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11-20-2021, 08:13 AM
#171
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11-20-2021 08:13 AM
# ADS
Circuit advertisement
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11-20-2021, 09:37 AM
#172
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01-22-2022, 11:43 AM
#173
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07-12-2022, 04:59 AM
#174
that B&A was a postwar mark wasn't it? they also produced SA daggers with no scabbard to sell to GIs.
oops I should have kept reading the thread í ½í¸‰ the very next post said as much. And I can't delete my post.
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07-12-2022, 07:54 AM
#175
I'd forgotten about this thread and after reviewing the images of everything in it again, new collectors take the time to attend shows if you can. Find reputable dealers who are straight shooters and buy the reference books that have detailed images so if and when that time comes your armed with whats needed to make a wise decision.
Don't listen to people who say "new information has been found regarding blah, blah, blah."
WWII was over in 1945 and by 1950 what ever information was found is fact. Everything after that is fiction. While some inventories of parts and documentation may have been found by the T. Johnsons in who canvassed Solingen blade producers most everything is comes from manure spreader dealers.
And yes, I've heard the "new information" BS from blowhard dealers, one who is supposedly "well respected" (not Wittman either) who only interest is selling junk if he can make a huge profit on it.
Some time back there was a Japanese blade dealer in Honolulu that dabbled in firearms as well as Third Reich blades. We met at the Hawaii Historic Arms Society gun shows and from these shows I was fortunate to become the go to for Third Reich artifacts. Not trying to make me more than what I am, but I was fortunate that other society members held me with that esteem as honesty comes with the burden of mess up once, word gets out so you best be darn sure about what your doing or say "I don't know".
The Japanese blade dealer called me to say "I have a client who wants to sell his collection and have the collection here in my condo". So I visited him at his condo in Waikiki. He had several Third Reich era blades spread out on his bed, and I started looking and in short order became overwhelmed by the number of blades there was to inspect. There was a good 30 or maybe more.
So I made a deal with him, I'd write a check for several blades at the price he was asking as long as he'd accept a post dated check. I wrote the date 5 days in advance of the date I visited him on. Brought
10 daggers home, and set them aside as it was about 10PM on a Friday night.
The next 2 following days I git to inspect very closely what they were. I used T. Johnsons reference books as well sales catalogs from Wittman and Reproduction, Recognition which the book has errors in it full well knowing what the last book was & what the errors were as at that time the internet was becoming more of a reference point if memory serves me correct. Getting old and fringe benefits, lol.
From these works I could discern they were all reproductions and the guy who owned them was either using the blade dealer to market the daggers or the blade dealer bought them and was trying to sell them. I called him on Sunday and advised him that after several hours invested in researching the daggers that not a single one was good. Worst part is he had about another 20 or so daggers to try to move. I asked, I'd like to come by and show you why as well as pick up the post dated check.
I spent several hours with him showing him what I'd discovered. Well, I got my check back.
At the following Hawaii Historic Arms Society gun show I saw him and asked "what ever happened with the daggers?" He advised he took them to a mainland show and sold all of them!
The reference books set me back a few hundred dollars but ended up saving me thousands of dollars. I can't say I felt sorry for the buyers of those daggers who ever they might of been, it's a world loaded with sharks preying on ignorance which is pretty darned coarse in the thought.
But the truth is ignorance can cause a lot of grief but can be avoided with proper study and if possible hands on inspecting of daggers from a trustworthy dealer at shows or their place of business.
After reviewing the images in this thread, well, the mistakes made by these con artists are glaring, some not so suttle and others are. Learn all you can because if you end up inspecting an offering and are put on the spot for either buying now or passing it up, that's when the real payoff comes.
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09-26-2024, 01:16 AM
#176
I'm very late to adding to this thread but the Damascus steel fakes are so far from the real deal. I need to start checking more often on the site for the Damascus blades so I can chime in.
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