Came Across WW II, German Binoculars Large Nazi Eagle & Swastika Marked

albayo

albayo

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I came across a set of binoculars 7 X 50, on the right side is a large Eagle carrying a Swastika over an M, & Artl.

On the other side it is marked
7 X 57
beh
354606 (T)
KF​

Here are some pictures which shows a considerable amount of wear but am not sure if its from WW II use or post war. What would be the best method of cleaning up some of the dust and grime on them?

PC040707.jpg

PC040708.jpg

PC040705.jpg

PC040706.jpg
 
They are probably Naval binoculars Zeiss made similar 7x50's for the Kriegsmarine but i'm not an expert on them BMK also made military binoculars for them.
 
Story once related about 20 years back to me by someone who worked for Zeiss...

Someone inherited a pair of binocs made by Zeiss for the German military in WWII. Weren't in too bad condition, and decided he'd like to have them cleaned up and any faults repaired. Apparently he shipped them off to Zeiss, requesting an estimate on costs, if at all possible to do anything with them.

Zeiss, as the story goes, was so impressed with the condition of the glasses that they overhauled 'em and returned 'em...no charge.

Not suggesting this is standard practice, but was pretty cool thing to do at the time.

FWIW.
 
beh = Ernst Leitz ...
they are Kreigsmarine binoculars .. usually pretty good

yours apparently have gone through a "war"


BTW - pretty sure the Artl is coastal artillery which was under Naval command (eg Kreigsmarine) fwiw
 
cool stuff... I was at a market type sale thing a little while ago and they had a lot of nazi war stuff. Some medals, bayonet, flag pole topper, all with the eagle and swastika.
 
If they are commonly available then value may not be an issue.

On the other hand, if they are rare, then like Doc said, leave em be.
 
Well, you could dust them very carefully but i would abstain from any strong stuff, if I were you: these are great pieces of history and they deserve care and respect in cleaning them.
First chase the crud off the lenses with an appropriate blower and soft brush (a clean powder blush brush is good at this). In case there is some stubborn stuff sticking to the lenses surface, use cleaner made for photo lenses. Never put the cleaning fluid directly on the surface of the lens. A few drops on a suitable lens cloth and wipe this on carefully without too much pressure.
As for the metal, you can use one of these great blue microfiber cloth you can find at Dollarama for 1$; they are terrific for any cleaning chores. Just dampen it a bit and clean the surface. Dry it immediately and leave it just like it is.
I'm pretty sure that given their marine military spec construction, these binoculars' interiors are still free of dust and humidity.
Good find!
PP. :)
 
I'm not an expert on binoculars like this but have done a lot of camera repair on vintage equipment.

If these binoculars have lens coatings, be aware that early Leitz coatings are very delicate, much more delicate than the hard magnesium fluoride coating that Zeiss applied. The internal coatings are likely even more delicate. Some rub off with a tissue, they are that delicate!

I have seen vintage Leica lenses with ruined front objectives, from photographers cleaning them with their silk ties.

I would blow and lightly brush only unless you really know what you're doing.
 
i can echo what is being said here about going real soft with lens tissue and soft brishes- and i worked for wild for almost 5 years- if the controls are the least bit hard to move, DON'T move them-as far as shipping them back to zeiss goes, if we were in eruope, yes, or bring them in, but now with all the inconvienences in place and the fact they're nazi marked, you may not see them again- remember, border services german were confiscating anything with a nazi emblem at one time including childrens model kits- second solution would be to get a hold of an ASTRONOMY club( there's probably one at the planetarium ) or somebody that REBUILDS GEODESIC EQUIPMENT ( that's theodlites and levels- survey equipment) and have them "take a look" - that's only IF the unit is malfunctioning- if the tunnels and axis still move freely, a simple EXTERNAL lens cleaning may be all that's needed-
 
Worth Taking the Time Time to do it Right

.. I would echo what's already been posted in regards to treating the Lens, very, very gently ! Try not to use a lot of force to get the adjustments moving.. little at a time or not at all. Probably lube that's dried hard, over the past few decades ! ..... As to the external, I've used, with success, a little, applied gently, "Armour-All" and that included the Case, on a set of Canadian Navy, Issue REL 7x50 Binoculars (1945/Refurbished 1950). ..... Perhaps, very carefully applied/used Saddle soap MIGHT be OK for the external covering, but remember it's old, dried out and GLUED on covering!.... While they might not be worth enough to pay for your Kids College Education, they are still an interesting Artifact, and worth taking the time to preserve, both for Interest and Posterity ! .... David K
 
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