Another 1938 Heer buckle

[guscanoesp]

Gentlemen,

I have read the wonderful thread about german buckles by Ben Evans and want to make my modest contribution to the thread with a well worn Heer buckle I have from ages ago. I don´t recognize the maker from the list of makers Ben has included. The leather is -faintly- marked 1938 but it is impossible to tell the maker in the leather. The buckle itself has what looks like a "G K & F" marking, though it is partly erased. Was it a popular maker of buckles?


Regards,


Gus

[guscanoesp]

Another photo of the stamp on the leather tongue of the buckle. You can hardly read the 1938 date. Is there a way of enhancing the marking?

There are also photos of the belt. Is it original german?

Regards,

Gus

[guscanoesp]

That is what I thought when I bought it. You cannot say this buckle and its owner have not seen war. I always like to make myself a mental picture of every WWII item I buy as it could have been used in the war. As you say, I imagine this german soldier crawling under fire many times.

It distresses me a bit more when I have a WWII weapon in my hands and imagine the circumstances it could have been involved in and the lives it has surely taken out. Of course it does not stop me from collecting weapons or other items. Is like having the time machine in my hands, having in a piece of evidence that was actually there, that was an active part of the Second World War.


Regards,

Gus

[Ben Evans]

Hi Gus, nice set, buckle is by a maker called Gbr Kugel & Fink, the belt looks to be an early one, could even be WW1

[guscanoesp]

Hi Gus, nice set, buckle is by a maker called Gbr Kugel & Fink, the belt looks to be an early one, could even be WW1

Ben,

Thank you very much for your answer and congratulations for your wonderful threads on german buckles. Pure gold indeed.


Regards,


Gus

[Ben Evans]

Many thanks Gus, if you look in the M4 makers list you will find more buckles by this maker in there

[lach470]

Nice rig! Thanks for showing! I like it too!

Rob

[rickyodicky]

Coincidentally, I picked up a similiar belt and buckle off of gunbroker last week. I usually use the Collector's Guild as a reference and they have a similiar buckle listed as LGK and F with the L underscoring the other letters indicating an "unknown manufacturer". Check it out. Mine came with additional treats with a name under the leather flap on the belt: "Haring" and a Kraftfahrer unit mark on the buckle tab. Never know what you may find. Thanks for the posting. rick

[Ben Evans]

Another nice set with the added bonus of a unit marked tab, very nice

[guscanoesp]

Rick,

Nice buckle and belt indeed.

What I have seen is that the manufacturer´s logo is different on my buckle than in theothers I have seen on this thread. Mine has arial letters, not gothic, and the L does not underscore the rest of the letters. I suppose it is just another variation, but I think it is odd (not saying by any means rare).



Regards,

Gus