SS Buckles to collect: The ultimate list

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

GZM (Made only in Danzig. Probably by R.Reich)
GZM M1/131

From the three (or maybe four), this is the most common variant a collector can find a SS buckle made by this very rare maker. It is now widely assumed GZM stands for "Gauzeugmeisterei" but not yet proven.

Pictures and buckle both belong to your Moderator Ric


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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

GZM (Made only in Danzig. Probably by R.Reich)
Ground off GZM marking

We can find SS buckles from this maker with their marking been hidden/removed by different ways. One of them been grinding it off totally like on this mint example (still available for sale from my collection). Luckily for us, this buckle is mint and it is obvious this buckle was preciously marked then the marking was professionally removed. But we can find some worn/ground dug examples were nobody can say for sure if the original marking was removed or simply never applied to the buckle. Those latest could lead to believe some were possibly never marked.

Pictures are mine but buckle was sold to your Moderator.

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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Friedrich Keller
Unmarked F.Keller
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NOTE: Pictures are mine but now this buckle was sold to your Moderator and no longer mine

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Giesse & Schmidt, Ruhla
Unmarked G&S

Many years ago I named this buckle "Pointed Wings (we can easily say why)" then a couple years later Ric (your Moderator) and I we associated by mistake this buckle to maker Paul Meybauer. Many collectors and dealers are still using that false association. But few years later, collector Chad Williams showed in this exact Forum several HJ and DJ buckles marked with the G&S logo as well as KH40 attesting those buckles were made by indeed G&S. Comparing some characteristics common to those HJ / DJ buckles with the ones found on the previous named pointed wings/P.Meybauer it became obvious RIc and I did a mistake and those SS buckles were made by Giesse & Schmidt, Ruhla instead.

Pictures are mine but buckle was sold to Dario B. (Italy)

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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Oeil Cerné (Named by JP Redeuilh)

As already stated, I attributed years ago this buckle to be made by Rudolf Fisher in Nixdorf. As of today, there is still no evidence I did a mistake BUT it is possible. The way to know for sure is linked to the logo I am showing in the "Comments" section of this thread. If one day someone will be able to confirm that logo belongs to Rudolf Fisher, then the maker of this buckle will be guaranteed as indeed Fisher. Otherwise, its maker will be the one revealed by the logo's attribution if one day it happens.

All SS buckles by this maker are Unmarked. They were made from at least two different metals: solid nickel silver and plated copper. The example shown here was sold to Harry K. (The Netherlands) and is in nickel silver.

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Berg & Nolte
RZM 36

For the first time (and probably the last one as well) here are some pictures I took in 2003 when its former owner, Blazej from Poland, was extremely kind to send me this buckle to my attention in Montreal. I do not know any other surviving example, even if it is legitimate to believe there is others somewhere. As with other SS buckles marked RZM 24, RZM 57 and RZM 63, it is obvious Berg & Nolte used also the former UE system as his first RZM number (RZM 36 = later M1/36) allowing the company to manufacture SS buckles as well. Like RZM 57 (M.Winter) and RZM 63 (S&L), B&N did not obtain any "new" RZM/SS contract number. Only Overhoff (RZM 24 = RZM M1/24) obtained both RZM 24 then later RZM 36/yy SS to manufacture SS buckles.

This buckle was sold to Ric, your Moderator, who now owns it. Pictures are still my property.

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Martin Winter
Over stamped with RZM 57

As of today I still do not know any Martin Winter SS buckle been marked with only their first marking GES.GESCH. MW
All of them (the ones I know) are either Over stamped with RZM 57 (on the front) and SS runes (under post sleeve assembly) or just marked RZM 57 SS (same location)

If someone knows/own such non over stamped buckle I would certainly appreciate to know it. Please post it in the following thread "comments"

Buckle and pictures are mine. Buckle still available (I have two)

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Martin Winter
RZM 57 only
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There is NO evidence those buckles were made stamped only with RZM 57 (and SS under post sleeve assembly) or that their previous marking (GES.GESCH.MW) was totally grounded off then the new RZM 57 applied later. (similar to over-stamped)
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Pictures are mine but buckle was sold to Harold K. (The Netherlands)
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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Steinhauer & Lück
RZM 63

This is still a mystery why those SS buckles were marked by S&L. All, and I mean ALL (and believe me I am not talking about two or three buckles...) RZM 63 SS buckles I was able to check were in fact no more no less SS buckles made by Martin Winter (see above RZM 57). They were all made from the exact same die (there is a very distinct feature on their back) and 99% of them still had remains of the former RZM 57 SS marking still visible (professionally grounded off but still visible - especially the former SS runes under the post sleeve assembly). So it is possible that S&L was reselling them (less probable) or that Martin Winter factory ended up by loosing his SS contract (hidden Jewish laborers in the factory, not enough Aryan blood in the Direction??) and had to sell his remaining inventory to another maker (most probable) still under SS contact. No matter what, both Winter and S&L were not allowed to supply anymore SS buckles when definitive SS contracts numbers came in play.

Pictures are mine but buckle was also sold to Harold K. (The Netherlands)
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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Assmann
O&C ges.gesch.

This is the variant most collectors are going to find. In this exact variant there is absolutely nothing allowing us to believe this could be a SS buckle made by Assmann. Very advanced collectors would be able to find a similarity in the eagle design with the one found on "Gau Essen" buckles (also exclusively made by the Assmann firm - but not for the SS) but most will not see anything related to buckles made by this firm. ONLY the second variant (posted next) will tell us more.

Note straight prongs similar to any buckle made by any other maker

Pictures are from Christian U. (Germany) who is currently writing probably the best book on German buckles. Buckle also belongs to him.

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Straight prongs detail

Picture and buckle @ MaiK (Germany)

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Assmann
O&C ges.gesch. + RZM 155/36 SS

As far as I am aware of, this is the ONLY buckle which was able to ascertain Assmann could be the producer of those SS buckles. Not only this buckle bears Assmann's SS contract number for 1936 stamped on its edge but also have the newest Assmann's prongs which remained a distinctive feature of all buckles produced by the Assmann factory until the end of war.

All pictures (except for prongs detail @ Sanders, USA) and buckle are still my property.
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[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Overhoff & Cie
Unmarked

As everybody knows, Overhoff was the largest maker of SS buckles since he was granted exclusive rights of production as soon as 1931. Most, if not all, so called "reference" books, including the two latest from Angolia and Nash, are still referring to the year of 1927. This is a total non sense! How could the SS motto been on a SS buckle when this motto was pronounced for the first time by Hitler in January 1931!

As we are going to see in the next posts, early SS buckles variants from Overhoff are plenty to fill a collector's dream!

I will start with an unmarked example. As far as I am concerned, I have referenced only one since I have evidence of only this one (for EM). This example belongs to Christian U. in Germany, who is currently working on his own book. Probably the best book on the subject when it will become available. Christian and I we do not believe this buckle (or its little sister for Officers) was unmarked on purpose. We think this was either the result of a lazy worker at the factory forgetting to stamp marking on it (most likely), or either that the marking was grounded off later like many other Overhoff's (less likely).
Anyways, here it is:
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Both pictures and buckle belong to Christian U. (Germany)