Who actually made the ribbons?

[Dez H]

Hello all

Who actually made the ribbons for Third Reich decorations? Did each individual award manufacture produce his own ribbons or did they purchase rolls of these from other companies whose sole job was to manufacture ribbons? I am guessing the latter as it would have made much more finical sense.


Regards
Dez

[Rick Research]

Even in Imperial times, ribbons were supplied by weaving companies. Kunath supplied most of the Saxon award ribbons, for example.

The firm of Karl Loy, which I believe still exists, made many if not most of the Third Reich ribbons, then went to Bundeswehr, WW2 veteran, and collector manufacture.

Entirely different machinery and so most often the metal and the cloth would only have met up in the packaging.

There has been a lot of unused "cheese wheel" sized ribbon stock out of the former DDR's cellars since the Wall came down-- if not all cut up and used, somebody may have, or still see, the paper labels sealing those which will expand our knowledge of Who Made What Where.

[Dez H]

Thanks for the reply Rick, did you mention this in your ribbon bar article? I couldn’t find it anywhere. I was assuming that larger firms solely made ribbons, as comparing ribbons from the same award but different makers they still seem identical. Although I have noticed with early EK 2’s that the red stripe can often be found in a bright orange colouring, so maybe a different roll or batch run to the more commonly encountered darker red we see. Would these people have also made the devices for the ribbons or someone else again? Thanks for the help.


Regards
Dez

[Gordon Williamson]

Period publications such as DUZ, Schwert und Spaten, etc have loads of adverts for ribbon manufacturers ( Bandweberei). I'll check through and see if I can come up with some names. As Rick says, Karl Loy was far far the best known though even they subcontract a lot of their work to a firm in Denmark.

[Rick Research]

No, I didn't get into any specific manufacturers of anything in the Ribbon Bar Article on this website, other than to show makers' catalog pages of the metal hardware and devices as examples.

I would think that devices would have been a natural sideline of the metal stamping business that produced full sized awards. On the other hand, the late WW2 hollow stamped crossed swords devices with solid hilts to blades and too small bendable tabs at the center of the crossed blades are all absolutely identical--implying one mass manufacturer of millions of the things. Certainly there are unique designs of specific devices that can ID their maker-- Godet's bizarre over-designed Austro-Hungarian Military Merit Cross wreath for WW1, and the as yet unknown maker of the huge square winged Wehrmacht army/navy long service eagles.

In 1940, there was a specific ribbon maker (unknown) whose 15 mm wide EK2 ribbons show much wider white and black stripes and corresponding smaller red centers. These can be found infrequently as late as with the East Medal, but seem to have been a "close enough for gubamint work" 1940 goof. Shown in the Article.

[admcdonald]

Dear Dez,
If you're still interested,there is an envelope(tute)for the EK11 ribbon on Mike Tucker's site for sale,with the manufacturer's name printed on it.
Regards:Andrew