SS Armband?

**dak** · 08-12-2010, 03:50 AM

Hi everyone, I know this is asking a lot but I need help identifying an armband without a picture. I don't have a camera and have come across what appears to be an authentic nazi armband, though other than that I am clueless. It is much like this armband: File:SS-Armband.svg - Wikimedia Commons
but only has one white stripe which comes out from the middle of the white circle and travels the entire circumference of the armband. The circle is also not anywhere near a perfect circle and is relatively ovoid.

It has a stamp like this one on the back: http://www.buyit-sellit.com/ebay01/auc00521/84194-1.jpg
but the words are different and I can't quite make out the letters as they are quite faded.

Can anyone give me some information as to what type of armband this is and what group would have used it? I would be grateful for any information, and am looking to sell if it is worth anything.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 08-12-2010 03:50 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**sitges1990** · 08-12-2010, 07:06 PM

Hi Dak, almost every TR armband is made today and sold for 10 to 30 bucks, so it would be impossible to tell you if yours is original or not. There are modern stamps put on the reproductions as well, so that does not verify authenticity either. The closest one I can think of from your description is the Hitler Jugend band below. Borrow a camera from a friend if you can and post some photos. Good luck!

Take care,
Jay

**Adrian Stevenson** · 08-12-2010, 09:28 PM

Welcome to the forum!

Without pics it is really impossible to give any kind of opinion.

Cheers, Ade.

**dak** · 08-13-2010, 12:48 AM

by sitges1990

Hi Dak, almost every TR armband is made today and sold for 10 to 30 bucks, so it would be impossible to tell you if yours is original or not. There are modern stamps put on the reproductions as well, so that does not verify authenticity either. The closest one I can think of from your description is the Hitler Jugend band below. Borrow a camera from a friend if you can and post some photos. Good luck!

Take care,
Jay

Hi Jay, it is similar to that armband but the white line is thin, about a half inch in height and the swastika is inside a white circle instead of a diamond. I am working on some pictures right now, thank you very much for responding! And thank you Ade, I'm surprised to find such an active forum who's main interest is in such a specific arm of WWII memorabilia.

**dak** · 08-13-2010, 01:12 AM

Ok, I was able to borrow a camera and I've attached some pictures.

**sitges1990** · 08-13-2010, 03:26 AM

Hi Dak, this is a new one to me. I've never seen an armband where the roundel and swas were factory woven into the cloth of the band like that. The cloth looks period but the swas is way off center in the roundel. Hopefully you'll get some more opinions.

Jay

**dak** · 08-13-2010, 03:36 AM

by sitges1990

Hi Dak, this is a new one to me. I've never seen an armband where the roundel and swas were factory woven into the cloth of the band like that. The cloth looks period but the swas is way off center in the roundel. Hopefully you'll get some more opinions.

Jay

Thank you very much for your input. I agree completely, and some other things caught my eye as well. The stitch thread, for instance, seems to have not faded or at least retained much of it's color while the cloth itself has faded a lot. The cloth is definitely old, and since I have absolutely no experience with these kinds of things it would be impossible for me to pass absolute judgment in either way. Any ideas as to the use of this armband if it was legitimate? Or is it not a recognized design?

Edit: Also, I was told from the party I received it from that it was found on or near the border of Mexico and Arizona - near where I live - in a buried stash of other supposed Nazi or WWII "relics". Not sure if this is helpful in any way, but you never know.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 08-13-2010, 09:15 AM

Hi, thanks for the photo.

This is the 1926 pattern armband which indicated rank. These were only worn until 1929 when these were replaced by the more familiar SS armband with black stripes to the edge of the armband.

Reichsführer = Three Stripes
Gauführer = Two Stripes
Staffelführer = One Stripe
SS Mann = No Stripes

I have never seen one of these in printed format before? All originals I have seen were multipart construction. I would lean towards this being an older fake from the 1970's. But I would welcome more input on this.

Hope this helps?

Cheers, Ade.

**dak** · 08-13-2010, 11:10 AM

by Adrian Stevenson

Hi, thanks for the photo.

This is the 1926 pattern armband which indicated rank. These were only worn until 1929 when these were replaced by the more familiar SS armband with black stripes to the edge of the armband.

Reichsführer = Three Stripes
Gauführer = Two Stripes
Staffelführer = One Stripe
SS Mann = No Stripes

I have never seen one of these in printed format before? All originals I have seen were multipart construction. I would lean towards this being an older fake from the 1970's. But I would welcome more input on this.

Hope this helps?

Cheers, Ade.

That definitely helps a lot, thank you. I really could go either way but I have no experience with this stuff. The things that seem odd to me are first the horrendous circle and then the stamp. When were those stamps used? I guess I figured they were only used in WWII because the stamps I've seen online seemed to be on WWII armbands. I'm sure I'm wrong and welcome correction, and I don't mind if it's a fake. It would be nice to know for sure though. Thank you very much everyone for your input so far, DK.