Hobacher/Orth - Two Vienna makers

[Chrvip68]

Vienna WB makers are not many but they're of the oldest makers producing this award through the war.
Including major WB makers like HAUPTMUNZAMT Wien.

Other two makers are Hobacher and Orth that i strongly believe cooperating making this award.
Sharing design, dies, set up, manufacturing technique. In my opinion Hobacher is the major player between the two in hollow issues.

I have categorized in two groups who match together by random exmples, also weight and dimensions are same with the maximum var. 1%

1. The first group, early L/14 and a later but the first 32 type.

Same design with same enamel finish process.

[Chrvip68]

2. Similar hardware placed at the same place, also same thickness in the entire award.

[Chrvip68]

3. The second group, two worn steel 32 and one minty steel L/14.

Also same design with enamel finish process but this time in all the three a coat has been applied on the material before the finish that
not encountered in the above group.

[Chrvip68]

4. Indentical hinge - hook setup, one has for catch a sheet of metal,same thickness too. Shallow depth at 11 o'clock
the opposite at 7 o'clock.

5. Same hooks with the typical and same soldering effect.

[Chrvip68]

Thickness

[Chrvip68]

7. Two group of maker marks, the first one belongs to the Elzevir family in typosystem

8. The second one belongs to the Olympia family.

[jayhawkhenry]

Great information Chris. This should be pinned so new collectors can make use of it.
Henry

[Hans N]

Thanks for finally taking your time to explain this Chris. However i still can´t understand why you so stubbornly keep refering them as Hobacher/Orth design when the both types clearly is makermarked and IMO should be called out accordingly.

I agree in regards of the design but if you are refering to the design then compare these to the Hauptmüntzamt WB´s obverse design... Co-operations among makers during the TR is since a long time established in virtually all fields of badge types that where awarded.

If you so promptly still want to use the a design name then Vienna design is the proper one.

[Chrvip68]

Dear Hans,

You already know several makers cooperate in things like producing dies for other etc. Vienna makers are no exception in fact they cooperate very close together not only on WB's, ie Souval cores to Orth EK's etc.

They have some major characteristic over other makers for WB's in my opinion
for example Gablonz area is unique for some special design and of course the integral types, anyway:

Hauptmüntzamt WB design
Concentring rings for hinge (early period)
Barrel hinge (mid - late war period)

This IMO as i said is Vienna 'hand'

As for Hobacher/Orth these are the same makers...

I'm now in progress searching the Solid issues by these two makers who always was grey area to me due to fakes arround and not only, to tease a little has been found Hobacher produced unmarked solid issues and one more important thing is the Glaser and Souval post war design has been used for Orth without the slash...

I'll inform when the search and study is over...

[Hans N]

Chris there is more to it than Hobacher/Orth and Hauptmüntzamt.

August Menze & Sohn (118) is another Vienna maker that shares this design and there are most likely some of the other Vienna makers that we so far have never encountered as makermarked BWB´s but that we know produced BWB´s.

[Chrvip68]

Yes Hans, the Vienna design. Although not used only by Vienna makers.

From memory 15-16 licenced Vienna makers and we know the half of them producing this award you right but it is no necessary all of them doing it.

Hobacher/Orth is not only the design, are the dies and manufacturing technique...

For the record:

Something more that happening, the STAMPED L/14 awards of any kind are rare whatever decoration is EK, Mütterkreuz etc... Interesting.

Hobacher uses in his other awards ie KVK the Olympia digit family.

[kevin john]

Hello Chris,when i am not looking for badges to buy i spend my time reading old threads trying to learn ,today i came across this old thread and i must say threads like this are a godsend to us new collectors,the pictures are there to see the different variations and for us to compare before we make a purchase,thankyou to you and the other experienced collectors for sharing their vast experience which has taken many years to aquire with us newbies,yes you may think i have the disease and you would be right, i eat ,drink ,dream, work and sleep wound badges, i need help .