fake relics

[rusted180]

what do you guys think about crooks out there faking non-ss heer helmets. such as relics supposedly excavated? from my observation and what people say on forums.... it appears relics have recently been commanding a higher price than usual.

i know prices usually range between $30-$150 depending on the condition, and it would seem it would be a waste of time for these scumbags to conterfeit, but from what i read on previous threads....... it doesnt seem that to hard replicate rust naturally or artificially. after all, most relics are soooo rusted that all serial numbers are gone, so who are we to say they are real? of course unless we obtain these pieces from someone we trust, there would be no way to tell......

what do you guys think?

[Feuerbach]

Big big difference between old and new rust. Don't think it is very easy to replicate old inactive rust.

[rusted180]

good point.....but i still wonder if that aged inactive rust look can still be achieved using natural or unnatural techniques.

[rusted180]

seems like all hobbies fall victim to conterfiet..... i have vast knowledge and a large collection of animation cels and i can certainly tell you guys that this particular hobby is infested with scum!!

i guess like anything else, you just gotta know your sh*t or you'll get burned.....

just want to pick all your brains so i can educate myself. anymore input fellas?

[SAVAGE]

Fake relics exist all over the collecting landscape. My website, SAVAGE-STATION.com, has dozens of photos of fake Civil War relics and links to sites that try to educate collectors on fake WWII items. In some cases they are easy to see. In others they are so good even the best are unsure. It is a sad but true pitfall in relic collecting, especially WWII German.

[davejb]

One of the problems is that if you are reasonably adept at renovating/restoring helmets etc, by imparting certain knowledge on how to do it gives fakers more ammunition to ply their trade, there are ways to make new rust look old but i dont think it would be prudent to mention it here

[big ned]

Regarding the way this query has been worded i fully agree with Dave.

Ned.

[Holycats557]

Do you think rust like this could be faked? IS it worth restoring?

[davejb]

Doesnt looked faked to me , its up to you if restoration is preferred but its in its found state, plus it looks fairly well preserved as is.

[Paul D]

Looks like it could have been rusted in Estonian soil !!