Lorient shield - opinions please

[Madziro]

I am not an expert on German shields and am looking for some help to determine its authenticity, if anybody can help. I was given this shield with an EK Class 2 from WW1 many years ago.

[Stewy S]

I'm no expert on these, but for me no. Sorry Stewy

[Scout]

Ditto

[harryamb2]

a very well known fake.nobody is sure whether they existed.

[Stewy S]

a very well known fake.nobody is sure whether they existed.

I think they did exist in some form. Look at the Lappland shield. Although genuine Lappland docs are confirmed to exist, genuine Lorient docs??
Stewy

[bigmacglenn]

These existed for sure, but as with the Lappland Shield, they are all crude field-produced pieces and examples without solid provenance are best avoided, in my opinion...
cheers, Glenn

[Gunny Hartmann]

Not sure if i've ever seen a genuine Lorient shield but this one looks a bit naff.

[bigmacglenn]

There are confirmed originals made out of everything from cardboard and even leather, according to my Niemann Guide...
cheers, Glenn

[Wagriff]

I've never owned an original and have never seen one in hand that even remotely gave me a good feeling about it. Glenn is absolutely right-there Do exist originals of these shields, but unless you obtain one straight from the German Vet who Owned it or his estate, they are just too controversial to trust. They were, as said, All Hand Made in the Field, so if a Soldier could make it-so can a faker Easily do so as well-and Better. Your shield here I would not want to authenticate and I would Equally not want to Discount it as fake either. It will have to simply remain as one of the "unknowns".

[Adrian]

Welcome to the forum!

Take a look here and here.

It would take an enormous leap of faith to buy one as original as they were made from whatever was available at the time and were not very well executed. Who knows what a real one actually looks like.