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Pasquale (B. Pasquale) of San Francisco, CA: Examples and Patterns


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Patrick,

These are the 2" version.

Bob Schwartz was kind enough to ask me to post these on his website www.ww2wings.com. I want to thank Bob for the honor of being able to contribute to his collection. When I first branched out collecting all the different varieties of US military wings, it was his site that I used as my primary educational resource along with this forum.

I am quite sure that everyone here has been there, but just in case you've missed it, you will find it as valuable as I have.

Thank you once again Bob for the privilege.

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  • 7 months later...

Well after a few years looking I have finally found a House of Swords catalog that shows a picture of the infamous Pasquali & Co. for sale!

 

The wing is distinctive:

 

post-182-1291836769.jpg

 

notice the "Dallas" wing with the slightly different size US

 

 

Price List:

 

post-182-1291836806.jpg

 

I know that this is not conclusive proof for all. but it puts the issue to rest for me personally!

 

Paul

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Well after a few years looking I have finally found a House of Swords catalog that shows a picture of the infamous Pasquali & Co. for sale!

 

The wing is distinctive:

 

post-182-1291836769.jpg

 

notice the "Dallas" wing with the slightly different size US

Price List:

 

post-182-1291836806.jpg

 

I know that this is not conclusive proof for all. but it puts the issue to rest for me personally!

 

Paul

 

Paul thanks for posting this information. Is there a date on this?

 

John

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I know that this is not conclusive proof for all. but it puts the issue to rest for me personally!

 

Paul

 

Can you put this in context and tell us what the issue is, and does this mean it's a fake, fantasy or real item?

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From another post, and my website:

 

I have been trying to track down the origin of these wings for several years. The following is my theory:

This wing (mine) was purchased several years ago on eBay; It came out of the western part of the U.S.. This was the first one saw on eBay, since then I have seen several more. At first, they all came out of the west, now they have been seen all over the country. A set of these also turned up in a 30-year-old collection.

I have since held 3 of these, and each one had a different pin. A collector friend who had access to a spectrometer had a set analyzed and apparently the silver was of a type used in the 40's. The construction is correct, soldered posts and they are die struck. The wings are very heavy.

The first thing that jumps out is the spelling "Pasquali" (of which I can find no reference) NOT "Pasquale" which was a known wing maker. In addition, the wing I have has a very lightweight pin, the wing from the older collection had a heavier pin, the third wing had different wing from the other two. Finally, there was yet another set of these being sold by a dealer who was selling off much of the old stock of an shop called "The House of Swords". Apparently, this store commissioned many incredibly well made fakes of all types, lots of Nazi items and WWI wings.

Though yet another collector, I discovered that apparently it was a family member of the owner of the House of Swords that was selling this old stock on eBay and privately through this intermediary dealer. This intermediary dealer was located out west.

I know that there is a lot conjecture here on my part, but the facts seem to add up. A collector buys one of these in the late 70's early 80's, nice pin possibly from the House of Swords, or on the secondary market. The owner of the House of Swords dies suddenly, and these wings disappear from the market. 30 years later, A family member starts "cleaning out the basement" and these wings resurface, possibly without the pin. Pins are added with whatever is handy, and they start showing up on the market again. Please feel free to drop me an email if you have any other info that either proves or disproves my theory!"

 

SO, I think they are fantasy pieces!

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Paul,

 

Sorry for some reason I'm not getting all my eamils from the forum, the company is/was "House of Swords". They were out of Kansas City, MO

Paul, does that catalog show the gold Pasquale FS & FN wings that crop up now and then? I know JW makes some of them (cast, I think) and they are sold through other outlets...I'm just wondering if those wings were ever made as original stock for Pasquale? If not, then I wonder why someone would make them to such a high quality standard using an obsolete merchant for its hallmark. I've had one some years ago and posted it somewhere in the forum...it was a heavy, well executed piece and die struck.

