Two SS armbands for consideration

[daveward]

Hey guys! I found two SS armbands that I'd like some opinions on. I'm fairly certain that this first one is authentic. It has all the known characteristics of a legitimate armband (ovoid white roundel, vertical lines in the roundel and black strips, folded swastika, tiny stitches around the roundel on the backside, and a slightly raised look to the roundel on the backside, as well). The RZM tag also looks fine to me. It appears properly worn. I can't quite make out the Hersteller code, but I think it's "20," or perhaps "10." It looks handwritten to me. The armband has been sewn in a slightly unorthodox manner (with the edges overlapping, instead of butting up against each other), but that seems plausible to me. Check it out:



I'm slightly less sure about the second armband, but it still looks pretty good to me. The swastika and the vertical lines on the roundel and the black strips look right. However, the roundel on this one seems to be circular, rather than slightly oval-shaped (I measured it, though it could perhaps be caused by the angle at which the photograph was taken)... The backside shows the large white stitching around the roundel that has been seen on "questionable" armbands, so I'm not certain about it. However, the RZM tag looks good. Have a look:



I'd appreciate a few extra sets of eyes to look these items over. Let me know what you think! Thanks.

[carlsson1982]

Both are good

[Glenn66]

Interesting, my NSDAP kampfbinde has the same 275 manufacturer, let us compare the stamps.



Obviously different in that my numerals are thinner. I figure it safe to assume that even rubber stamps wore out over time and needed replacement.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Both are good

A very fine answer.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Once more, the pictures alone with this regalia do not suffice. You can argue about it all you want, but the key to textiles is to handle them and actually look at them.

[Glenn66]

and smell them...I do enjoy a good sniff inside my display cabinets now and again!

[Friedrich-Berthold]

and smell them...I do enjoy a good sniff inside my display cabinets now and again!

Bravo. Smell is also an important criterion.

I am also not making den Witz here, either. Authentic things have a certain odor.

I generally do not taste them, however, since they are foetid.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Do not chew.

[daveward]

Interesting, my NSDAP kampfbinde has the same 275 manufacturer, let us compare the stamps.



Obviously different in that my numerals are thinner. I figure it safe to assume that even rubber stamps wore out over time and needed replacement.

Yes, I've seen this same stamp (with the purple ink) on a couple of armbands... I think it looks good.

[daveward]

Here's a better shot of the RZM tag for armband #1. I think it looks great.