Dress belts

[Wickie]

Hello,

many collectors are talking about fake buckles, EM or officer. But what is about dress belts?
I saw in the last months many SS dress belts. Some from private, some from known dealers, all in mint condition. I've got not much experience on this theme, are very good fakes known?
What is about HJ, Heer, Luftwaffe...?


Thanks in advance

Christian

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Hello Christian,
To produce a fake SS belt, just add some fake markings to any genuine German WWII belt and you just have a good increase in its value. One need to have handled some genuine specimen to know how a SS Belt looks like and how they are usually marked. There is of course some (very very few) genuine ones around but most of the belts you see offered as "SS Belts" are either complete fake, either genuine belts with the addition of fake SS marking or, at best, original WWII German belt with a SS Buckle on it. Since the Waffen SS were using during the war kind of any belt they could use in combat, this latest offering is often the real deal. I found from vets plenty of genuine sets belt and buckle with the belt been with older WH or LW markings.
I agree, these belts are "SS belts", but in term of pure collecting, there are just belts used by the SS and not strictly SS belts. In such case I never paid the belt more than the price of what the belt really is. If it is a real SS Belt, with original SS markings, I will pay the top price for it, but not if the belt became SS just because a SS Buckle is on it.
I saw collectors paying full price for SS Officer belts (around $2000) just because the belt was an Officer black leather belt with an SS Officer buckle. It's nonsense. The belt could had been for HJ leader, DRK leader, Reichbahn leader...with the addition of a SS Buckle to it. Pay for a SS Officer buckle and pay for a black leather leader belt but no more. If you really want a SS Officer belt and buckle, wait for the right one several years and be ready to pay the above price or more, but do not be satisfied with anything less.

For fake SS brocades, there is some very well made around, but most of the time the UV test will tell you.