Hard to say whether factory done or expertly sometime thereafter, but I agree it's a bit unusual. In this comparison collage you can see the subtle differences. In fact, it looks like it may have a very small round base plate, similar to that used by Schwerin in their later zinc production although a bit smaller. And I don't know if it's just the lighting, but there seems to be a shiny finish over the solder?
It could have been an in-factory "save" of a defective first soldering attempt, but I guess there's no way to know for sure.
The first thought I had when I first saw this hook was that there had been used some sort of transparent espoxy or some other metal glue to fix the broken hook since it the hook is so shiny. If you look at the base of the hook, it is like it has a transparent layer around it.
The badge is sold now so I can't ask for more pictures of it. It for sure is a beautiful badge, but I was not sure if I should buy it or not because of the shiny hook.
I think the hook looks fine. You can see the tombac peeping through on the highest point. The plate looks good, and I think the line we see it just the transition from the dirty solder remains to the smooth wire of the hook.
Comment