A Rare one

[lach470]

WOW.....a superb buckle that you just can't find anywhere! Congrats!

Rob

[David North]

Dear Kirby

Indeed, a rare one and my congratulations.

Attached are images of one that I hold - by Overhoff.

Regards,

David

[David North]

2

[David North]

3

[kirby]

Hello Glad everyone likes the buckle. Thanks for posting your nice example David.

It has been a great year for my buckle collection. In 2010 I only added 6 buckles but this year I keep finding great ones. I have add 6 buckles from my top 10 want list and a bunch nice buckles.

Kirby

[Mac 66]

Kirby, David, 2 cracking pebbled Werkschar buckles

[David North]

It is quite interesting to note that to date, we have documented two manufacturers of these pebbled "DAF-Werkschar" buckles. Dr. Franke und Co. K.G., Lüdenscheid and Overhoff und Cie., Lüdenscheid. It would not surprise me in the least if a third manufacturer surfaced and i think that a likely candidate would be Berg und Nolte AG, Lüdenscheid. Is it safe to say that because we have two documented manufacturers, this buckle is not a prototype? Is it equally safe to say that due to one of the buckles displaying an RZM logo and an embryonic RZM M4 code, this is not a pre mass production issue? I think that the DAF-Werkschar buckle first made an appearance in either late 1935 or early 1936.

In theory, the DAF-Werkschar buckle and by all aspects, was strictly controlled by the RZM. The RZM clearly specified that the box must be Leichtmettalblech DIN 1713 and yet, original examples of this buckle are known in both nickle silver and steel.

Indications would suggest that by the eccentric Overhoff markings (M/4/27) that the buckle was produced when initially sanctioned and by being presented by two manufacturers, that it was not a prototype or a manufacturers artistic interpretation.

The question of course is - who within the DAF could possibly have worn this buckle? I do not think that it is merely a variation design on the standard design and instead, I lean more toward being destined for either a specialised group within the organisation or a specialised rank structure.

Regards,

David

[Wilhelm Saris]

Hello David,

have a look at post 13 from the thread "crank catch DAF-Werkschar" where I tell a sort of
development about the introduction for the Werkschar-uniform and what was noted about
the buckle. The description for the buckle remained the same through the years and was
as before noted in 1938. In 1939 it was intended that all Werkschar-members would become
political leaders and so had to wear the political leaders buckle. From photographs one knows
this plan must have failed.
This buckle must be a simple variation version and was manufacturerd by quite some manufacturers.
Will give a look in my cataloques as I thought it was also shown in the Paul Cramer, the Wilhelm
Deumer.

[Wilhelm Saris]

withn this buckle I mean the regular one we all know better

[David North]

Dear Wilhelm

Thankyou for the reminder about post number 13 within the crank catch DAF-Werkschar buckle thread.

I am a little surprised when you say "...this buckle must be a simple variation version...". There are of course many variations of the DAF-Werkschar/DAF-Werktruppen buckle and of the variant type where I for one would describe as "simple variations". Nickle silver boxes and steel boxes, various coloured lacquer finishes, complete with varying size and proportion cog wheels and swastikas. This is what I would call a simple variation to a flat field obverse, supported by four corner set ersatz rivet heads and displaying a plain cogwheel and swastika. A pebbled field obverse, without the imitation rivet heads and a cross hatched swastika, is I think a little more than a simple variation. What has puzzled myself is the radical variation from two independent and well known manufacturers, coupled with a well know style of DAF membership pin where the displayed swastika shows cross hatch detail, as per the buckle in question. The style of swastika appears to be "known" within the organisation.

Regards,

David