UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons Edged Weapons Accoutrements Forum Eichorn Dagger tags

Hello Wim, please apologize when I say that I personally cannot see much in these heavy enlarged pics (it?s the same in the prominent hr thread...). And I never would recommend to open such a tag to remove the paper insert for examination. It is easy for a collection, when you have such a tag and you are happy with it simply let it be that way.
You say that you are writing an article ant I think this is another level, nearly a forensic level and as you state yourself you want to do it right.
It is a very delicate thing to disassamble such a tag. And a broken tag is a loss from about 400-600 USD... If you have no good feeling perhaps you have somebody around you who has already done it successfully and has the feeling where to assess and where not.

There are several, easy ways to get the proper or approximately proper paper which I don?t want to reveal as fakers are reading even here.

Yes, I know that Skipper Greenwade has the paper insert shown in Me Fecit Solingen, but a pic from the insert is the same as any copy. It is just important to see what the insert looks like for anyone who has not seen such an insert unfolded.

When you examine such a paper tag (unfolded, what you should do when writing a serious article) you should have a doubtless original one and do 1.) a photocopy and 2.) a pc print copy. Not till then you can compare these three, also in large magnification. So you can come to clear, serious results.
Such an article always has also the danger that fakers get knowledge they normally do not get...

I also do not believe that the metal tag is faked for the moment. It?s special structure is not easy to fake, there are several steps to manufacture such a tag perfectly. But on the other hand in many countries work is cheap and there are also old manufacturing methods used so what do we know for sure? When I look at a lot of tags I think to see some minute differences. Could be manufacturing differences (these tags were at least made during several years), but we have to stay careful and suspicious. The "spidering" of the lacquering on your tags is always a very good sign (like on SA dagger scabbards) for originality.

All the best for your work, regards,