Stahlhelmbund / Wehrsportabteilung Buckle: One for the Rogues Gallery?

[aechols83]

Hi, guys. Just saw this buckle recently and was wondering what those who collect these thought. It looks very odd around the catch, with the blob obscuring the reverse of the eagle and helmet.
Anyways, I just know nothing about these yet and am curious if this one is no good.

Thanks for any help and best to you all
Adam

[Ben Evans]

Adam, I have never collected these so would not have a clue, David is the main man for this buckle

[kirby]

Hello I think the buckle is original. I have three of these and one has a lot of solder. Not as much as this one but alot. Kirby

[Buckle1]

There is a very good thread on these buckles on this forum. as far as this one is concerned I believe it is a post war production. Not necessarily bad but not Weimar period. I also do not like the ear fold over nor what appears to be applied rust to the front.

Bill

[lach470]

At first I thought it was an original buckle - but there seems to be a lack of detail to the front - now I'm on the fence.

Rob

[aechols83]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Yeah, it's a tricky buckle and I have compared it to more than a few others. The excessive blobs of solder on the back I found odd to begin with and haven't seen this amount on any others. I don't know about the ears, But I agree with Bill that the rust looked a little artificial. As far as lack of detail, I really can't tell from these photos and from what appears to be a thicker amount of paint than I have seen on the other original examples I have comprared it with. If not a good post-war reproduction then perhaps repainted? I suspect when all other certainty fails, best to steer clear if on the fence...

Adam

[David North]

My apologies for being a tad late in response to this very interesting thread started by Adam. Until recently, it was I think never even considered that this buckle, as the only one sanctioned as "official" by Der Stahlhof (together with the green painted steel Jung Stahlhelm and the green painted steel Landsturm), were anything other than pre 1945.

However and as Bill has mentioned, the subject has been touched upon before:-

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/germa...sturm-15300-3/

"...the eventually "right wing" Stahlhelmbund was and in 1934, renamed Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Frontkämpferbund (Federation of the National Socialist Front Line Fighters). The organisation was absorbed into the SA and finally, dissolved in 1935 due to their strong pro Monarchy tendencies. The Stahlhelmbund was never a post 1945 "banned" organisation. I think and in 1951, the Stahlhelm Bund der Frontsoldaten was formed and actually, the former Field Marshal Albert Kesselring was the organisations leader up until 1960. The organisation continued to exist up until the 1980's. The point is that it has been suggested that some of the Stahlhelmbund buckles that we know and love so well (and especially the one and only pattern approved by Der Stahlhof), were produced post 1945. Not fakes and instead, not pre 1945...".

There are at least 2 minor variations to the design of the buckle (I will post a photo merge later), however distinguishing pre 1945 to post 1945 is the problem.

Whether it be the type of paint finish, the lack of paint to the reverse, the type of catch, the type of box ears or the type of pin shroud and claws, I really do not know and this subject is really worthy of some detailed research.

For the moment Adam, not the rogues gallery !

Regards,

David

[David North]

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