set of metal cap isignia

[Robin Lumsden]

What about this guy.........is his stuff post-war made as well?

[Robin Lumsden]

This one must have had his sleeve eagle made in Latvia as well.

[Robin Lumsden]

Allgemeine-SS helmet ......made in Latvia??

[Robin Lumsden]

Sergey.


To avoid confusion, I'm playing devil's advocate here.

I know there are many fakes coming out of Latvia etc. You're right about that.

All I'm saying is that we can never say 'never' when dealing with eastern European stuff. There are still many undiscovered oddities floating around.

[Sergey]

This one must have had his sleeve eagle made in Latvia as well.

Robin nobody say that such items was never exist, as said Alex the problem that we can't test originality because it is non standart items.

[pimpf]

Here's another 'Latvian SS Ring'......with the 'sun & stars' of Latvia as used on the Latvian SS collar tab. It looks pretty convincing to me. But could it be a fake? Maybe. Who knows.

This one is very nice ring ! Baltic rings by the way quite common over here.

[pimpf]

Runes

[Sergey]

Here some of my "Latvian" photos.
http://profy15.narod.ru/l.html

Sergey.


To avoid confusion, I'm playing devil's advocate here.

I know there are many fakes coming out of Latvia etc. You're right about that.

All I'm saying is that we can never say 'never' when dealing with eastern European stuff. There are still many undiscovered oddities floating around.

[Sergey]

Here some of my "Latvian" photos.
http://profy15.narod.ru/l.html

http://profy15.narod.ru/la.html

[Donald Abenheim]

Thanks to all.

The above Russian-Scottish exchange is pleasing, indeed. Many thanks for the wonderful images. My only point: perhaps there was some exhibit of this material in the good-old-days, or was it so politically explosive that it was kept under wraps? I have many Ukrainian and Baltic students (Russians, too, actually...) who have described to me military museums of one kind or the other and I wondered whether some of this Baltic regalia endured there. I do think colleague Lumsden is right to be the devil's advocate and pose hard questions to us all, and I am delighted that our Russian colleagues add their important insights here. The globalization of all of this is so much more interesting than being in the thrall of certain glamor US dealers, who dictate doctrine in poor imitation of Rome and all knowledge gets suffocated in hoary accounts of motel buys and the like. Schoene Gruesse nach Osten!

[pimpf]

My only point: perhaps there was some exhibit of this material in the good-old-days, or was it so politically explosive that it was kept under wraps? I have many Ukrainian and Baltic students (Russians, too, actually...) who have described to me military museums of one kind or the other and I wondered whether some of this Baltic regalia endured there.

Donald

I have never encountered no one Baltic item obtained from museum and can't remeber no one exhibited such way. A lot of Baltic SS related soldbuchs came from official archives when they were opened after 1990.

More runes ... Look like different from above.

[pimpf]

another one

[pimpf]

las one.

[Texasuberalles]

Many aspects of this discussion are analogous to one that fits many areas of ‘collecting’ items which are desirable -- and most importantly -- no longer available through the original manufacturer or supplier.

It’s the same thing for Model A Fords or 55-57 Chevy’s. The difference between using NOS (new old stock) parts and ‘aftermarket’ ones. This is true even if aftermarket pieces were available side-by-side at the time NOS items were.

The finest restorations will use NOS; without exception. If you repaired your ’57 with a genuine Delco-Remy generator instead of one from another manufacturer it was always seen as "better" by the well-informed and more serious enthusiast of the hobby.

Even today if you want to keep your Mercedes in first class condition you use only Mercedes parts regardless that ‘knock-offs’ are available………

[Sturmmann]

as for the skulls posted here before - i can tell that both are 100% original without ANY doubt ... i have a lot of period photos of estonian volunteers wearing those in front of their M40, M43 and visor caps!