Luftwaffe General Officer's Dagger Hangers

[Ed Hicks]

Luftwaffe General Officer's Dagger Hangers for reference...Gilt set marked DRGM RZM

[Ed Hicks]

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[Ed Hicks]

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[Ed Hicks]

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[Ed Hicks]

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[Ed Hicks]

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[Frogprince]

Ed, On my monitor it does not look as much like "gilt" (gold plating) as it does zinc chromate over zinc. With the chromate layer typically being a corrosion protectant for the zinc, which was then zinc phosphated as the desired end result. Any chance for a picture or two in sunlight to better ascertain the color values? Regards, FP

[Ron Weinand]

I agree with Frofprince on thus one

[Ed Hicks]

I'll take photos in sunlight...they appear totally different from other LW hangers I've owned and have a distinct gold color that looks faded. Ed

[Frogprince]

Ed, Still sounding like zinc chromate, it bonded reasonably well to the substrate. The problem was that the zinc phosphate did not bond all that well with the zinc chromate, and would very often fall away. Still a manufacturing problem today, there is some irony in the situation because a chromate was used to increase a specific kind of corrosion resistance.

And (unfortunately) whole daggers have mistakenly been called (and sold as) "General's Daggers". Best Regards, FP

[dag001]

Ed, for what it's worth, I once owned a set of hangers exactly like yours; including the RZM markings. Never did determine exactly what they were.
Luft. General?? Fisheries?? Dancing Instructor?? All I know is they were distinctly different.
Fred, my unlearned opinion was that they were meant to appear gilt and not just an accident or reaction to a different manufacturing process.