs were hand made during the early portion of the war. Almost every 1914 EK2 rattles. I tend to like the 'rattler' EKs for the postential of being earlier in the war. Plus unmarked EKs are much cheaper. Just my personal like anyhow...

[Raym']

Yes - 'rattlers' are early war pieces and are not usually marked. Later pieces seem to be made, or rather assembled, by a better method than by being fitted together by hand, which was the usual way from the start in 1813.

[Peter Wiking]

My first cross bought 20 years ago is a rattler of very high quality with deep and sharp details.

Cheers.
Peter

[Luft62]

I have always thought that rattling core is very common for a an EK2 made prior to the Gablonzer press method of production (late '41?) and very, very rare for an EK2 to exhibit this if made using the Gablonzer method.

I have found that a hell of a lot WW1 EK2s and unmarked WW2 EKs rattle in their frame if they have been kept free of dirt etc over the years, but it is very rare to find a maker marked WW2 EK2 that does (never seen/felt a L/* marked one that does).

It would appear that hardly any, perhaps none of the fake ones do.

In my opinion, being able to rattle the core on an EK2 is a good thing.