G. Appel rg34 hkw oddity

Copped this pic off the net of a G. Appel "64" coded HKW. Can't say I have ever seen one with the stamping on the reverse side of the tool. This raises the question as to how the stamp was applied in the first place. I thought it might have been machine applied prior to forming the tool in a press. However, don't see how the marking would have come out correctly if the blank had been installed upside-down before forming the tool. Guess it must have been hand-applied, which appears evident by the variation in depth of the die strikes of the 6 & 4...

A very interesting oddity.

With regard to the marking of the tools, In my opinion seems to were machined applied, after their manufacture at the press.

It seeems that the "64" code on the Hülsenkopfwischer at first were stamped with a thin dies, thicker at latter. Same as the code on the Behälter, thin code with the tinned cases, thicker with painted.

Some pictures, Two types of "64" code stamps, note also the mirrowed stamping stroke at the reverse. Also another oddity, a "64" code tool marked upside down (from the net also !).

Antoni

Excellent information, Antoni. The consistency of the "64" code's location on the HKWs is very accurate...perhaps so much so the markings must have been applied by machine after all. The marking on the tool I posted appears more like that on your later KHW than the earlier one. I should think the code was applied when the blank for the HKW was flat. If this was the case, then when loaded into the forming tool, the code side would be facing up (assuming the press punched down and shaped the tool in doing do. Only if the blank was loaded with the marking facing downwards, would it appear on the underside after forming (or at least that is how I think it would work).