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Huge KM Flag and Binoculars in Bakelite Case

ugafx4

I buy capture paper guns
Staff member
I picked up a vet grouping and brought home a couple items. Here is a massive KM flag. Its 6.5 feet by 11. 200cm x 335cm. Flag is in perfect shape. I wish I knew where the vet picked it up, he was with the 101st airborne and was some cool places. It is brand new and made in Berlin so maybe he just got it from the factory or a warehouse in Berlin.

I have no idea what I am going to do with it. I am not sure how I should fold it? Store it? Any advice would be great.....good thing my wife is gone so I can lay it on the floor.

Also a set of binoculars. Any insight on these would be great.

Also, any idea of value on the two pieces? I got a massive grouping and want to give the veterans family a fair price.

Thanks.
 

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Not in Canada, it was sitting in the box at my house the whole time I was there though. Everyone knows that feeling....

I got a ton of 101st Airborne books with it to. Unit History. Unit History in Pictures. Couple magazines. Some patches....I have all of his service records. He was in the 13th armored and then 101st airborne. Wounded in Action. I have not had time to go through everything yet though.
 

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The bino's are cool, standard 6x30's, I think off the top of my head ddx was Voigtlander...

The flag is very cool too, a bit tough for display though, that's why the big ones really don't sell as well, but its really cool.

Nice snags!
 
The Voigtlander binocs are earlier than the case, hope they're still clear. Belt loops and leather pull are unfortunately missing as is the shoulder strap and buckle, which weren't always used. The flag is a Navy issue for a large vessel of facility. Those were usually made of wool and quite durable as long as there aren't any moths around. The US didn't make it into Berlin, but unfortunately the Soviets did. Nice finds!
 
nice grouping. The flag Is for a pretty good size ship maybe a destroyer ? They were made and issued for the size of the ship. 50x85 is the smallest then go up from there.

The DDX is voightlander and the case is correct for that period glass so they were probably together since the war. Im guessing circa 42 based off the finish and the markings.

101 patches are nice ! two different variants.
 
Got out my Voigtlanders numbered 120938 in original '41 dated case (fnh) which is black and of typical early wartime quality. The rough, unfinished plastic binocular cases appeared later in the war and seem to be more scarce. Also, the later much poorer quality leather belt loops and tab on these didn't age as well as those of earlier manufacture and are more frequently missing. White lettering and the blue circle indicating fit for cold weather use are still present but these were painted-over in black if the binoculars were rebuilt. Aluminum construction is typical of pre or early wartime manufacture with white metal coming into use during 1943. My most reliable benchmark on these is a complete early wartime set of Swarovski 6X30's numbered 47623 in unissued condition with all straps and eyepiece protector. For some reason, Swarovski (cag) used a white circle preceded by a + to indicate suitability for cold weather use.
 
Got out my Voigtlanders numbered 120938 in original '41 dated case (fnh) which is black and of typical early wartime quality. The rough, unfinished plastic binocular cases appeared later in the war and seem to be more scarce. Also, the later much poorer quality leather belt loops and tab on these didn't age as well as those of earlier manufacture and are more frequently missing. White lettering and the blue circle indicating fit for cold weather use are still present but these were painted-over in black if the binoculars were rebuilt. Aluminum construction is typical of pre or early wartime manufacture with white metal coming into use during 1943. My most reliable benchmark on these is a complete early wartime set of Swarovski 6X30's numbered 47623 in unissued condition with all straps and eyepiece protector. For some reason, Swarovski (cag) used a white circle preceded by a + to indicate suitability for cold weather use.

the earliest use of bakelite bino case is 1938 as I have seen them dated 1938. The black cases may or may not have been used though out the war a I have seen 10x as many black as brown or red. The brown cases seemed to be short lived and have a lot of cloth material used as a binder. More so than the black or the red. The chart on the case shows you the make up of the bakelite. Weavers book on the subject really sheds some light on the subject.

Here is the photo of the bottom of the case 1938 dated bino case..
 

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No surprises. I've had natural plastic cases from late in the war with belt loops that appeared to be made of paper laminate or some other Ersatz material, which eventually disintegrated. Since they were riveted to the case, replacing them wasn't feasible. Black cases are indeed far more common because many more were produced over a much longer period. Typically though, if there's a three-letter code on the closure the earliest possible date of manufacture becomes obvious. I've either traded or seen both leather and plastic cases Waffen Amted with pre-war dates. What muddies the water on the German 6X30's is that due to their excellent serviceability, many foreign armies continued their use long after the war and due to simple wear and tear, many were refurbished when and by whom, is difficult to determine. Also, accessories bacame mixed. Prices on these in clear, original condition with good collimation are still quite reasonable so repairs can easily exceed the value of the binocs therefore I avoid those needing cleaning due to damage or fungus. Cases, particularly complete ones, can easily fetch two or three times the price of decent glasses. So far, most accessories for these are being reproed but I have yet to see a repro plastic case.
 
From all my research the presstoff straps were used then phased out for whatever reason as all the late red cases have leather straps.

Short term they worked fine Im sure but why stop using it ? Long term they get brittle and snap. Most all the paper ones I own are broken at the hinge point.
 
To what research data are you referring? Other than personal experience and that of others in the trade over the past sixty years I have found very little. While we're on the topic, Has anyone come across button tabs for German 6X30's of indisputable prewar manufacture?
 
my own. When time permits I can post items from my collection. Buy and collect and study any item and patterns will emerge.

Late red cases have leather straps for the most part. The red case is the last variant. They actually went to a prestoff type case right at the end of the war for the 6x30 as well. Very few I have seen and a post war version also exists.
 
Has anyone come across button tabs for German 6X30's of indisputable prewar manufacture?[/QUOTE]

any and all I have seen were dated and waffenamt'd. The waffenampt will tell you who made the item.
 

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