Opinions-Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge

[wolfeknives]

Tim, I went back and had a close look at #7 & 17, you are absolutely right, yours appears to have a step. Sorry for my comment.
Here is my badge I was looking at. It has the same type of marks, but the edge is slightly rounded, so the marks don't go over the edge. I assumed yours was similar.
Wolfgang

[Tim B.]

Hello Wolfgang,

Many thanks for the additional comments!

My badges really don't have any step, just the grooves don't go all the way to the top and are not consistent along the whole edge.

I would like to see more of your badge. I think I see a step on yours and if the PICS are not misleading me, it appears to have these grooves (file marks) above and below the step. That trait would concern me as Tom noted earlier in the thread. Not sure as I would like to see more of this badge.
Tim

[wolfeknives]

Additional pic's as requested. This badge is without the pinned buntmetal eagle. It is my impression that the final Juncker production was made this way due to material shortages. The hole is filled with a rivet, so I am not sure if it ever had the eagle attached.
Wolfgang

[wolfeknives]

Reverse

[wolfeknives]

I also inspected the Juncker and an Osang badge under my microscope. What appears to be a ledge is actually a small tapered portion towards the finished front of the lightning bold. Both badges have this slight taper. The tapered portion is very slightly concave. I called a tool and die maker friend to ask about this. He explained that this is common practice when producing a die. The slight angled portion sets the shear marks back from the finished edge, providing a clean appearance. What appears to be a step on my badge is actually the result of the (filemarks?) not hitting the lowest portion of the slightly concave taper. It is difficult to see in a photograph, but very easy to see under the microscope.
I have attached a photo of the Osang and Juncker badges to show the little tapered portion on both. Sorry for the poor photograph, my camera is not great for these closeup shots.
Wolfgang

[wolfeknives]

Tim, just thinking about my first post, I was not trying to come across as if I know all about filing. It is just that I spend 60+ hours a week with a file in my hand. All my work is done under magnification, much of it under a microscope. Over the years I have become very intimate with different types of filemarks, because they greatly affect the length of time it takes to polish them out. By looking at the marks it is often possible to determine how the work was done. If the workpiece is clamped, the marks are different than they will be if the work is supported and held by hand. Filing from left to right removes material faster, and produces a distincly different pattern than filing from right to left (with the same file).
Looking at the marks on the badges, they did appear to be filemarks left by someone filing with the badge resting on a support and being held by hand, resulting in a very slight roll and uneven pattern in the marks.
I am not sure if this adds anyhing, just my thoughts.
Wolfgang

[Tim B.]

Hi Wolfgang,

Thanks for the additional PICS. They certainly look good to me and correct IMO. I understood that the slight taper to the edges (ledges) was to add in the badge removal process from the die. It is sometimes hard to properly judge items just from a couple of photographs, but I am happy to see more badges with these grooves. Perhaps they are nothing more than file marks, I was just curious as they appeared to me integral to the badge and you would think that someone bothering to file a surface would strive to leave less marks that were so noticable.

Either way, I have seen enough of these to feel comfortable with my two for now, they look really great in-hand!

Many thanks again to all who contributed!
Tim