It was over time to get that parachute....

[Theodor]

The long wait ended Finally got that scarce, elusive First Type Bulgarian paratrooper!!! Not the best one you'd ever see, but it is in my hands!!!!!

[Theodor]

That was hurting my eyes I wanted such a badge so badly, but that chipped spot

But now it looks better, doesn't it? The chipped place will be always visible, but I no longer feel pain in the eyes Don't worry, nothing aggressive done/used, just most simple and safe child's oil based paint, can be always wiped with no trace

[Gene]

Well done Ted, I need one of these too

[Paolo Marzetti]

Theo, do you have any photo of faked Bulgarian para enameled badges?
Some years ago I saw one of them, very well made, but with some important
differences in the pin back and in the enamel.Ciao,PaoloM

[Theodor]

Hi Paolo! Yes, here are some photos I have taken from the internet. Most fake badges are made of mixed old stock parts and newly made parts. Some fakes can be detected from the face. For example, in my opinion this badge is fake, see the crude central piece, with huge and tilted paratrooper.

[Theodor]

But the back side is usually the easiest to detect. Several different badges use similar back side lid - Paratrooper, Observer, Pilot, Wounded, Honor badge, etc. Sometimes brass, sometimes chromes, with different makers, but the shape is always the same. Here are two good lids:

[Theodor]

Unfortunately /for the fakers/, seems old stock lids were not found, so the fake back lids are usually very ugly. Only once I have seen a cast fake back side lid, which looked very correct from distance, but of course it is easy to detect that it is cast and not stamped metal /as it should be/.
The fake back side lids usually look nothing like the original. They are flat, out of shape, also look too big or too small. Someone had tried to escape from the flatness, by using... old spoons , but still too far from the original. Нere are fake backs. One of these could be from aluminum spoon, hard to tell from the photos. But there are so many fake versions - aluminum, tin, brass... always out of shape and out of proportion!

[Theodor]

Sometimes the fake badges have this back side lid. It is a real back side lid...

[Theodor]

...but for commie times badges! BTW, the commie eagles are seen sometimes on fake pilot badges.

[Theodor]

And indeed pinback badges can be seen - some officers prefered to have pinback, not screwback. So, the end of the screw was cut and various types of pins soldered on the back. But these are easy to detect - original back sides with obviously old soldering. Here is such rework, original.

[Paolo Marzetti]

Unbelievable!!! Thank you very much Theo for your infos!!! Ciao PaoloM

[Dennis S]

Theo, Mytko is happy for you .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejfhXTTrokQ

Mytko and Everyone else has that "feeling" .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr6gM...eature=related

Nice job and enjoy your badge

[Theodor]

Thanks Dennis - and thanks for the concert, too

This is the finished work - the crown is not only wrong type, but repro, too, but will fill the spot till I manage to locate a genuine one. /in fact, the crown may be not a repro, but one of the many unfinished pieces, found old stock left from the Miloshev badges workshop/.

[Uncle Kurt]

Teodor, beautiful piece.
It gave the German paratroopers have worn this badge.
They were on the parachute jump school in Brunswick

[ROBB]

Very nice Theo are there any photos of it in wear (not by you ) Rob