Heer Artillery Shoulder Boards

[checkit]

I picked these up in a trade with a collector of US Militaria. He said the boards were part of a "Footlocker find" and he was keeping only the US contents. I got suspicious after getting them home, especially after seeing that At The Front is having a sale on very similar boards for only $3 a pair.

So thought I would get some opinions before deciding what to do with my possibly "$12" shoulder board collection,

[checkit]

2

2

[David48]

Not looking to good but wait for other opions.

[Schulterklappen]

Tongues

Are the tongues sewn together to make pairs?

[pzrwest]

I find it odd that every strap has the same zig-zag stitching down the center, can you see if they are actually two pieces of wool material under the zig-zag stitching?

[Jens Thune]

From these pictures I would be worried.. I think they are fake

Jens

[Lenny W]

From these pictures I think they are fake..

Jens

agree with Jens

[checkit]

Yes, I see now that the zigzag stitches on the back are for effect only - not two halves sewn together. I will remember that trick in the future.

[Schulterklappen]

Stitching

The zig-zag stitching was done as a way to sew together pieces of scrap material. It is most often seen as a random pattern. I recently got two pairs of mint M-40 Unteroffizier straps from the same source. Of these four straps, only one has stitching on the back and it is at an angle.

[gijoe002us]

Yes..False conjoining stitch..For looks only. no function.

[CWP]

These are, I believe, made by Sturm and are the same reenactor copies that At the Front is selling, as you had suspected.