FP,
In regards to the details of the SS Property Stampings I can only give an opinion. I do not know how they actually performed the stamping operation or how they backed up the belt loop on the frog, and how sharp the Property Stamp was. In addition being a mechanical engineer I know that you can get stress cracking in materials when sharp corners and shrinkage is involved.
Furthermore, looking at some of my other frogs with the property mark stamped into real quality leather a dull image with lack of details can also be found. I saw no cracking on any of the frogs of real leather with a SS Property Stamp.
Now let us address the 98/05 frog with the SS Property Stamp.I am looking at it now under a glass and the details of the TK are perfect. However, there is a stress riser at the same place on the upper skull as the TK on the 84/98.
Why is one stamped TK better detailed than the other? One must look at all of the variables in order to make a good decision.
Quality of workmanship is also a big factor. I have numerous bayonets and one Death Head Luger that have double strikes. The double strike definitely affects the appearance of the Property Stamp. As for the 84/98 TK, I can not tell if it is double struck or not.
Richard Kuchta
Richard while I wasn�t an ME myself, one of my roommates was, another an Aeronautical Engineer etc. so I have an appreciation of stress cracking and some other technical matters. With the one I pointed out the result of an impact - not stress from bending or shrinking.
�Andy, there are definitely different styles of SS Property skulls. You can see this quite readily on the SS rifles. There has to be some significance to the different style of skulls. Please see Angolia's Cloth Insignia of the SS: pages 189 to 195. Some of these Collar Tab TKs show up on property marks.
I just looked at my SS Ammo Pouches and they are all SS Property Stamped. SS VT; SS TV; Waffen SS ...... All of my 15 SS Combat Belts are SS Property Stamped. SS VT; SS TV; Waffen SS.
If they property stamped all of the above items, why would they not property stamp Bayonets & Frogs????
Could you get some dimensions using a micrometer and calipers. This could at least give us a stake in the ground so as to compare known blanks to the SS blanks.�
With the focus of my question, not really the history of the SS, but only as it related to bayonet frog markings. And if we use the �VA� frogs as our
�stake in the ground� for the SS-VT (which I had assumed was OK with you as the users of the �VA� marked frogs). What do you think an LAH marking should look like, versus the SS-TK. And if we take it a step further, are the Death's Head markings on the later frogs supposed to be just for Eicke�s men? In other words some kind of a general outline, so that we understand each other, and are all talking about the same thing.
Best Regards, FP
