HangTagGallery/ 2

This tag is from the firm Ernst Pack&Sohne,Solingen /Siegfried Waffen. Also the "man swinging the hammer". Pack has quite a following in collector circles and the quality of the items is very high. The E.Pack tag I show from my collection is a paper tag pressed inside the outer metal shell backing. The outer shell is a "zink"color. The heavy red string is pressed between the paper and the metal shell and extends past the lower edged. The string is one of the heaviest types encountered on Solingen maker tags. The paper insert shows the firms name surrounding the "man swinging the hammer" and "Sigfried" in script and "Waffen". The metal shell has a cavity running the length of the tag that the string rests in. The reverse is stamped D.R.P. which translates to Deutsches Reichs Patent or German Empire Patent. Not to be confused with DRP(German Postschutz markings) The periods between the letters is good reference to the patent marking. You will also see metal backed bayonet frogs with this marking and also other items. Just a FYI on the D.R.P. marking.

Also of note is another variant of an E.Pack tag which a collector has provided photos of. The tag is made the same but the color of the metal backing plate of the hang tag is a brass toned metal. Other than that it is the only noted difference in the two types. Thanks to D.D.Harris noted E.Pack collector and dealer for sending the photos of the other variation. The tag I show was purchased in 2002 from a gun dealer in Maryland. It was strung onto the frog stud of a E.Pack long model dress bayonet. E.Pack hang tags are very sought after and not often encountered. The last Pack tag I seen for sale was for 550$ usd on a dealer site back in 2004 and it was gone in short order. I would think at todays (2009) rate we may be looking at 850.00$ to 900.00$ price tag. Pack made a wide range of edged weapons from dress to combat piecs.

I have not been an active collector of tags for all that long a little over 8 years, so I'm not a seasoned vet at this. When Mike Hansen had first got me hooked on hang tags I wondered how the hell do you find them?? Well he never gave up that secret and it does take some time to make the connections to find these and a ton of luck. I have only bought one tag from a dealer to date. Mike did really have a fantastic collecion of these things but when he got out of the hobby a few were sold off to collectors and the majority of his collection was purchased by Craig Gottlieb. Mike had posted a thead on the GDC dagger forum and collectors would add to the thread it was really a nice collection of tags and a even better resource. The thread was deleted by the site owner as many threads were for a reason that was a best cloudy. Over time the owner/owners have stated all old threads would be re-set but thats been over 4 years ago and to date nothing has been done. So here you are :) A lack luster attempt at best by me but I hope it does help out some of you. I had ask Craig Gottlieb, after his purchase of the tag collection, if he would consider some type of book or handbook on the subject. At last report Craig was working on Reproduction, Recognition 3 with Fred Stephens. I see now he is doing some SS ring type of book. I was in frequent contact with him on the new tags I had purchased but with no real sense of if he was ever going to go ahead with any project related to this. He had also spoke of doing something for one of Tom Johnson's next books but again to date I have no info if this will happen. So I have spent the last year working on this reference section only to have my host delete all my content. I am now with a new host and re-doing most of the content here. You will note empty places but but I am working to replace the content and also I have new tags to add. If anyone has hang tags in their collection and would like to share the common or even uncommon ones it would be very cool!!

This hang tag is from the firm Carl Julius Krebs,Solingen. The tag shows the name of the firm surrounding the "crown over K" with the founding date of the company 1866. The tag has a lighter weight blue string. The obverse and reverse sections are glued together with the string in the center. The string is a lighter weight string that runs through the tag and exits the lower portion of the tag. The reverse is printed the same as the front. C.J. Krebs tags are one of the most common control tags a collector can find. Krebs producted many types of items from dress daggers to export cutlery. If you have a "minty" item Krebs tags are a cheap entry into the hobby of tag collecting.

This factory control tag is from the firm Carl Eickhorn, Solingen. Eickhorn is the most noteable maker of period edged weapons. Some collectors will specialize in only Eickhorn products. The firm has a following like no other. This obverse of this tag shows the firms trademark squirrel grasping the sword. With "Original" on the top and "Eickhorn" and "Solingen" under the feet of the afore mentioned "rodent". Also at the very bottom section of the obverse is marked "GES. GESCH". The reverse of the tag shows "Eickhorn Tradition Qualitat". The string is again like the E.Pack tag very heavy. and white/ivory in color. The string runs into the top section of the tag(where the tag was bent over and around **see below**) the tag terminates inside the tag and does not exit the lower portion like others encountered. What is unique about the Eickhorn tag is the small paper insert at the lower section. If it is pulled out it can be opened and is printed with the company logo and other company information. I strongly suggest if you own this tag DO NOT pull out the paper insert!!! It will be a bitch to get back correctly if at all and it will de-value the tag.**The hang tag shown here from Eickhorn is really two parts**. The tag itself is a single stamped piece which is then folded over and mated to the opposing side. **** DO NOT remove the paper insert**** The Carl Eickhorn hang tag seems to break the rules on valuation and rarity. Over time I have seen many tagged items by Eickhorn and also many single tags for sale. While they are not plentiful they are not ultra rare either. The E.Pack tag is much more rare than the Eickhorn. The price of Eickhorn tags then should be more reasonable but they are not. Eickhorn tags creep upward in price at a steady rate. At last check a few online dealers were asking over 750.00 - 850.00$ usd. Tags with out the paper insert were about 100.00 - 200.00$ usd less. Add an Eickhorn tag to a minty type dagger you can add at least the the 750.00 -850.00$ usd to the cost if not more!! Here is where collector demand drives the value of these items.

February 2009 update!!! While talking with Tom Johnson (of Johnson Reference Books and Militaria) on the matter of rare and unseen Solingen Maker hang tags, he had listed a Heer army dagger by E.Pack with a new variant Pack tag. I was granted permission to post the tag(only) in this photo reference. I would also add that as of this update more information has came to light regarding Solingen maker tags and I will add this information as time allows. Again this was for sale on JRB&M web page. Note the tag while metal backed with the paper center the printing of the black background on the paper is omitted on this tag. Also the wording is changed to "ORIGINAL PACK'S BLANKE WAFFEN" And under the logo is marked just "SOLINGEN". The backing looks to be brass based, but this may be the lighting the photo was taken. The reverse is marked as stated in the above section. The string/cord on this example is quite long in respect to the others listed here but is made in the same manner. Further updates on rare tags and new variants will begin in March of 09.