Hey everyone ! Let me introduce myself. I am a collector of Imperial Russian Shoulder Boards. My collection consists of approximately 850 pieces dating from the Crimean War through WW1 and the Russian Civil War.
Here are a couple of photos of some enlisted mans straps in my collection. I am always seeking to purchase original examples. Not the fakes you always see on Ebarf. Anyone with original shoulder boards interested in selling can contact me at : pagoni@sbcglobal.net



Some more enlisted mans shoulder straps with some cadet and military school straps.

Hi Patrokl!

Very nice collection.
Thank you for showing it, and welcome to the MCF.

2 notes:
1. I move this thread to the imp. russian uniforms, as far as shoulderboards are not the awards etc., but the part of uniform.
2. I will edit your post and exclude the offer of trade/sale from it, because this is against the MCF rules: all offers of sale, trade, and similar must be posted in appropriate topics. We have the Sales/Trades section, please, post your offers there.

A question: can you tell me, what is that 4th blue shoulderboard from the 1st upper row of the 1st picture? I have seen the buckle with similar emblem, just curious what is it.

It is the cypher of the Russian Prince Alexei, son of Nicholas II. The shoulder board is for the 1st Orenbourg Cossack Regiment. The buckle you described is for a military cadet school.

Thanks!

The buckle was a repro, but I just was curious, what does it reproduct.
Now I know.

Thanks again!

Shoulder boards of Czar Nicholas II.
Colonel-en-Chief, 4th Guard Rifle Regiment of Tsarkoe Selo.
Adjutant to Czar Alexander III and Alexander II (His father and Grandfather)

These shoulder boards were worn exclusively by Czar Nicholas II.

These boards have no cardboard inserts and were made soft for the purpose of sewing to his gynastorka shits. Most photos of Czar Nicholas in the period of 1916 till his death show him wearing a gynastorka shirt with these boards. The uniform of the 4th Guard Rifle Regiment was worn by the Czar throughout WW1.

Source : My closet and hidden from my wife.
Prior source : Can't say. But they came to me during the Gorbachov days of
glasnost when all government employees had no paychecks and
prior to all the fakes being made.
Original source : Nicky's closet

Very nice collection sir! All the best, Jon

5th Hussar Regiment of Alexandra Fedorovna
2nd Lieutenant

20 Findlanski Dragoon Regiment
Lieutenant Colonel

Her Majestie's Maria Federovna Guard Cuirassier Regiment, Captain.

2nd Kaukaus Division Pilot
Staff Captain, Overcoat style

Naval Rear Admiral, Retired
Overcoat style

Patrokl,

First of all, Welcome to the Forum. Secondly, what a magnificent collection you have there.


Regards,


Joel

Thanks buellmeister,

I started my Imperial Russian collection back in 1975 long before all the fakes were being produced. Collecting shoulder boards among Imperial Russian collectors was a dog item or bastard child at the time. No one wanted them. All the Imperial Russian collectors wanted the orders, badges and swords. Cloth was considered left to the moths. I considered shoulder boards to be as equally rare if not rarer. As a teenager in the 70's, I could not afford a gold Saint Vlad for $200.00, but for 5 or 10 bucks could obtain a shoulder board. So thus my collection got started. And... believe me when I say that original shoulder boards were not easily found back then either. Now that I have a fairly large collection of original pieces, it is very easy to spot all the fakes coming out of Russia. To me, collecting Imperial Russian Shoulder boards was very fascinating because it told more of a story : Rank, unit, City the person came from and where on the front that person fought if you did some research. Today, these boards are very well sought after and rarer then the badges and orders everyone pursued.

Patrokl, some of them look like soviet shoulderboards.
How do you see the difference?
I mean, is there any difference between tsar's age and soviet ones?

There are several things to look at :

1- Czarist bullion braid has a different weave pattern then the soviet WW2 pieces that you see many fakers use. Imperial Russian boards are tightly woven then Soviet ones and often made of 94% silver wire or gold gilted 94% silver wire. 94% silver wire is like Sterling silver. That is why when they tarnish, the shoulder boards turn black in color. Soviet boards turn blue green due to Copper or brass bullion wire being used.

2- The wool cloth on Imperial boards are also very fine and tightly woven like German mohair cloth. Soviet pieces (Coarsely woven material) have a lot of fuzz and you can see the coarse weave patterns.

3- Imperial Russian boards have a thin bobin thread that is tightly stitched through the board with many loop stitches per CM or Inch. Soviet boards have a more thicker bobin thread loop stitch pattern that is spred out with less loops per cm or inch.

I hope I did not educate the fakers in Russia on making a better shoulder board.

Nice collection

Simply astouding. Thank you for sharing!