Cuff titles original or fake?

[jonofro]

FAKE? ORIGINAL?
THANKS

[Bankers]

I am no expert on cufftitles, but: letters not evenly spaced, word "Afrika Korps" runs together. Some letters appear higher than others. I would say that they are bad. Martin

[Bankers]

I will make another quick comment on the cufftitles: It is proper for the words "AfrikaKorps" to run together on the one cufftitle. However, after looking at some other cufftitles which are for sale on other well-known websites I am of the opinion that the sewing on the back as well as the wording and spacing on yours does not match any of the others I have seen which are supposedly original. I am still of the opinion that yours are "probably" of post-war manufacture. Martin

[Scharf]

I think also that they are fakes. Letters,quality...etc.Sorry!

[Mark in Cleveland, Tn.]

Is that KRETA cuff made out of the correct material?
This looks like modern "Duck" canvas which sells for $ 1.00 a yard here in Cleveland...

[hankmeister]

Kreta is no good.

Hank

[jonofro]

why kreta is a fake? thanks, I think that "AFRIKA" is original?

[Bankers]

AFRIKA is no good either. Look at the "R"---it's stunted. RIK is crammed in between the two "A's". Palm trees do not match. Sewing on back is not right. Martin

[pzrwest]

Like posted the I is squished between the R and the K you will notice that when you use a computer to embroider the spacing is missing if they used a digitized scan of a real one the spacing would be there

[Alexander Bergen]

Greetings!

To begin with, there was never an official armband with the word AFRIKAKORPS. And if there had been, they would not have used the kind of lettering your example shows.
Rommel's "Deutsches Afrika-Korps" (and later the "Panzerarmee Afrika") wore the band with the word AFRIKA flanked by two palm trees.

Although there have been different manufacturers of the armbands, and subsequently minor differences in the finishing details, the general designs were kept quite strict.
I am therefore sorry to say that your armbands KRETA and AFRIKA are very likely fakes (as the AFRIKAKORPS is for sure). Though KRETA looks almost right, the lettering is wrong. The same goes for AFRIKA, which also displays the wrong kind of palm trees.

Sorry for having no better news for you.

[pzrwest]

I beg to differ here is a scan from Brian L Davis's(pages 76,77) book showing a soldier wearing the AFRIKACORPS cuff title.It was instituded 21st of June 1939.Here is the scan and close-up of the cuff title:

[hankmeister]

why kreta is a fake? thanks, I think that "AFRIKA" is original?

The "russian braid" (the yellow trim on top and bottom of band) should be on the border, not near it. The stitching to the lettering is also wrong, and the acanthus plants are wrong. The only thing good about it is that it's the right colors - yellow and white.

Hank

[jonofro]

In this web Afrika have differents acanthus plants :SEE:

http://www.choiquehobbies.com.ar/revist ... kcinta.htm
:roll:
What do you think?
Thanks
Regards

[seitengewehr1]

Just put them under a black light to see it the thread glows. That's what they do at most military shows to check for fakes.

[Simon Orchard]

I beg to differ here is a scan from Brian L Davis's(pages 76,77) book showing a soldier wearing the AFRIKACORPS cuff title.It was instituded 21st of June 1939.Here is the scan and close-up of the cuff title:

That's good going. Institute a cuff title before the war's started and almost 2 years before the first German troops set foot in Africa.

Just put them under a black light to see it the thread glows. That's what they do at most military shows to check for fakes

not everything post-1945 glows and vice versa for pre-1945