Tombak Assmann Glider on Manions

[Winston]

Considering the price it must have found a believer....unique and undocumented makes it a high risk buy IMO

And Mr. Calvert,why not get a kid to type the letters on your phone

[Thomas Durante]

existing high end delivery ones.
Still..I think this Assmann product doesn't look sound to me, they could've used the "normal" A on this one, they could've used the proper rivets.., they could've making the badge look like all other Assmann flight badges, but they didn't..

Hi Jos,

I am not sure I follow you. What is wrong with the rivets? They look like textbook Assmann nipple rivets to me. They are smaller than other Assmann badges, but wouldn't that be because the wreath is also much smaller than any other LW flight badge? The "A" is smaller, but there is a precedent already with the Assmann LW flak badge, which also uses a tiny "A" mark in comparsion with Assmann's other LW badges.

As to the rarity, this could easily be chalked up to their not being much of a need for lots of glider pilot badges (compared with pilot or observer badges, etc.). I remember when the "Large Eagle" glider badges started showing up a few years ago. Everyone doubted them, until Stijn found some pics of the badge in wear. The same can be said with the "MFP Posen" glider badges. As far as I know, we only know of 1 of these examples, but they are accepted as originals.

I think it is good to be sceptical and its natural to think something is a fake because we haven't seen it before. But I also haven't seen the fakers get so many things right on a badge yet, so that is why I remain very positive about this Assmann glider.

Tom

[Hesketh]

Assman Glider

Long time since I posted but can I draw youre attention to the assman glider I posted 02/05/2006.

Don't know if it is possible to link back to that post but I recall it caused a stir. The badge is still in my collection. Had the small A and authentic revets

Any thoughts

[Leroy]

Here's the link, but it appears most photos are gone: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=141300&page=4

[Hesketh]

I have attached some images of the Assman Glider badge I posted here in 2006. I am afraid I deleted many of the images but have posted the best I have remaining.

From the old link you can see some of the discussion around this badge. As my main area of collecting is British Napoleonic and Victoriam campaign medals this one has sat in my collection ever since the original posting.

I do have one question-for the forum. When I posted this badge in 2006 it caused quiet a debate but I recall the opinion was if its a fake lets see if others appear. As far as I am aware apart from my badge posted in 2006 and I think someone mention one in detlevs book this badge that recently appeared at Manions means 3 are known. So if these are fake why so few and who would go to all the effort to fake so few badges. I paid a few hundred pounds for mine in 2005 so whoever did this is not going to get rich on faking Assman glider badges.

[mmiller]

Hi Hesketh,


Thanks for posting the images. If I understand you correctly, you still have this badge? If that is correct, can you get a few fresh images for us all? As you say, this badge has/is causing quite a stir, so detail shots would be welcomed!

"...this one has sat in my collection ever since the original posting."


And not meant to be a challange, but just to play devil's advocate, why would Assmann go to the trouble to make so few awards? Imagine the cost in tooling and production for them, too.

"...So if these are fake why so few and who would go to all the effort to fake so few badges."


The Niemann reference has me curious ... which Niemann volume has this badge? I am looking in #1 and #2, and it is not there.


Regards,
Mark

[Hesketh]

Hi Mark

I thought there was a comment further back in this thread to Niemann. However, I may have misread it. I have posted afew of the remaining images I have and will try and post some more later but may take a few days as about to go away on a business trip

I have to agree why would Assmann go to the effort. I think someone also posted a link back to my previous post which had a few (not very good) images remaining from 2006 which showed close ups of the hinge and rivets.

Below are a few extra images

[mmiller]

Thanks Hesketh. Have a safe trip and 'behave' yourself!

Mark

[Lubo]

Hi Hesketh, this is a wonderful badge, as I said in my first post here, these are original "A" badges, IMO! Instead of judging the economic aspects for Assmann back then (no hard evidence about it whatsoever), maybe we should focus on the badge's own merits!
With Regards
Lubo

[Sebastien T]

Hello,

I agree is a wonderfull badge and is identical to the first one. I believe in this one and I would take one in my collection. Thanks for the pictures Hesketh.

[AFF96]

I am a fan of this GP! I too would add it ot my GP collection!!

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Hesketh,

Thanks for posting pics of your badge, and you are right, this is the 3rd one of these that we know of, including the one mentioned from Detlev's book. Yours appears identical to the other two, which is a very good sign for such a rare type of badge IMO. The small maker mark, the nipple rivets, the thick hinge barrels and the thick roundwire catch are all good indicators of Assmann production, so I continue to really like these gliders.

Its easy to think we have seen it all, especially with all of our "combined knowledge" thanks to the internet and forums, but I think it is still possible we haven't seen it all yet. I can remember only a few short years ago when collectors doubted the early thin-wreath Deumer Para badges because only 1 or 2 had ever been seen before. They were considered copies of Assmann badges because of the similar eagle, but after a few more eventually popped up over time did we realize they were in fact rare originals when compared with other Deumer badges. Same with the "Big Eagle" glider badges; these were considered fakes until a few were found still in the hands of vets and then also photographic evidence of them in wear were found. For 50+ years these badges were considered fakes, but diligent research and the luck of finding several surviving examples over time revealed that they were indeed rare originals.

Tom

[Tim Calvert]

Mr. Calvert,why not get a kid to type the letters on your phone

Winston....you are a genius! Why didn't I think of that before????

Here is a shot taken 5 minutes ago of Natalie Portman and I typing this out for me on my phone.
Much easier (and much more fun).

As far as the glider goes....I'm leaning towards liking it....I think.

Natalie....get back here....I'm NOT done with you!!!!!

[Darrell]

It's a fun debate....having the thing in hand, with a 10x loop would make it clear,IMO
....it would be nuts to spend that $$ on something without a kick a55 return policy.
havent logged onto Munson's in ten years....good question, what kinda return deal do they have these days?
Hope one of our locals got it and can let us know.
P. fawkin S. I fawkin hate fawkin writing on my fawkin phone!!!! Took me a fawkin hour!
FAAAAAWWWWWKKKKKKinFAAAAAWKKKK!

Try a Blackberry with those keys that are 2 mm x 2mm. Who in the (as Tim says) Fawwk can type on these micro toys? Plus I can't even see what are on the damn things let alone hit the little bastards.

[Brian S]

Winston....you are a genius! Why didn't I think of that before????

Here is a shot taken 5 minutes ago of Natalie Portman and I typing this out for me on my phone.
Much easier (and much more fun).

As far as the glider goes....I'm leaning towards liking it....I think.

Natalie....get back here....I'm NOT done with you!!!!!

You were wise to hold on to that little pixie until she grew up. You dawg.