6x30 ordnance tan 'cag' Swarovski binoculars

[Scharf]

Hi guys,

I wanted to share with you one of my latest find, at first I thought it was just your typical 'cag' 6x30 binos but when I recieved them in the mail and unwrapped the whole thing...
I finally caught a glimpse of the serial number only to realize how high it was for Swarovski. So I went looking online and couldn't find any higher recorded serial number. The closest one was 312422. If only it could talk of its whereabouts! Enjoy this used but not abused very late optics!

 

[Scharf]

Update: latest known serial is 312573, still crazy!

 

[mauser202]

Really nice looking pair. I like the look of the tan ones better that black.

 

[Scharf]

Really nice looking pair. I like the look of the tan ones better that black.

Thanks, these are quite the rare bird, just look at the database with the latest known serial... I'm not over it lol!

 

[pzjgr]

Nice set of glass! Thats cool its just about the latest s/n recorded. I like the late ones with the tan painted objective covers too.

Funny true story about Swaro...we had their reps come in to do a Product Knowledge class for us, you know they go over their product lines, why they are the best, warranty stuff, blah, blah, blah.

They mentioned they of course repair and refurbish any Swaro products if they can, even the old stuff. Once it was over I went up to them and asked how far back would they be able to support repairs...they said basically they have some older guys in the shop that could work on most of the old stuff...they asked how old, I said, "Oh, I have a few pair of WWII German military Swaro's I would love to have cleaned nd adjusted"

They looked t me and said, "Swaro wasn't founded until1949 we didn't make optics in WWII"

I said sure you did, your manufacturing code was cag, and I have several pair of Swaro optics from then...

They insisted they only came about in 1949...and their official website says this:

"In 1935, Wilhelm Swarovski, son of the original founder, was 17 years of age. Already an avid hobby astronomer, Wilhelm’s passion “to be closer to the stars", as he himself described it, awakened his ambition to build his own, improved binocular. With access to the specialized glass production and finishing technologies already used to manufacture jewelry stones in his father’s factory, Wilhelm managed to develop a novel prism fabrication and grinding process that he applied in constructing his first 6x30 binocular. Wilhelm went on to found SWAROVSKI OPTIK KG in Absam, Tyrol, in 1949 thus laying the foundation stone for a sport optics company with a global reputation. His company’s first serial product, the Habicht 7x42, is still an industry standard in the field of hunting optics and continues as ever to be produced by SWAROVSKI OPTIK in the best tradition of its founder."

So what was ol' Wilhelm doing between 1935 and 1949? lol...

My guess is "technically" this is correct, as the original Swarovski corporation was officially disbanded in 1945, and a new oe started in 1949...but its funny how some of these companies are so woke now, they disavow their roots...

 

[Guillaume d'Orange]

They looked t me and said, "Swaro wasn't founded until1949 we didn't make optics in WWII"

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and Longines and Jaeger LeCoultre did not make watches for Wehrmacht officers, or Leica cameras for PK reporters.

 

[Scharf]

Nice set of glass! Thats cool its just about the latest s/n recorded. I like the late ones with the tan painted objective covers too.

Funny true story about Swaro...we had their reps come in to do a Product Knowledge class for us, you know they go over their product lines, why they are the best, warranty stuff, blah, blah, blah.

They mentioned they of course repair and refurbish any Swaro products if they can, even the old stuff. Once it was over I went up to them and asked how far back would they be able to support repairs...they said basically they have some older guys in the shop that could work on most of the old stuff...they asked how old, I said, "Oh, I have a few pair of WWII German military Swaro's I would love to have cleaned nd adjusted"

They looked t me and said, "Swaro wasn't founded until1949 we didn't make optics in WWII"

I said sure you did, your manufacturing code was cag, and I have several pair of Swaro optics from then...

They insisted they only came about in 1949...and their official website says this:

"In 1935, Wilhelm Swarovski, son of the original founder, was 17 years of age. Already an avid hobby astronomer, Wilhelm’s passion “to be closer to the stars", as he himself described it, awakened his ambition to build his own, improved binocular. With access to the specialized glass production and finishing technologies already used to manufacture jewelry stones in his father’s factory, Wilhelm managed to develop a novel prism fabrication and grinding process that he applied in constructing his first 6x30 binocular. Wilhelm went on to found SWAROVSKI OPTIK KG in Absam, Tyrol, in 1949 thus laying the foundation stone for a sport optics company with a global reputation. His company’s first serial product, the Habicht 7x42, is still an industry standard in the field of hunting optics and continues as ever to be produced by SWAROVSKI OPTIK in the best tradition of its founder."

So what was ol' Wilhelm doing between 1935 and 1949? lol...

My guess is "technically" this is correct, as the original Swarovski corporation was officially disbanded in 1945, and a new oe started in 1949...but its funny how some of these companies are so woke now, they disavow their roots...

That is a neat story showing the denial times of former nazi controlled companies... oh wait it still exists as of today! I once contacted the Robert Klaas firm to gather information about a lock blade knife and they kindly provided the catalog entry from 1932, I was so pumped. I then asked them if they had any knowledge of the nazi era etched weapons and they shut me out lol. I've tried asking about both post war civilian and ww2 knives since, under the same account name and they never bothered responding to any of my inquiries haha. You can't erase history, it's just what it is, but Germany still hasn't fully recovered from its wounds and "dark" past. I don't blame them, you just want to move on with your life.


Swarovski made 6x30 really early on after the surrender. You can find tan binos with just the 6x30 marking, they are early post war using war time parts.