Torn.E.b back support

[cTapocTa]

Hello,
Can anyone provide a picture of the back side of Torn.E.b back support plate. Also, can anyone tell if the upholstery was made out of artificial or real leather?
Thanks!

[Funksammler]

They exist in brown real leather (probably pre-war production) and dark grey artificial leather (wartime production):

<a href="http://s672.photobucket.com/user/Funksammler/media/DSC06171_zps60dd7ae9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv86/Funksammler/DSC06171_zps60dd7ae9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC06171_zps60dd7ae9.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s672.photobucket.com/user/Funksammler/media/DSC06172_zps2439d3c4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv86/Funksammler/DSC06172_zps2439d3c4.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC06172_zps2439d3c4.jpg"/></a>

regards,

Funksammler

[cTapocTa]

Thank you, Funksammler! As usual you are of a great help.

By a chance do you have a magnet and could you see if any of those supports are made from aluminum? I have a back support that was made from vinyl and 22ga steel. Knowing the love of germans to real leather I have a little doubt that the fact of materiel deficit at the end of the war contributed to Germany switching from leather to vinyl.

[cTapocTa]

It might be that there were different makers. The thickness of the leather used was so thin that it could`t last as long as vinyl.

[Funksammler]

Thank you, Funksammler! As usual you are of a great help.

By a chance do you have a magnet and could you see if any of those supports are made from aluminum? I have a back support that was made from vinyl and 22ga steel. Knowing the love of germans to real leather I have a little doubt that the fact of materiel deficit at the end of the war contributed to Germany switching from leather to vinyl.

I checked a few, and all the ones I have are aluminium. Quite possible that they used steel but this would quickly get scratched, rust and get stuck on the radio. Only one in my collection has any markings on it, a small stamped orange "R".

Various upholstery items like vehicle seats etc. used a similar artificial leather, I guess they had to economise on leather right from the start as the Wehrmacht started to expand. Aluminium was similarly precious, but I think this was retained for practical reasons on these lumbar supports.

regards,

Funksammler

[cTapocTa]

I checked a few, and all the ones I have are aluminium. Quite possible that they used steel but this would quickly get scratched, rust and get stuck on the radio. Only one in my collection has any markings on it, a small stamped orange "R".

Various upholstery items like vehicle seats etc. used a similar artificial leather, I guess they had to economise on leather right from the start as the Wehrmacht started to expand. Aluminium was similarly precious, but I think this was retained for practical reasons on these lumbar supports.

regards,

Funksammler

I can't believe they replaced radio aluminum components with zinc but kept making those plates from aluminum. Is it possible your samples are earlier war years?

[Funksammler]

Difficult to say when they were made as none of them are dated. But they did continue to use lightweigth materials in portable radio's right until the end of the war, so it would not surprise me if they were produced like this later in the war as well.

regards,

Funksammler