I think this is just a manufacturer's variation... I am no expert on Bulgarian boards... But the one I have examined are narrower than the Russian ones and usually having being six-sided, even for other ranks. Mine (same than his example) are standard RKKA measure. look at the article, I find some broad holes for bottom shanks also.
I think also that all the thread gravitates around the same point: The traits of wartime RKKA pogoni against foreign manufacture.
One important thing: most examples classed as foreign manufature are unissued... even those in the article, and apparently a short size (maybe 15). What do ither members think?
When I say Bulgaria, I do not know if they were used a short time postwar for the new Communist Bulgarian army or if made in Bulgaria for the Soviet Union. I mention this because for several years there has been several sellers on ebay, based in Bulgaria, that regularly offer 5-sided M43 style boards. They are in the standard Red Army service color combination, but the materials are different than most all Soviet manufactured boards I have seen and are not obviously German either. Regardless, most have the nice die cut hole for the button shanks in both the board proper and the reverse strap.
Yo Mike!
I've seen the listings by those Bulgarian "from a private collection" sellers. Either they are pushing authentic Bulgarian boards as Soviet, or they are just repro Soviet boards, like the ones shown above.
In my opinion of course...
Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam!
You may well be right Richie... Regardless, they have always seems "wrong" to me whether postwar or reproductions. I have a couple of interesting German made or German materials utilized boards, but I have none of these Bulgarian sold things.by RichieC
Yo Mike!
I've seen the listings by those Bulgarian "from a private collection" sellers. Either they are pushing authentic Bulgarian boards as Soviet, or they are just repro Soviet boards, like the ones shown above.
In my opinion of course...
The materials are really different, campaign boards ?
I've seen some examples from the Eastern block countries that look good to me.
Ny guess is that most armies of the area adopted soviet features in their uniforms during the late forties / early fifities. One is to suppose that at first the USSR suuplied them with boards, insignia or even complete uniforms.
Later on, once they started to resume proper industrial manufacture, these items -even if still modelled on soviet lines- started to show marked differences at close inspection either from different manufacture of idyosincracy. For instance, Bulgarian boards for officers are almost always six pointed and the upper ends are not straight tend to be cut semicircularly.
We see the same trends in Western Europe with British battledresses, M43 US jackets or Denison smocks, where local variants appeared in France, Greece, Norway, Holland et al. For most western collectors they are more or less easy to tell one from another but for collectors in other areas this might not be so easy.
I think these shown by Wesley's Dad are just repros, nothing like the real thing. The cloth at the back do not comply with manufacturing techniques of the era, IMO.
I suspect you are correct... Looking at the Bulgarian auction listings again, it seems the seller only ever has boards of the most desirable branches (Rifles, Arty, NKVD Internal Securtiy, NKVD Boarder Infantry).
All phonies...
Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam!
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