General's tunic

[markus]

Materials

By the way, when you stroll around the offices or homes of these traders you will frequently encounter boxes of buttons of all kinds (incl. Generals ), thread-rolls, unissued patches, insignias, you name it.

I would like to know only what is the "trick" that former sewing holes/traces are not seen anymore?! Are the closed by socking the tunic in hot water and close the fabric??? Who can tell me?

[John Pic]

markus, Hello,good to see you posting here. I dont think closing old thread holes is a problem if your stitching directly over them on materials like the wool used for collars and enlisted tunics it takes an awful lot of time to find what may be an excess hole indicating tampering,and it could mean nothing just a mistake or hole. Ive had a few original heer tunics that I found an excess unexplainable tiny piece of loose thread protruding from near a collar patch or breast eagle,you cant always tell if something was added post war by this.

Also if fairytales and legends are correct at least one of the Hamburg dealers recovered scores of original materials from an old tailoring shop to include whole tunics, although it would enhance the ability to sell them by revealing this to perspective buyers one probably wouldnt for one reason...the intent to use such materials to fabricate new uniforms.In a two edge way it would explain why many of the tunics bare the same tailoring techniques,same pips etc. either they were put together post war by the same tailor or during the period. In viewing two different instances here showing unquestionable evidence that postwar tampering has occurred twice for a fact with one dealer it leaves us feeling very worried about anything coming from them. Although If a true SS or Generals piece is restored and sold at a price reflecting it and it is stated in the sales pitch it would serve them better, there is a market for restored. It appears these guys just go for the top dollar by enhancement and creating fantasies.

[Fred Green]

Generals Tunic

Greetings All,

Markus, to answer your question;steam ironing a wool item after it has been misted with vinegar will close stitch holes. You then need to get rid of the vinigar smell.
I collect buttons, hooks snaps and a myriad of other "I might need" items like most of the collectors/dealers out there. Is there anybody on this forum that won't put aside an original button,snap,breast eagle for that tunic that might need one? As I said on another thread,The only way to stop this is to have all insignia that has been restored to be sewn with white polyester thread! End of story! Will it happen? NO! Each one of us when we restore an item we find the perfect button,classic eagle, correct thread to make it just right! We as collectors are just as bad as these dealers!!!We perpetrate the same crap.Wake up and smell the roses! This hobby is what it is and will always be;a minefield. Buy the item not the story. I love the stories and can tell you tons of them! People want to hear the story!!! This dumb-ass dealer just got caught! Ask Ken N. what he thinks about it. I am sure his business hit the skids and he had to get a new job! NOT!!! Study, research and hands on examination are the only things that work in this hobby. We have beat this horse to death. Study, research and hands on examination will help you not to get screwed as bad. Know who you deal with and how they deal. Discuss things with your peers and mentors and do not patronize the cheats!

Fred Green

[Mike C]

Hi John,

Unusually, I have always been attracted to W-SS tunics that are off the beaten track. I have owned M-36/40/42 and 43 tunics - however I doubt that more than two or three (in my opinion) were cast-iron originals (not to say that all were not good - just hard to prove so to a very high standard).

Among others, I have three tunics now that are pre-war or non-standard (one is the summer Demjansk aufklaurungs oberscharfuhrer tunic) - and they are my favourites by far. The combination of insignia, tunic and history seems to fit - and carry far more weight than the utterly standard textbook pieces (I mean why would you fake this?).

Which I guess - with sincere respect to John D. and others - is why I liked your summer tunic!

Mike

[John Pic]

Same goes for me Mike.
The younger generation of collectors is exposed to a fraud that 20 years ago was not as elaborate. I watched it happening in the back room of Traders of the lost Surplus...the quest to create a perfect fake of everything.

There is a difference between materials found out of old collections from years back and these new near mint or close to mint pieces being pumped out of Europe..newer collectors cant differentiate,no offense to them, because the market has already been saturated. This I assume is why the top collectors keep thier stuff off the forums,because the paranoia is rampant and something totally righteous can be trashed.

Anyone reading this thread should also read the "Award Loop" thread by NTZ a very interesting thread as well.

[Mike C]

Hi John,

Consider this tunic - a pre-war SS-VT earth-brown drill four pocket but with a basic BEVO runes tab with officer piping (and army gebirgsjaeger boards). This tunic will never enjoy wide acceptance...

Mike

[John Pic]

except from what is written about it it is a Vet Bring back Wonderful tunic!

[bravecelt]

.....I would like to know only what is the "trick" that former sewing holes/traces are not seen anymore?! Are the closed by socking the tunic in hot water and close the fabric??? Who can tell me?

Many many collar tabs were handstitched to the tunics. That means no holes on the back of the collar! This especially often happened on such piped tunics or dresstunics. So all you have to do is finding such a piped Arty officer tunic and you can easily upgrade it a little bit!!
And it helps alot that this general tabs are larger to cover the rest from the front collar.

[Ludwig]

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To be honest I´m really surprised that so very few dealers get wasted. I mean really wasted. I don´t say I wish they were, but... Well, I´m surprised.

[heinrich66]

Good detective work

[Petrus]

This theft http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=182784 is a crime and we all think that. In my opinion faking uniforms is as much a crime, or not worse. Why not put a pinned warning link regarding these matters to.....
Those who fake do it because:
1. Cash is king
2. The chance to be caught with 100% proof against you is allmost ZERO. And the chance to be brought to court is less than zero...

//Petrus

[Ludwig]

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Copy that!

[Napalm]

This theft http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=182784 is a crime and we all think that. In my opinion faking uniforms is as much a crime, or not worse. Why not put a pinned warning link regarding these matters to.....
Those who fake do it because:
1. Cash is king
2. The chance to be caught with 100% proof against you is allmost ZERO. And the chance to be brought to court is less than zero...

//Petrus

Not one of the dealers here would mount a protest again the 'Known, Found out, Sussed, caught red handed, fraud stars here' because of the nature of the business... We have had two clear multi thosands dollar frauds within the last few months and it seems they have got away with it. A Helmet and a Generals Uniform...

[DonC]

I believe the tunic has been pulled from the site... or sold...

Don

[NTZ]

I believe the tunic has been pulled from the site... or sold...

Don

Maybe the tabs will pop back up.