The iron front buckle

[Wilhelm Saris]

As far as I have heard - apparently it is difficult to get this stated, as hardly anybody has written evidence - the 3 arrows (known as the three "arrows of freedom")
should be in silver, being one part stamped with the silvered inset (the roundel), when a buckle from before 1945.
The upper arrow is normally positioned over the middle, the middle over the lower. A variation is known with the middle arrow over the upper and lower. Only once
I have seen a sample (1974/1975), which was "under locker" at the concern of Overhoff!
The same source told the buckle was also in use after the war. Maybe the shown one is from such period.
Maybe others have another opinion?

[Guido]

Bill, your buckle is very interesting and very hard to find!

I agree with my colleagues that the buckle bears some characteristics wich provide an unpleasant feeling (solder spots, odd patina, ...). But just feelings are not enough to state without fail the buckle is "good" or not.

I can further confirm Thomas' misgivings about buying Weimar buckles at Ebay Germany. My brother once got to know the Ebay buckle seller in question (he is using two or three different Ebay acounts). My brother sold an ugly but original Prussian two piece buckle to him as well as a faked Saxonian customs buckle (also sold as fake and clearly visible due to a well known fake box). A few days later the guy opened a new auction with - you can perhaps guess it - a Saxonian customs buckle! But now perfectly soldered to the original prussian box! Such a fake is nearly impossible to detect! The result is that we don't buy anymore buckles from that rogue even in the case they look very, very good!

So I would say the provenance of such pieces plays a certain role - do you agree?

I visited once the local Lüdenscheid museum together with two good collector friends. If my memory serves me well there must be such an "Eiserne Front" buckle between other Weimar era buckles in a show case but I can't unfortunately remember if the arrows were stamped into the roundel. Additional to Wim's interesting explanations I would say that three piece constructions are not unusual on these particular buckles. This roundel is a neutral standard piece and was used together with many, many Weimar era symbols (to observe well in the Steinhauer & Lück catalogue). Attached is a three piece example from my collection that I believe to be an original.

Best regards,
Guido

[Buckle1]

Guido,

Thanks very much for your comments and the photo of the wolf's angle buckle. In of it's self a tough buckle find. and as you point out a good one.. Now back to the Iron Front buckle..The box is correct and looks similar to other buckles I own that are correct. the rondel looks correct to me and the arrows are incredibly precise in their construction and they are nickel and soldered to the front. Wim's comments on originals being silver and stamped as a one piece rondel/attachent make no sense at all and in all my years of collecting I have never seen such a face-plate before. Also these buckles were produced for the most part in "Mom and Pop" shops in their homes. The orders were not that large nor did most of the groups especailly Communist ones did not last very long. There were no standards for these small shops/companies to hold to so the quality of many of these buckles is not so good. As far ars the guy in Germany that is mentioned, I have not bought buckles from him before and will not do again.With that said i know of many dealers thar carry bad buckles,etc, some that are also faked by them. but they also carry legitimate pieces as well. I firmly believe this is a good buckle dispite the comments of members that are so very prone to jump in to condem a buckle as bad because it hjas nerver been seen or shows bad solder points or discoloration. This buckle is pictured in at least three reference books as being produced.
With that said I will also add that what is happening to the hobby with fakes especially in TR buckles is very frightening. I got out of my TR collection years ago and one reason was the proliferation of the fakes and the production of many at that time that fooled everyone for a period. and they continue to get better each year.

Bill