real or fake luftwaffe ring?

[goodtimes]

thanks guys! glad i didn't buy it then! interesting about the cast vs die struck....I see Odal thinks they should be die struck..being new here i see he knows his stuff by the looks of it though...but im sure there are exceptions.. does any one know a good place to buy a WW2 ring that's a good source?

[Wagriff]

Keep in mind,not all experts are infallible. As for where to find genuine rings,that is a pretty much hit and miss thing. Most reputable militaria dealers will have the occasional ring or 2 in their stock, but only buy if they offer an iron clad money back policy as well. Avoid the flashy "SS" stuff or the exotic looking pieces-the skulls,etc, as they are just too iffy and can end up costing a person Way too much money if they get stuck with it. 99% of these types are either fakes,fantasys or aged fakes.
Another source to keep an eye on are the Reputable battlefield diggers, but, again, there are plenty of them that are Not reputable too, so do your homework thoroughly! If in doubt, post here and let us see it Before buying and we can give you an idea if it's good or not.

[SpitfireVb]

There are so many fakes - some of them good, even for experts like Odal and Wagriff - not to mention the thieving assholes who pass the fakes off as real, that I won't buy any ring unless from a trusted collector or a trusted dealer. Even the latter sometimes get fooled. But there are also clear signs of fakes and 'Fourth Reich' rings that you learn to recognize with time, experience and advice from several of the folks on this forum (examples of what to look for noted above by Wagriff). It's worthwhile trawling through the posts here. You'll see a lot of crap but a few real beauts too.

[goodtimes]

thanks again guys! sounds like a difficult hobby collecting rings..i know a lot about german daggers...but thats about all....And yes i stay away from anything SS as these are so faked that even a good looking one can be just an old fake like you said. thanks ill keep a look out on this forum for rings...or if anyone is willing to sell one, please let me know
cheers! and thanks again

[humble collector]

William you are so correct on your assessment. I only own a couple rings myself. Not a true expert on the subject.

[odal]

Now, this Luftwaffe ring, as I said above, is not one that I am liking-particularly with the blatantly obvious crooked head to it. It looks to be, as guessed, likely a brass ring with silver plate, but in my opinion, it is not a period ring, but a cheaply made souvenir ring as could be found for years in the back pages of magazines. I can't envision a soldier going into the PX and selecting it "I'll take that crooked one!". He would have been the subject of mockery by his fellow soldiers.

Sorry William, i have to disagree in this point.
Without any doubts a fine period pattern existing in different colours of the airforce.
And there is still a variant with an army eagle.

[Wagriff]

Of course, we are all entitled to our opinions,Goetz. I know that rings have always been a subject of interest for myself over the last 50 years or so, and I would imagine that your interests in them are not new either. This ring, however, is, as I said, not one that would be found in my collection. I've noticed that the use of "Without any doubts" is never a wise term to pronounce when dealing with wartime rings, but each to their own.