High Seas Fleet Badge

[entasis]

lighting is key

lighting is always key...what did you use for lighting the badge?
Tony

[Darrell]

lighting is always key...what did you use for lighting the badge?
Tony

Hi Tony ... since it is a crappy cloudy day outside ... I just used the camera flash with the badge on the kitchen table

[Edgar Estrada]

Darrel

It is really the most beautiful High See Navy Badge that I have seen. It is wonderful.

I am a beginner in this hobby and a novice in knowledge about Kriesgmarine war badges. I bought a High See Navy Badge more or less one year ago from a well know and trusted German Firm (Weitze). The maker is the same of Darrel’s badge. I was really happy with it. However what mmiller wrote made me think and wonder. A litle bit sad.

Darrell,

"Right as rain", and with the 5th bridge window!

Mark

Could you explain to me what is the meaning of a 5th bridge window? (is there supposed to be more or less in others badges? Etc)
After reading this post I went running to see my badge to compare. My badge has four well defined windows. However the first one (from left to right), is really not well defined. It can be seen from some perspectives but very hard to see from others. I took a look on the web (Weitze), searching for more badges and I could find that there are some with very well defined windows but others just like mine or worst (same maker). Why is it always the same window (first from left to right), the one which is hard to see? Is my badge a fake or a bad one? (I hope not because it was very expensive for me and because I trust the Weitze firm). All the rest in my badge appears okay to me comparing with Darrel's and other ones as well. Please help with this matter I could not sleep last night.

Best regards,

Edgar Estrada

PS: Sorry about my English, but I try.

[skip]

Hallo Estrada,

don******180;t panic yet, there are perfectly good examples of the HSF with a very weak 5th bridge window. Its the one on the left as you look at it. This was probably due to a die flaw that was fixed at a later date.

There is however also a very good casting taken from such a badge that has fooled a lot of collectors in the past, I very much doubt that Helmut Weitze would sell such a badge though.

If you would like me to post some pictures, for you just drop me a PM over the Forum system (click on my name and a drop down menu will appear).

Skip

[Edgar Estrada]

Hi Skip and all.

Thanks for the reply.

There is a section in this web about the German War Badges. It says
among other things about the HSF badge.:

“From the base to the tip of the eagles’ head measures 57mm and the width is 44mm. The eagles’ wingspan is 31mm and width of the wreath is 7mm. The back of the badge is flat with a dished shape and black in appearance. The hinge, pin and hook assemblies are also black”

My is a little bit shorter in high (1 mm), and also in width (1 mm too), the eagles’ wingspan is shorter (2 mm), of course it can due to the scale (ruler) I used (it was my son’s first grade ruler and it can be wrongly measured) or maybe also in the badges there is a + - 1mm error in this just like in the Knight Cross. The back of my badge is silver just like the battleship on it. Everything else is okay.

I really believe that my badge is fine (I trust in the Weitze crew), but I would sleep better knowing a second opinion and also as a beginner it will be good for me to know all I can about it (badges). Thanks in advance.

Edgar

[mmiller]

Hi Edgar,

I think Skip explained my comment about the 5th bridge window. The 5th window (or lack thereof) is not a definative key to authenticating the HSF Badge. Some good badges may have it, and some may not. I always like the 5th window, personally, assuming the rest of the badge is what it should be.

In your case..... no problemo!

Mark

Here are specs on my HSF Abz:

Height - 56,97mm
Width - 43,83mm
Eagle - 31,19mm
Wreath - 7,10mm
Weight - 34,3g

Considering you used a pretty basic ruler, I'd say you did a great job; your measurements fall right into line with my 'digital' device's measurements!

[Edgar Estrada]

Hi Mark, skip and all.

Thanks, you saved my day.

I completely agreed with you about the 5th window on the badges. The badges look beautiful with all the windows. My badge has it for sure, I have asked people (since two days ago, people who do not know about the matter), how many windows they see on it, and they say FIVE!!! Of course it is not as well defined as the one on Darrel’s badge and sometimes hard to see (specially after taking a look on a badge with well defined five windows).

Yes the 5th window looks nice on the badges!! And that dark (almost black) battleship coming out in the center of Darrel’s badge looks great!!! The battleship on my badge is pure silver color. The back is also silver color, what do you think about it? (no dark color in the back)

Please last question. I live now in a very hot and humid city (I will be here maybe three or five years more). I have with me the HSF badge, wounded badges WWI, WWII, and U-boot badge WWI. My question is: should I clean the badges? (I think my HSF badge is a little bit darker than one year ago when I got it) How do they have to be clean? Which cleaner do I have to use? In one question, what do I must do to preserve the badges in the best quality and historical conditions?

Thanks a lot.

Best regards,

Edgar

[Don D.]

Edgar, I really think you need to post a photo of your badge to be sure.
Don

[robert60446]

Edgar, I really think you need to post a photo of your badge to be sure.
Don

Edgar,
I agree with Don here in 100% Just because your badge is from Weitze is not automatically guaranteed to be the real one...In my opinion you really should post your badge here.

[Edgar Estrada]

Thank you very much.

Yes, I will try to post pictures of the badge (Maybe Skip or someone else can help me with this).
Please, what about the other questions (cleaning, etc).

Best regards

Edgar

[Darrell]

Thank you very much.

Yes, I will try to post pictures of the badge (Maybe Skip can help me with this).
Please, what about the other questions (cleaning, etc).

Best regards

Edgar

Hi Edgar .... is your badge Zinc? Is that what you mean by "silver" color?

[robert60446]

Thank you very much.

Yes, I will try to post pictures of the badge (Maybe Skip or someone else can help me with this).
Please, what about the other questions (cleaning, etc).

Best regards

Edgar

HI Edgar, here is my email I will post your pictures.

[Edgar Estrada]

Hello Darrel

This is the original advertisement when I got the badge:

"ITEM # 34440 PRICE 325 Euro Flottenkriegsabzeichen Buntmetall, Hersteller "Fec. Adolf Bock - Ausf. Schwerin Berlin". Getragenes Stück, Zustand 2-3."

Yes robert I will try to send you the pictures.

Thanks a lot for all the help.

Edgar

[Mike Kenny]

Hi Edgar,

Here's a ery worn but genuine example I used to own with a very weak 5th window. There is an Association Member's Only article which deals with all your questions.

Regards
Mike K

[mmiller]

Edgar,

Yes, please, as the others have indicated, send images of your badge to Robert, or Skip, or to me.

As for badge preservation, clean the badge with mild soap, rinse very well, towl dry, and then spray with WD-40, or some other high quality silicon lubricant. Let air dry, pat lightly with a paper towel, and minimize finger contact with the badge. Everytime you handle the badge [s], repeat the process.

Mark