Tagged HJ Armband

[KEVIN23]

Hi, first let me say very nice, clean armband. Blacklight testing can be useful, but is not conclusive. Burn testing is another way, and that there was no 100% synthetic materials in nazi Germany, it can be helpful. Nowdays the detergent we use to wash our clothes contains ingredients that chemically treat the fabric automatically, which will make old no glow fabric glow. Also, I must agree with Hendreforgan, that sometimes many different examples of the same thing exist. All a person has to do is look at some early, pre war pictures, and they will see many variations of armbands, flags, etc. And the war itself brought upon shortages of many different materials, therefore change, of how things were made, and what they were made of.

[Hendreforgan]

. . . Burn testing is another way, and that there was no 100% synthetic materials in nazi Germany, it can be helpful. . . . Also, I must agree with Hendreforgan, that sometimes many different examples of the same thing exist. All a person has to do is look at some early, pre war pictures, and they will see many variations of armbands, flags, etc. And the war itself brought upon shortages of many different materials, therefore change, of how things were made, and what they were made of.

Very familiar with the burn - or smoke - test as it's used in identifying plastics. Thing is if you don't know what to look for then how do you know what you see? You're also going to have to surgically remove a long enough piece of thread to properly conduct the test. The test results should conform with this :

Natural fibres do not "burn" as such, they smoulder. Without a forced draft they may also extinguish when the igniting flame is removed. Artificial fibres do "burn" and, if the concentration of "plastic" to natural fibre is high enough, then they will continue to burn like a fuse until put out! Rayon, incidentally, which is quoted as the most common material for BeVo tapes is NOT a "plastic" material rather a substitute for silk made from cellulose . . yet another use of plant fibres.

This example of a HJ armband, unlike the one I have just put up for consideration which is three piece, would appear to have a woven body with the weave in two colours. This is well within manufacturing techniques for the time but does need to be compared against other examples that have been tested and found as correct as can be . . . but looking at pix is NOTHING compared to actually feeling the item itself. Never mind "smelly vision" TV, let's have "feelie vision" instead!

[avenger]

Very nice example. One I would love to have in my collection. Congrats!

[zacker]

Hello Hen, no its not rayon, been giving the thumbs up on 3 forums, but more importantly by a local advanced collector/ dealer that has a QUALITY HJ collection, but more worldly known for his 22 Germen trainer collection, and I didn't buy it from him but from the most respected people the Great USA!. I take all my stuff for a in-hand inspection, but like to share it here as well. Fakes been made in Germeny since 45, so your is not out of the question,collectors stick with text cloth, medals, guns. more value, less likely to get burnt, I have items that show well used as well minty, lots of things where bring back near new condition, nice to have a little of each, but I would not put that item in my collection, looks homemade and poorly @ that, anyway have a great day.

[Hendreforgan]

I'm sorry to be a "square peg in a round hole" but your comments regarding the HJ armband that I have put up regarding it as "home made" simply don't hold water. Forgive me but, together with my partner, we have been making high quality period uniforms for a long time and have experience and knowledge relating to garment manufacture. Neither we nor people we have worked with could make mine . . no matter how long we took.

To address this and other concerns I've added to my original post with a long article about my cleaning and it's construction. I would ask ALL to read it and I hope to put up in a couple of days time some further pix taken at high resolution with a macro lens.

If it's true that fakes have been made since 1945 then that is a huge worry for ALL collectors, isn't it? Dare say though that with Germany's population broke and starving the enthusiasm that G I's had for souvenirs meant that some may have churned out items to rob those they regarded as "schmucks" from their dollars? Wonder how many are now acclaimed as genuine . . . more than 75 years later?

[zacker]

your words "take into account my words", well I have,everybody knows what you are INSINUATING, "time capsule' " full of fake paper tags" only a fool cant read behind your lines, and you jump on tim's thread too use them words, oh, BTW ur open too bids on it too, just so happen to wash it so glows now, lo, good luck hawking that tattered abomination @ the medicine show. End of story. BTW square peg, don't think so more like TROLL

[BOB COLEMAN]

This thread is getting out of hand. Cool your jets or the thread will be closed and those causing the problems will receive suspensions or worse.