Navy Wing Die - 1920s?

[Gary B]

Is this a 1920s Navy mini wing die?

 

Gary B

[Gary B]

.

[Gary B]

..

[firefighter]

Not an expert but it looks like a printers block.

[Kropotkin]

Could be an embossing block owing to the depth of the details.

[LuftStalg1]

I have a printers block for a small wing and it doesn't have this kind of detail. I would lean toward embossing, maybe for paper were that detail will show up.

[cwnorma]

While it is not the die, it could be the hob. The hob is the "pusher" part that pushes the metal down into the die.

 

Some manufacturers used the cliche' method of striking badges to save metal. In the cliche' method, the die has most of the fine detail and the hob has enough detail to press the thin metal for the badge down into the die and pick up the intricate features engraved in the the die.

 

Some benefits of the cliche' process include the ability to produce highly detailed badges with low pressing pressures required = lower equipment costs, and as noted above, allowed for less metal to be used in manufacturing the badge--again reducing costs. On the other hand, badges made using the cliche' process are relatively thin, and easily bent.

 

A number of manufacturers of WW1 era wing badges used the cliche' process. Shreeve and Co of San Francisco used the process. However to make up for the inherent weakness of a cliche struck badge, Shreeve soldered the cliche' struck front of their badge to a thick, solid sterling silver back-plate--much the same as a high-quality WW1 German pilot badge. The silver parts of the "Dallas" type wings are also struck using cliche'. The number of "Dallas" badges found with bent or broken wing-tips attest to the problems with weakness in cliche'.

 

The term cliche,' As in; "'All that glitters is not gold' is such a cliche'." actually has its origins in this type of jewelry manufacture. The jewelry making term cliche' described items that looked rich, fancy, and intricate but were actually cheap, hollow, and lacking real substance. It eventually worked its way into the vernacular to describe any statement that seemed profound but was trite or overused.

[B-17Guy]

Cool piece Gary and thanks for the information cwnorma.

 

John

[firefighter]

I have a printers block for a small wing and it doesn't have this kind of detail. I would lean toward embossing, maybe for paper were that detail will show up.

 

I have some printing blocks with wings with nice detail.I will have to dig them up.

[rustywings]

While it is not the die, it could be the hob. The hob is the "pusher" part that pushes the metal down into the die.

 

Some manufacturers used the cliche' method of striking badges to save metal. In the cliche' method, the die has most of the fine detail and the hob has enough detail to press the thin metal for the badge down into the die and pick up the intricate features engraved in the the die.

 

Some benefits of the cliche' process include the ability to produce highly detailed badges with low pressing pressures required = lower equipment costs, and as noted above, allowed for less metal to be used in manufacturing the badge--again reducing costs. On the other hand, badges made using the cliche' process are relatively thin, and easily bent.

 

A number of manufacturers of WW1 era wing badges used the cliche' process. Shreeve and Co of San Francisco used the process. However to make up for the inherent weakness of a cliche struck badge, Shreeve soldered the cliche' struck front of their badge to a thick, solid sterling silver back-plate--much the same as a high-quality WW1 German pilot badge. The silver parts of the "Dallas" type wings are also struck using cliche'. The number of "Dallas" badges found with bent or broken wing-tips attest to the problems with weakness in cliche'.

 

The term cliche,' As in; "'All that glitters is not gold' is such a cliche'." actually has its origins in this type of jewelry manufacture. The jewelry making term cliche' described items that looked rich, fancy, and intricate but were actually cheap, hollow, and lacking real substance. It eventually worked its way into the vernacular to describe any statement that seemed profound but was trite or overused.

 

Excellent description Chris! Thank you...

 

 

[Gary B]

Thanks for the information. I know it is not a printers block since I have several of them (attached).

 

So is the consensus that this is a hob to a 1920s Navy wing? Any idea of value? I assume it is for a mini given the zie.

 

Gary B

[Gary B]

.

[Owen]

Who knows where I can get something similar made??

 

Help,

Owen

[Kimo]

Thanks for the information. I know it is not a printers block since I have several of them (attached).

 

So is the consensus that this is a hob to a 1920s Navy wing? Any idea of value? I assume it is for a mini given the zie.

 

Gary B

 

I am not sure I would say there is a consensus. One possibility is that it could be a die hob but it could also be something else such as something to impress the design into something like paper or leather or wood or such. To confirm that it is a die hob one would need to find a navy wing with that design impressed into the back.