B&NL opinions, please ....

[François SAEZ]

I am asking for people opinion on a B&NL pilot badge


Thanks
François

[François SAEZ]

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[François SAEZ]

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[François SAEZ]

detail on maker

[David R.]

Hi it looks good to me Mine is posted On an other thread. Go to the search at the bottom of the forum and search for B&NL

[Rich G]

François

I think the badge is fake. A very good fake. On the eagle, especially, the detail is very soft, like it has been cast using an original as the mold. The wreath detail seems soft as well. The back is very, very good. Right style and shape of hinge, the wreath looks good as well....

But I think it's fake.


Rich

[Larry Lipps]

Maybe if it's a late zinker, but it's not for my collection.

[François SAEZ]

Question: can we expect the same details for badges from this maker during all the war?

[François SAEZ]

Question; has somebody ever encountered a pilot badge from B&NL made in zink?

[Lorenzo Brown]

I agree with Rich. It doesn't have the sharp details normally seen on this badge and it does not look like tombak. If it is zinc, I would expect it should have the catch recessed in a rectangular notch as on their other zinc badges.

[François SAEZ]

Originally posted by Lorenzo Brown
If it is zinc, it should have the catch recessed in a rectangular notch as on their other zinc badges.

Do you mean B&NL pilot badges exist in zinc?

[Lorenzo Brown]

I don't recall ever seeing a B&NL pilot badge in zinc. What I am saying is that, if this was an authentic zinc badge, I would expect that the catch WOULD BE recessed as on other B&NL zinc badges ( Para badge, radio gunner badge.)

Is this one recessed?...it doesn't look like it from here.

But aside from the catch...the details and quality don't look very good to me. Notice that the eagle still shows a dark finish...but the details are soft.

[François SAEZ]

We agree on "no B&NL pilot badge in zinc"

Again, feel free to comment as it is not mine and is not proposed to me

But, my question remains, are we expecting qthe same quality for B&NL badges throught all the war (I mean same quality for a badge made in 1940 and one made in 1943)?
On the other hand it is also possible that we speak of one of the new fake generation.

[ERIC S.]

Hi All,
As for me, I have never encountered a B&NL Pilot Badge in zinc either. I don't care for this badge. I too would like to see much better detail to the eagle. Not just the catch is out of the norm here for a B&NL zinc badge - the hinge would be also IMO. I have not seen this earlier style barrel hinge on any B&NL zinkers before - always the over the top shepards hook / hinge combination. Overall shape and pattern look correct and I agree the reverse is excellent, but having never seen another like it I would be suspicious. Is the wreath definately zinc as well as the eagle?
ERIC

[Rich G]

Just to add...

FACT: B&NL made badges in zinc
FACT: The zinc badges have a different hinge and catch system than found on the same badges made from tombak.

(Are we all agreed?)



I, personally, have never seen a zinc B&NL pilot badge.

@ François : In your opinion, what metal is the badge made from?


Rich