Pilot badge "GWL"

[peterm]

Hi!

This time I want to show my worn (but still nice, I think) "GWL" pilot's badge.
Hope You like it too!

Kind regards, Peter

[peterm]

.

[Sebastien T]

Very nice worn GWL

[AFF96]

Very nice worn GWL

Agree with Seb

[Thomas Durante]

Very nice Peter, textbook original with no issues at all.

Tom

[Blued]

You know, question I've always wondered but have been meaning to ask:

GWL pilot badges. What materials Were they made of? Did they follow the natural progression of NS and tombak to zinc?

For example, what materials are represented here?

The hinge always throws me because I'm so used to seeing this type of hinge on since Luft badges, but sometimes it really seems like a non-zinc base metal, like the one shown here.

Thanks guys



Btw, real nice badge Peter!

[peterm]

Thanks to everybody for the kind comments!

Best regards, Peter

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Chad,

My vote is that the eagle and wreath are both Nickel Silver. The eagle looks different because of the type of finish they used, more of a brownish color we often see on their badges.

I don't recall any GWL Pilot badges in zinc, nor in tombak (brass) but I don't have my files in front of me at the moment. The probably used brass on the PO wreaths.

In all cases though, GWL seems to have consistently used brass rivets.

Tom

[Blued]

Cool, thanks Tom. Dont think I've seen one in hand and its hard to tell sometimes from the pics.

[fdodge]

The eagle on this one looks like brass as it's the same color as the rivets, until you look at the worn edges and tips of the wings where the finish is worn through. Most definitely NS.
I see more minty GWL pilots that their worn counterparts. Refreshing to see a veteran for a change Nice one Peter.

Frank

[Christopher G.]

Very nice GWL...as Frank says its nice to see one with some dirt.

I also see what Frank is saying that the rivets seem to have the same color as the eagle.

Regards,
Chris G.

[peterm]

Many thanks again to everybody for Your comments, guys! I like the "GWL"-pilot-badges very much for their design and the used materials. This one is looking better in hand than on my scans.

Kind regards, Peter

[Wim Vangossum]

I also have often problems with identify the used materials on Luftwaffe badges. And it seems that sometimes everyone has his own opinion on the name they give to a certain alloy.
That's why I ask these questions again:

I assume nickle silver is an alloy made from copper and nickel and when new, it has the appereance of silver. When aged and patinated it has a yellow nicotine look. The crossgards of early SA daggers are a perfect example of solid nickle silver.


I assume Tombak is a copper alloy with a high percentage of copper and has a reddish color? So when a tombak based badge lost its finish, you have to see a real reddish-brown color?


I assume brass is a copper -zinc alloy which has a gold-yellow like colour when new? So a worn brass based badge shows traces of a gold-like colour?



Regards, Wim




Freedom is not for Free