New Westwall today at Union Show

[Gary B]

Hi,

I would also add top Tom's comments that the bronze finsh Westwalls and the tombak ones have a very smooth finish while the zinc ones can have a rougher finish. This might be due to the unstableness of the finish on the zinc in examples I have seen.

Bob, I would blacklight the ribbon again.

Gary B

[Tom Yanacek]

Hi,

I would also add top Tom's comments that the bronze finsh Westwalls and the tombak ones have a very smooth finish while the zinc ones can have a rougher finish. This might be due to the unstableness of the finish on the zinc in examples I have seen.

Bob, I would blacklight the ribbon again.

Gary B

Yes. I agree! The zinc ones always seem to have a rough, grainy texture to the base material as well as the typical finish imperfections associated with zinc pieces. The early issues are smooth and almost flawless.

Best regards,
Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

Here's a pic of two pieces of "Ost Front" ribbon...one old original and one new.

On the left is a piece of old original ribbon. I got this from Dion who had a roll of this 25mm Ost ribbon. You can see the "loops" along both edges clearly, without magnification.

On the right is a piece of newly made ribbon I bought from Germany. You can see there are no distinct loops along the edge. If you look very closely, you will notice the edges of the new ribbon are slightly different. Under a magnifying glass the left edge of the ribbon on the right has very fine chain stitching while the other edge is plain. It is difficult to see with the naked eye but is easily seen under magnification. The thread used for this fine stitching is clear on some ribbon types making it harder to see.
Ammersee

These are very good observations concerning original vs. reproduction ribbons. Thank you! Also, I am of the opinion that original ribbons (whether made from silk, artificial silk, or mercerized cotton) should never glow under blacklight. The blacklight test alone should never be considered conclusive, though, because there are some reproduction ribbons that will not emit a glow.

Best regards,
Tom