1917 Death Head

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by saab-bob

Would be interesting to see the style of the TK logo on one of the German WW1 rifles you mentioned.
Bob

Bob, I can't remember now if the pics were here or at Jan's site...maybe someone else remembers??? The skull (and I think the lazy S) were in the same place; over the chamber...

I'm fascinated by the graphics style itself...'Cartoonish' was the term SIG2101 used; but if you do a Google Search for 'Pirate Flags' or 'Jolly Roger' you'll see that the skull & bones were pretty cartoonish even way back in the 1700's...

We've become accustomed to the anatomically correct skull & bones, but early pirates (and Freikorps, which is almost the same thing) weren't doctors or anatomy professors...And they obviously weren't artists...

This theory that a German gunsmith would copy cartoonish graphics at the request/payment of an American importer just seems so...improbable...

I just can't see anyone with the skill to do metal graphic engraving (whether diemaking the stamp or cutting the metal with a chisel) not improving the design...

To me, the amateurish graphics prove the authenticity...No, not of all, but at least some (maybe most) of them...I would be surprised if there weren't examples of double-strikes, or uneven strikes, of the skull graphic on some Lugers...

My original question was if the graphic was the same for many Lugers...indicating the same die was used...But I know I've seen different sized skulls pictured, so there had to be more than one...