Third Party Press

DougB exposes "Champagne Rune" SS Decal Fraud and Adds a Coffin Nail to XRFacts

Template, spray painted C-SS insignias would explain why there are no "loosies" or C-SS decals found in un-applied form such as other TR decals are found. I understand how people who do not collect SS helmets could be fooled by the C-SS spray-jobs, but those who collect SS helmets and are familiar with the fine details of the decals (who have examined them all carefully under a loupe) should be able to tell the difference between a decal and a spray painted insignia.

When I joined my first helmet forum (WAF), I noticed a two-tier (caste-style) system; those who were part of 'the gang' (insiders) and the outsiders. I also noticed that certain information was 'privileged', meaning that it was kept from the outsiders. It was difficult to get some of these insiders to divulge certain information. They were keeping it to themselves. I wonder if the same held true for the C-SS paintjobs; those who were 'in-the-know' knew what was happening all along.
 
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Back to the question as to why the XRFacts clowns were fooled by an alleged spray-painted "decal," it's because the handheld XRF can't detect the elements that comprise the celluloid material. The handheld XRF can't detect the lightest elements. The best models can detect Magnesium, Atomic Number 12, but nothing lighter. Celluloid is an organic plastic comprised of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. All of these elements are lighter than magnesium. So, the celluloid material is invisible to even the best handheld XRF instrument.

The reality is that XRFacts couldn't detect decals. They could only detect some of the elements in the paint on the decals.
 
XRFacts aside, what about purely visual inspections, such as medium to high magnification or even a 10X loupe ? Painted C-SS insignia must look quite different than decals under magnification, especially since painted C-SS appears very flat without the body of a stacked celluloid decal even with the naked eye.
 
My opinions:
When I joined my first helmet forum (WAF), I noticed a two-tier (caste-style) system; those who were part of 'the gang' (insiders) and the outsiders. I also noticed that certain information was 'privileged', meaning that it was kept from the outsiders. It was difficult to get some of these insiders to divulge certain information. They were keeping it to themselves. I wonder if the same held true for the C-SS paintjobs; those who were 'in-the-know' knew what was happening all along.

I first joined WAF over 10 years ago and saw quickly that the helmet mod, Perry Floid, was IMHO quite self-important, somewhat of a buffoon, and prone to censor tantrums whenever anyone disagreed. It was important at WAF to "agree" and not be a "troublemaker", i.e. disagree with Floid and Willi Zahn. I knew this because Willi PM'd me when I publicly agreed with some "troublemakers". I was advised that I should not do that, that was disfavored, and I quickly saw that meant Floid and Zahn censor and ban tantrums. The abuses were bad enough that the people fleeing these tyrannical buffoons created two new sites, MCF and GHW. These are the circumstances under which the Champagne Rune Hoax and XRFacts Hoax were advanced and perpetuated. The "truth" was determined and pre-ordained by WAF and you were either a Waftard and agreed or a "troublemaker" to be silenced. In my real world, Waffloid and Wafzahn are irrelevant and tiny. In WAFworld they and those like them are giants, shot-callers. Again, thus in WAFworld, the Champagne Rune is real (depending who is selling it) and XRFacts is the "savior of the hobby".

I believe your last sentence sums it up. Thankfully, there is plenty of bandwidth for sources of information and exchange of same other than WAF. Rest assured that DougBs revelations about the Champagne Rune Hoax would likely be "troublemaking" at WAF, if any insiders got their little midget toes stepped on just as were our XRFacts revelations here.
 
XRFacts aside, what about purely visual inspections, such as medium to high magnification or even a 10X loupe ? Painted C-SS insignia must look quite different than decals under magnification, especially since painted C-SS appears very flat without the body of a stacked celluloid decal even with the naked eye.

That is apparently what DougB is going to show. I'm quite sure there is behind the scenes scrambling much like roaches when the kitchen light is flicked on.
 
XRFacts aside, what about purely visual inspections, such as medium to high magnification or even a 10X loupe ? Painted C-SS insignia must look quite different than decals under magnification, especially since painted C-SS appears very flat without the body of a stacked celluloid decal even with the naked eye.

That's the million dollar question. Doug B is the proponent of high magnification visual examination of decals. I wouldn't think that it'd take high magnification to detect a non-decal insignia vice a decal insignia. Although you've indicated that others in the past have commented about C SS decals appearing to be spray-painted or "spray-job," I'm surprised that the fraud has taken so long to be fully exposed. Again, kudos to Doug B. for adding overwhelming evidence exposing C SS lid charade. I haven't read the thread, so I don't really know what's being reported. It's good news if it fully exposes another class of fakes.

Regards
 
Although you've indicated that others in the past have commented about C SS decals appearing to be spray-painted or "spray-job," I'm surprised that the fraud has taken so long to be fully exposed.

That is a very probing statement. Those comments about C-SS decals having a 'sprayed-on' appearance were back in 2004. Certainly SS helmet collectors back then were not total idiots. The were looking at decals under loupes then like they are today. The old WAF posts indicate initial doubt from some members, but then acquiescence as big names were dropped. I would say that a bit of 'persuasion' was being applied to get everyone in line behind the C-SS decal. Those ranks seem to have held firm until just recently.

BTW: No ripples yet that I can see over this on either WAF or WRF, although WRF was the place the C-SS decal was outed in the SS runic decal reference section.
 
