I Hate Blades

[GTB]

What a shame. Can anyone enlighten me as to the necessity of the powers that be (or were) deciding on OSD bz badges requiring to be manufactired with blades as a fastening.

What was the logic behind this?

I have other badges with broken blades, not to mention a broken heart whenever I unintentionally end up with a newly fractured blade in hand. I have decided not to attach through frames as heretofore but to leave blades untouched.

GTB

[Another Bubble]

I've got a small number of this type of badge, as yet not displayed other than resting on my mantelpiece.

I display my other badges on artist's canvasses & use a small craft knife to make a cut for the slider or lugs to go through. I'd already decided that I wouldn't dare to try bending the blades on my badges for fear of breaking them. Instead, when I have enough to cover a canvas, I intend to buy some of those small foam squares that you can get that are adhesive on both sides & attach that way.

I know this doesn't answer your question as to who had the bright idea to develop this type of fastening in the first place, but I hope it might give you an idea as to how you want to display this type of badge.

[sketchley kid]

I repaired a Bays Officers Badge with broken blades in Italy workshops
..........I put a slider on it!!

[KLR]

I was once told that the reason for blades on OSDs was in the nature of the badge. S&G badges - and others - needed to be removed from the hat to be polished every now and again.
OSD badges were not supposed to be ostentatious - rather the opposite - so they did not need to be cleaned / polished and therefore did not need to be taken off an SD hat every now and again.
That said, I have quite a few OSD badges with loops and even a couple of S&G badges with blades ! I know of silver officer's badges with sliders too !

[sketchley kid]

This is how I do mine........I don't even attempt to bend the blades........

[John Mulcahy]

Originally Posted by sketchley kid

This is how I do mine........I don't even attempt to bend the blades........

smart move!

[GTB]

Originally Posted by sketchley kid

This is how I do mine........I don't even attempt to bend the blades........

Good thinking. But what option is there when the badge's blades are not folded over as in your attachment, but unfortunately sticking out perpendicularly from the badge? I intend not to attempt any folding whatsoever.
Having said that, I once read somewhere that blades (aspecially on plastic badges and more prone to fracture/snap), have a right and a wrong way of flattening when attaching badge to a surface (headdress, frame, etc). It all has to do with the direction but I'm hazy on it

GTB

[manchesters]

Hold the base of the blade with small long nosed pliers so there is no movement between it and the badge. Then slowly bend over the remaining part of the blade with another pair of pliers.

I have done it a lot, but make sure there is no fracture line on the blades beforehand, they will be about 3mm from their base if they are there.

regards

[JerryBB]

I assume they have hardened with age over the years and when new were soft and pliable.

I do like SOD badges and accept the hassle they sometimes cause.