NSDAP armband: I think this is a fake?

**SatansCabanaBoy** · 04-22-2010, 03:01 AM

Fortunately this was given to me, so I'm not out much if it's a fake. I've never seen one fall apart like this -but I did read somewhere that early on in the war that civilians made their own? I could be mistaken.
It just seems very wrong, very crudely made. Even the swastika runs through a seem.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 04-22-2010 03:01 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Adrian Stevenson** · 04-22-2010, 07:30 AM

All I can say is I have never seen one made like this before.

Cheers, Ade.

**sitges1990** · 04-22-2010, 04:03 PM

That's saying alot Ade.

Ditto that for me.

Jay

**SatansCabanaBoy** · 04-22-2010, 11:25 PM

The fabric is very course and thick, and the actual edge of the red, top and bottom, has not been stitched. Near the black, the white boarder is holding together but it almost looks like a weave..it's just so odd how it has come apart in threads like that. There is no party stamp, or any mark to identify anything. it does not glow under uv light.
It just looks like a really crappy armband.

-but...am I right that there was some of these home made in the beginning of the Third Reich? Is there any way to tell some sort of 'giveaway secret' that an amateur can look for?

**sitges1990** · 04-23-2010, 12:09 AM

Hi Satan, unfortunately the giveaway secret as you say, is to look at as many of these as you can. Looking at them in person is the best method but that is not always possible so everytime you see a post on an armband here, pull it up and take a look, and soon you will know what "looks right" and what doesn't. There were handmade examples of armbands but this one IMO definitely has that machine stitched, mass produced look.

Take care,
Jay

**SatansCabanaBoy** · 04-23-2010, 01:59 AM

I see what you mean about the machine aspect to it.
I thought that possibly, that this was just so poorly made that it might be a "made at home" model. It's like the maker of this hardly tried to have it even appear as a nicely fabricated piece that you would expect for German makers....or fakers.

I'm just going to put it in my growing pile of "reference" pieces for spotting fakes

**sitges1990** · 04-23-2010, 02:24 AM

It's always a learning process. Just look at all the armbands, medals, etc. that you can. The more exposure you have to the stuff, the better you will become at spotting replicas.

Jay