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Although you've indicated that others in the past have commented about C SS decals appearing to be spray-painted or "spray-job," I'm surprised that the fraud has taken so long to be fully exposed.

That is a very probing statement. Those comments about C-SS decals having a 'sprayed-on' appearance were back in 2004. Certainly SS helmet collectors back then were not total idiots. The were looking at decals under loupes then like they are today. The old WAF posts indicate initial doubt from some members, but then acquiescence as big names were dropped. I would say that a bit of 'persuasion' was being applied to get everyone in line behind the C-SS decal. Those ranks seem to have held firm until just recently.

BTW: No ripples yet that I can see over this on either WAF or WRF, although WRF was on place the C-SS decal was outed on the SS runic decal reference section.

My opinions:

"Acquiescence as big names were dropped" is how the hoax was perpetuated IMHO. Money was being made and I imagine some "big names" may be embarrassed or worse, have to refund. Better for one hand to wash the other and perpetuate the hoax, butchering the truth and ethics in the process, than for any big names to suffer embarrassment or heaven forbid, refund thousands.

That the simple act of high magnification examination and discussion was never done, particularly over the last decade when such cameras and technology have been cheap, is shocking. IMHO, it can only mean two things: 1) that sect of the hobby is stewarded by idiots; or 2) that sect of the hobby is stewarded by corruption. IMHO, this is even more obvious than the XRFacts hoax that WAF was pushing as "savior of the hobby" because of the big names involved. The perpetrators will have to debate it openly or drop off the radar. WAF will censor, delete, and ban to make sure that the "little people" never get the truth at the expense of any "big names". In my opinion, I expect Willi Zahn, etc., to proclaim, just as when the XRFacts hoax started crumbling, to the effect of "move along, nothing to see, we are handling all of this privately, no more discussion, problem resolved."
 
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If this is all true, the Champagne Rune SS lid, a high premium lid, long suspected of being a post war fabrication, coveted for its beauty and proudly displayed for sale on at least one prominent lid book author's website will likely be sold for a fire-sale/scrap sale price. They'll make good re-enactor's lids.
 
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If this is all true, the Champaign Rune SS lid, a high premium lid, long suspected of being a post war fabrication, coveted for its beauty and proudly displayed for sale on at least one prominent lid book author's website will likely be sold for a fire-sale/scrap sale price. They'll make good re-enactor's lids.


^^^ I'd like 10 lids for the garden to use as flower pots for Tomato Plants!
 
I would also like one of these SS helmets as a display piece. But I want to pay the fake price. Honestly, someone let me know if they come across one for sale priced accordingly. Thanks
 
:thumbsup: All you'd need is an XRFacts light show, pie chart, and COA to go with your Champagne Rune SS lid and you'd have your a$$ totally packed.

I think the secondary market for these is going to be pretty interesting. Like bobbing sea turds, they will be forever be washing back up on the beach at fun shows, etc. I suspect there will be little old "vets" who "took it out of a half burned half-track in Belgium" enlisted to walk them around the funshows and regional milshows in wrinkled paper bags to sell for $1500 to those who thinking they are putting one over on the "vet". They'll be on Craigslist, at antique shops, estate sales, and other off the grid venues. This will provide us with much more amusement over the coming years. For me, the WAF Lid Gods are little more than any other helmet peddler from back in the day. Their tables had good stuff, humped stuff, and they had sales pitches just like most every other dealer with a table full of helmets to sell back in the 80s and 90s.

raccoon-popcorn-o.gif
 
That's the million dollar question. Doug B is the proponent of high magnification visual examination of decals. I wouldn't think that it'd take high magnification to detect a non-decal insignia vice a decal insignia. Although you've indicated that others in the past have commented about C SS decals appearing to be spray-painted or "spray-job," I'm surprised that the fraud has taken so long to be fully exposed. Again, kudos to Doug B. for adding overwhelming evidence exposing C SS lid charade. I haven't read the thread, so I don't really know what's being reported. It's good news if it fully exposes another class of fakes.

Regards

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416906&highlight="GOLD+STANDARD"&page=2

WAF: SOS XRFacts Presentation

This screenshot is discussing XRFacts, but Doug makes the comment about magnification.

X ray Element Composition Analysis of German Helmets
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299609&highlight=SS+CHAMPAGNE&page=2

"I have been playing with 400X magnification as I do not believe fake decals can be perfected to that level of detail and that originals may have a "fingerprint" as will the fakes as well." 2008.
 

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My first SS Helmet, CKL SS M42

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=678881&highlight=SS+CHAMPAGNE

This helmet goes back to at least 1976.
Zooming in on this decal and using a standard magnifying glass, I can see where the white background paint has encroached upon the black background runes, making the runes edges very irregular. This phenomena does not occur on known factory runes, does it?

When Doug posts the finer details of these, I suspect that the black shield background was painted first, dried/cured, and then the white shield with cutout/masked SS runes went on top of that. This is where the white paint encroached to a small degree on the black runes. Possibly some aging that may have included some dings, scrapes and especially repetitive pock marking that is commonly seen on these.

EDIT: Or maybe it was the other way around. Using a loupe, I believe I'm seeing black paint encroaching upon the white.
 

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hkp M42 SD SS Champagne with COA
 

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