Wehrwolf

[buckle1]

Photo2

[David North]

Guido and Bill

Super examples of the remarkably elusive Wehrwolf buckle ! Without wishing to appear overly smug, I fully anticipated a separate emblem being affixed to the distinct roundel plate. I think that the manufacturer kept his options open by producing a box with a neutral roundel and then, attached an emblem when any organisation placed an order. My inclination is perhaps toward St. u L. as the maker, however who knows ?

Bill

A very interesting Der Stahlhelm buckle ! A totally new one (by construction)for myself, however I know the broad oak leaf (note the acorn at 11 o'clock) emblem, very well.

Regards,

David

[David North]

2

[buckle1]

David,

Thanks for the response. I have never encountered a Stalhelm with this type of construction. It was nice to see the same type wreath ion your buckle. As to the Wehrwolf manufacturer you are correct. It is St & L and is pictured in Catella's book on P 125-26 showing St. &L catalog pages. Both photos showing this buckle look the same but the photos are not very clear. Both Guido's and my buckle differ in construction. Guido mentioned a third buckle which would be interesting to see. Mine is enamel enlay around the skull w/a Cloisene (Sp??) "W". It is not soldered to the center piece but appears to be pinned on(I can get a very thin piece of paper to go in a ways and then it hits something. In any event a very, very rare variation.
Hope all is well in the Mid-East. Wishing you a Very Happy Holiday and a Great New Year.

Bill

[David North]

Bill

My pleasure as always. Thankyou for your Seasonal Greetings and all is well, living and working in the Middle East. I have a few other Der Stahlhelm buckles with variations of this wide and splayed wreath. If anybody would like some images, then please let me know.

I have a question though about the Wehrwolf buckle that Guido and yourself have so kindly shown. Rather like others, I have often associated this specific wreath design to St. u. L. and probably, have been slightly influenced by the Catella publication. Do we think that the wreath was an exclusive design to this company ?

Attached are images of two Scharnhorstbund buckles and both, display the same distinctive wreath. One has an integral emblem on a pebbled background and the other, has a separately affixed emblem with a plain field.

I wonder if the roundel was sold (by St. u. L. ?) in a "neutral" form and then, used in the assembly of buckles by those early and small cottage industry companies, very much "on the fringe".

Regards,

David

[David North]

b

[David North]

c

[David North]

d

[Guido L.]

...Guido mentioned a third buckle which would be interesting to see...

Hello Bill, I will post the mentioned third Wehrwolf buckle on behalf of Gerolf (Thank You for sending). I think a nice one to compare!

Regards,
Guido

[Guido L.]

Rear

[buckle1]

Guido, David and all

Thanks for the new photos. The center piece looks identical to mine but the reverse is quite different. If these were all produced by S & L you would think the buckles would all be similar in construction. David raised a good question on the wreath rondel -as they all appear to be the same - the only aspect that appears to be the same. So who knows . These were produced during a period of major upheaval in Germany so the production of any buckles were done on a piecemeal basis by many basement producers using whatever material they could get. In any event some very interesting and damn rare variations of the Wehrwolf buckles. I am just happy to have obtained mine and to see the other two patterns.

Wishing everyone a Very Happy Holiday and a Great New Year.

Bill

[Ric Ferrari]

Wehrwolf ?

Hello,

here's a recent pick up : a well known period buckle as already shown by David, but this time on a different box.
The skull emblem is nicely joined to the base by soldering and it appears copper nickeled.

Best

Ric

[Ric Ferrari]

Wehrwolf ?

Hello,

here's a recent pick up : a well known period buckle as already shown by David, but this time on a different box.
The skull emblem is nicely joined to the base by soldering and it appears copper nickeled.

Best

Ric

Back side

[David North]

Ric

Splendid buckle and yes, the emblem and the roundel are essentially the same as the one that I hold. A totally different brass box though and which perhaps supports the theory that this slightly ad hoc emblem, could have been attached to otherwise pre used and then stripped (cannibalised), Imperial or early Weimar buckles.

The question is - who wore this very distinct buckle ?

Regards,

David

[Guido L.]

Hello Ric

Your new addition is a real gem!

I like especially the prussian variant of the skull!

Regards,
Guido