 

PS

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  • 2 weeks later...

I find these Pasquale hallmarked wings fascinating each time they come available. They are die struck, very well finished with a blasted reverse surface similar to the later LGB wings, a 90-deg cam pin, flat, and of substantial weight, a bit heavier than LGB wings. To my eye, they appear to have a gold wash or plating, the color is not brass, more like 18 kt or greater. They appear to be unused.

 

They do not have the appearance of JW productions. The obverse die is the same or very similar to that used by Dondero and on some unmarked WWII era Flight Surgeons that show use. However, both of those makers used a different reverse that shows a curved indention rather than the flat reverses these wings have.

 

Judging from Duncan Campbell's book, they first appeared about 1985-90. I'm going to have an acid test done on them to verify they are sterling. These wings are either new, old stock or someone went to a lot of trouble to make and exceptional wing that never was.

post-3515-1293419848.jpg

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I find these Pasquale hallmarked wings fascinating each time they come available. They are die struck, very well finished with a blasted reverse surface similar to the later LGB wings, a 90-deg cam pin, flat, and of substantial weight, a bit heavier than LGB wings. To my eye, they appear to have a gold wash or plating, the color is not brass, more like 18 kt or greater. They appear to be unused.

 

They do not have the appearance of JW productions. The obverse die is the same or very similar to that used by Dondero and on some unmarked WWII era Flight Surgeons that show use. However, both of those makers used a different reverse that shows a curved indention rather than the flat reverses these wings have.

 

Judging from Duncan Campbell's book, they first appeared about 1985-90. I'm going to have an acid test done on them to verify they are sterling. These wings are either new, old stock or someone went to a lot of trouble to make and exceptional wing that never was.

 

 

Paul I am looking foirward to the results of the testing - check your PMs.

 

John

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The font used for PASQUALE is 1/16" on both wings.

Here is my set, bought about ten years ago.

They have been added to the "Box of Tears" for about six months.

 

Cheers, John

 

Front

post-12439-1293471357.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
The font used for PASQUALE is 1/16" on both wings.

My jeweler reported back on these wings today. He declined to do any destructive (acid) testing on them as he believes them to be unquestionably sterling as marked. He further stated that he has never seen anything from this period and so marked that was not sterling. In addition, for what it's worth, he is an ex-Army helicopter pilot.

 

PS

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Paul thanks for the update! I guess the mystery continues!

 

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth!

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Paul thanks for the update! I guess the mystery continues!

 

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth!

Absent a credible story to the contrary, I'm leaning toward these wings being from an undelivered or NOS-type of stock that may have been caught in the 1944 Army spec change. They're always gold, always marked Pasquale, sometimes marked sterling, sometimes unfinished, and sometimes accompanied with a story of left-over salesman stock. With sterling prices as high as $50/oz in the early 1980s, I would be incredulous that someone would embark on a fantasy project aimed to deceive under those conditions.

 

Someone posted on this forum a while back that he recalled seeing sterling USAF wings in the PX priced at $200 or so during those years. I would suspect that few were sold at those prices...enter Sta-Brite.

 

PS

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  • 1 month later...
That's about the nicest wings i've seen and looks like they are one rare bird not to mention they are in mint condition with the original card man you must be very happy with those wings Bob.

 

Hey Buddy

Just wanted to keep your memory around the forum for awhile longer Eric.

 

Bravo Zulu

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  • 6 months later...
Airborne-Hunter

I talked to a former employee of Pasquale and he told me they never made any wings, but bought them from Blackington (?) and marked them Pasquale.

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  • 10 months later...

Here is an example I just picked up. They are 2" and weigh 9.62 gm. Is there something nearing a consensus either way with these? They are certainly a different pattern than the example shown earlier in the post, but I cant' find any other reference point for this one.

 

Ian

 

 

nurse1.jpg

 

nurse2.jpg

 

nurse3.jpg

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