Back
|
As of this writing (October 2004) there has been an upsurge in the number of reproduction M24
Stielhandgranate appearing for sale, which have been offered as authentic vintage grenades.
Of concern, it appears from bidding interest at auction, increasing numbers of collectors are having difficulty identifying fake from original. This is not about original grenades which have been repainted or otherwise restored. The situation here, modern reproduction items are being intentionally modified with the sole purpose to deceive potential buyers into thinking they are buying a WWII vintage item. Forgery, pure and simple. This is nothing new under the sun, but it serves only to do harm and foster bitter feelings. As these forgers succeed, inevitably others will follow. It is up to the buyer to not reward the effort. Here is a display of auction photos. All of these items generated buyer interest, some well beyond appropriate value, rivaling an authentic grenade. Not having a chance to examine something first hand, one can only tell so much from photos. However, a lot can be deduced from images, if one just knows what to look for. Caveat Emptor! |
|
This is a very common reproduction M24 stick. The most notable feature is the Serif font style on
the head, as well as the "manufacturer's code". These have been observed with different metal stampings on the top as well as late and early style stick designs, but the "Sk.Do 11.12." seems to be common to all.  The incorrect pull ball is also an easy "tell", but that is often replaced with an authentic one, as those are common to find. | |
|
Here, this repro was taken one step down the forgery trail with an aged finish applied to the metal. While it is possible the wood handle could be authentic, at this time it is assumed to be a repro as well. (Screw heads are too big.) Often conveniently omitted from bogus auctions are views of the base of the head, looking inside; screw cap features; and the fuze fitting. These are all areas that are worth inspecting as they often lack finer authentic details. Fuzzy, dark or otherwise poor quality images should also make one suspicious. In this example notice how the picture of the grenade is just fuzzy enough to help obscure the stencil, yet the "validating" date code on the wood is nicely displayed. | |
|
This was described as: "... a little different than the common M24 in that it is made out of a slightly thicker gauge sheet metal and is a little heavier than a normal M24." From the bottom photo it is clear that this head is the repro type as described on the previous page. Also note the italicized font style used for the date code on the wood, which is not what one would expect. If it were just the top photo to go by this would be nearly impossible to identify as a repro. But, even so, what still looks "odd" is the lack of any kind of anti-rattle spring in the cap. One would expect that to be present in anything but a poor condition relic. Of course even with an authentic grenade it could just be missing - just an observation suggestion. NOTE ! This tell tale smooth dimpled "fuze well" detail is increasingly being adjusted to look more correct. Often cut and dinged up to make it look like an inerted grenade. But the additional thread ring insert is still apparent, as described earlier. | |
 |
Now we are moving to a more advanced faker's art form. This was described as absolutely authentic, down to the rust. The head is the same dimpled fuze well type as above. Note the top of the stick where the fuze would be screwed in. The lack of any visible thread is a clear indication that this was never a real grenade. The domed top is incorrect as well. Notice the peculiar look to the rust - a heavy superficial deposit on top of an otherwise pristine surface. If this were subject to 60 years of moisture you would expect the wood to be weathered as well. Look at the end cap with the high finish to the metal thread. This is not original by any means. We have what appears to be an authentic pull ball, but the twine is not of the correct type as well as the omission of the knot holding the ball. Corrosion on the cap, but no indication that anything else has been touched by moisture. What about a view of the inside of the cap, showing the anti-rattle spring? (A difficult thing to fake.) Or how about the entire lanyard? The dimpled fuze well style head was an absolute indication of this being a repro. When the seller was asked about that he steadfastly stood by his story that this came from a recently lake recovered box of WWII grenades. (Well maybe that's where it was aged.) 
| ||
Items such as these are often described using various flowery terms such as "authentic", "honest", "superb", "true piece of history", etc.., or sometimes with hardly a word. Descriptions can be outright lies or carefully composed truths of omission. When sellers were sometimes questioned about their items, a very few acknowledged their error and put things to right. Many, unfortunately, refused to admit any impropriety and often hid behind stories such as "The guy I bought it from was a old vet who picked this up during the war and had it in his attic forever......" or some such. Some became indignant that they should even be questioned on the matter. It has been my personal experience that honest sellers are easy going and pleasant when questioned about their stuff, usually more than willing to listen and will admit when they might be wrong - we all make mistakes. Testy and arrogant people usually are the ones hiding something and will often try to put you on the defensive. Think about it, if their "rare and exceptional" grenade is truly that, they should have no problem selling, so why the compliant? Don't be intimidated. The bottom line... unless you know your seller to be true or at least have a money back guarantee, you will have to rely on your own eyes and common sense. Don't assume more than you can see and remember to buy the item, not the story! Good Luck and Happy Hunting! -ej |
|||
| 04.10.25a |
|||
Back