Opinion on some WMF SS marked teaspoons

**Glenn66** · 01-10-2013, 03:20 PM

Or you could just put this one down as a learning experience and move on.

My first posting on this forum was for a fake Erkunnegsmarken and instead of throwing my toys out of the cot and storming off, I listened, learnt and now have a reasonable collection of genuine TR artifacts. So qtman come and join the party here on the forum, theres alot to be learnt and many interesting and knowledgable people to meet.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 01-10-2013 03:20 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**qtman** · 01-10-2013, 04:03 PM

by Jerry B

Others have already gone through with you what else is wrong with them and if that is not enough for you to argue your case with the seller, maybe in future you will ask for opinions before you buy such items.

Well, no, not really. I tried a couple of times to get clarity on the stamping issue, and Gunny finally clarified it, in that a factory stamp would not leave a reverse mark, while a later stamp would, due to increased resistance from the cold metal.

Beyond that, all I had was that it didn't look like anything anyone had seen before, which didn't convince, as there seems to be no end of TR spoon variations knocking around (I think there is even a book dedicated entirely to TR spoons).

by Jerry B

You also need to read the sellers description carefully as many sellers of such items word it so they do not state that everything is original, rather they state something along the lines of old German spoons with SS stamp which does not say anything about when the SS stamp was placed on them and if that was the case you could not return them, if you see what I mean.

Seller said it was authentic and original in the description, and there were 20+ bids. I don't collect militaria, but I do collect some other stuff, and generally if an item is bogus, it won't attract that level of bidding. Maybe this SS stuff is different in that regard, in that people see "SS" and lose all reason.

I've since gone back to them and they've said they were bought, with some Kriegsmarine forks, from a dealer at Militaria fair in Germany, whom he had been buying from for years. He's said he is going to go back to him at end of January and will ask for an explanation.

Thanks for the assistance to all anyway. I don't think militaria is for me, TBH. Sounds like a complete minefield, if you'll excuse the pun.

**Jerry B** · 01-10-2013, 05:32 PM

Who was the seller?

TR collectibles are a minefield as you state and sadly the volume and quality of fakes is a constant problem to those who collect such items.

**Gunny Hartmann** · 01-10-2013, 05:38 PM

by Jerry B

Who was the seller, as ebay is littered with lying b#st#rds who would sell their own mother to make a quick few bucks?

TR collectibles are a minefield as you state and sadly the volume and quality of fakes is a constant problem to those who collect such items.

But if there were no fakes there wouldn't be a great site like this!...

**qtman** · 01-10-2013, 05:53 PM

by Gunny Hartmann

But if there were no fakes there wouldn't be a great site like this!...

Actually, doing a search for "spoon" on this forum yields a stream of threads, all which conclude that the spoons which are the subject of the thread are fake.

I'd love to see a spoon that everybody agrees is authentic.

**Jerry B** · 01-10-2013, 06:36 PM

This spoon and fork for the KM are original, but for the SS most items including the spoons have been faked since before the war ended. Notice both are marked on the reverse and not on the front, only high end items of table service would be marked on the front and would not exhibit the characteristics on those you showed.

**qtman** · 01-10-2013, 06:52 PM

by Jerry B

This spoon and fork for the KM are original, but for the SS most items including the spoons have been faked since before the war ended. Notice both are marked on the reverse and not on the front, only high end items of table service would be marked on the front and would not exhibit the characteristics on those you showed.

So does SS cutlery actually even exist? Is it only that plain stuff with the large SS-Reich on the back of the handle?

**CBH** · 01-10-2013, 07:52 PM

I have posted this before , but it seems to be the exact same type as the spoon by Jerry B . I was told it was a repro , but I think it's good . It is a large fork 8 1/4 ins long . Hope I get some new feed back . I will as post my spoon .
Cheers Chris

**harryamb2** · 01-10-2013, 09:37 PM

qtman,it is a minefield of a hobby,I make mistakes and I have been at it since the late 40s and seriously since the late 50s.but its fun and keeps me off the streets.

**octavian** · 01-10-2013, 10:14 PM

Yes from what i have seen with Third Reich utensils the sig runes on this piece doesn't seem to match the format of other SS utensils. And with so many damned fakes floating around i take TR utensils with a grain of salt. Its why i do not collect them. Easy to get burned. To this day i have not found a viable web page or book that even lists the makers of such utensils. Be very weary of treading into this area of SS or TR collecting. Unless your willing to gamble. I agree with the other WRF members and their critique of the fantasy fork is spot on. Sorry you got taken for a ride.