A Cast Copy or an Original DRK ??

**David North** · 06-08-2010, 05:50 PM

I promise chaps that it was not my intension to play a silly egoistical cat and mouse game with this buckle.

What a buckle though !

When I first received this buckle from a good friend and US based HJ collector, I was very surprised. There are well documented fake cast DRK buckles, however surely not by those marked JFS ? GES. GESCH. stamped yes, however perhaps not the 1939 Josef Feix und Söhne, Gablonz ?

Apparently so and this buckle is and in my opinion a cast fake.

It is 2 mm more narrow than a "standard" buckle and the classic test is that it will not accept a pre 1945, German leather strap.

Regards,

David

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 06-08-2010 05:50 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Ben Evans** · 06-08-2010, 07:13 PM

Wow, with that wear as well, it got me David, sold right down the river lol

**sitges1990** · 06-08-2010, 08:46 PM

David, do you think that some of the imperfections on the front were intentionally imparted on the buckle or a result of the casting?

Jay

**David North** · 06-09-2010, 08:36 AM

Ben

Do not forget that for many of us and myself included, a fake (cast) DRK by JFS was until recently, quite unheard of. From memory, the well known fake (cast) DRK's are marked GES. GESCH. and which of course is a legitimate mark. When I first saw images of this buckle, like yourself, my thoughts were toward a ground dug original. Only with the buckle in hand does it become apparent that it is dangerously bogus.

Perhaps someone will tell me whether I am right or wrong, insofar as I think that a JFS DRK is quite hard to find. Overhoff's are much easier to locate and are often found in pristine condition, although not so those by Josef Feix und Söhne, Gablonz. As such, perhaps we as collectors do not know too well the "signature or fingerprint" details of the die stamped aluminium DRK by JFS.

An interesting fake and attached are some detail images of an original JFS.

Jay

I really think that whoever faked this buckle, was and still is, striving to replicate a pristine grade original in every way. A lot depends on the "master" buckle, insofar as usually, an original is used to make a reusable mould. If there is wear, damage or imperfections to the "master" buckle, then this replicates on the cast copies. Having said that, there is casting and casting with the final results often ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. Unfortunately now, some cast fakes are showing a convincing colour, minimal gas porosity (tiny surface bubbles) and minimal shrinkage.

Regards,

David

**David North** · 06-09-2010, 08:37 AM

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**David North** · 06-10-2010, 08:53 AM

A final and parting shot !

A good friend of mine in Germany and a fellow collector, has sent me some images of a fake JFS DRK buckle that appeared on a German dealers site in 2005.

Attached are the images and I have of course masked out the dealers details. Attached also is a photo merge of the lips to both the fake buckles and where the similarities are striking.

Regards,

David