LRDG Officer Slide

[altcar73]

I can understand why members are wary about showing photos of originals v copies for the reasons that have already been outlined. However, there may be individuals who are members of this forum who engage in reproducing badges, I don't know. It follows that those individuals will not be averse to feigning ignorance and asking the more knowledgeable to point out their reproduction faults via a PM. If that's the case secrecy is pointless. Just an observation on my part.

Dave.

[Roy]

Hi Dave,

I think you make a good point.

Although I do understand and respect those who wish to keep such images private, I think overall that knowledge is power and the more we can educate each other the better armed we are.

I realized this is a 'double edged sword' and don't know if it is the correct answer to this issue or not - hence my understanding and respect for those who decide otherwise. However I do feel when all is said an done that sharing knowledge openly is perhaps the best way to go..just..!

That my tuppence worth...

Cheerio,

Roy

[arnhem2280]

Well just suppose for a minute it was the real thing (and although I have a good collection of LRDG items I'm no expert on them) the owner now has had his sale of it scuppered on one other dealers say so who may or may not be right in his thoughts on the slide.

I'm sure that this isn't the case but I wonder if a 100% correct SF item was on e bay would collector/dealers be offering their positive thoughts on it or keeping very quiet about it.

Far too many secrets. There's plenty of people on the forum who are happy to show fronts (and rears ) of very rare badges in their albums and if I was good at computers I would be happy to as well. Although anyone looking at my posts can see I have done that for forum members in the past with I think a Chaplains title that was extremely rare and a Royal Engineers Parachute title which was likewise rare.

Cheers

Arnhem

[General Ignorance]

Call me a suspicious old Hector, but I do sometimes wonder about grave warnings posted on here about this or that "fake" item on auction sites.

People are always happy to identify an item as fake but are rarely if ever prepared to share their reasons for thinking same. Could they not just be trying to clear some of the opposition for a badge they are after??

As was illustrated recently over a couple of LRDG badge threads most of the info on this subject is at best disputed & at worst diabolically murky. I wonder why the few people who claim to be in the know are not prepared to share their knowledge more widely.

I repeatedly hear that "The fakers will use this knowledge to make better fakes" true, that could be the case in some instances, but would it not be for the greater good for more collectors to know what to look for in the first place.

[Belly]

In fairness to Keit,h he offered to PM people with this information.
I'm not sure fakers are that intelligent to be honest, when you see the terrible tat out there that they produce! They prey on those that don't do their research and who are usually looking to get something hugely below market rate...

[Sonofacqms]

I think that LRDG fakes abound in all different qualities, at one point in Egypt LRDG personnel were ordered to go on leave minus insignia as many deserters were posing as LRDG members.

My point is where did the deserters get their insignia from?

Rob

[arrestingu]

....look at the sellers other items sold....wouldn't buy anything from them.....

[arnhem2280]

If anyone wants to see original LRDG items go back through my posts and you will find images of some.

As an aside, its amazing how helpful SF collectors/dealers/ Witch finder generals are at taking the moral high ground when it comes to knocking a piece of SF insignia and how they never seem to do the opposite. I appreciate that they may want to add it to their own collection or list of items for sale. Wouldn't it be a refreshing change if it was to happen.

Lets face it, apart from the very obvious fakes that proliferate in the SF badge area there are many that may or may not be the real thing and a lot of it is purely opinion and as there are very few records to help then one persons 'expert' opinion is not in my mind proof one way or another. It is just a reasonable indication.

Badges ,cloth, in particular to small WW2 SF units especially those that were raised in N.Africa or the Mediterranean theatres of war were made by a number of tailors to a varying standard and approximate dimensions and look.
Until someone actually ever comes up with a pattern book of them all (which is not going to happen) then there are always going to be a whole variety of different variations.

Even in the couple of good books that have been written about Special Forces and Airborne insignia which are heavily illustrated there are errors to be found.

In the future I am going to take images of some of my SF and Airborne collection and put them on the forum for members to see for their own eyes the differences there are to be found. Any comments on the badges negative or positive will be welcomed

Cheers

Arnhem