Kriegsende is a small side business which developed over 2008 and went online in early 2009. I have been making reproductions, mostly paper items, since I first started reenacting. I was 15 then; I am 23 now. Don't let my age fool you. My items speak for themselves. I had never considered making items to sell but as the projects grew in expense and complexity it was no longer feasible to produce small numbers to keep for myself and still maintain high quality standards. I reached a point where I had to choose to either not make an item or make enough of them to sell. It is important to me that I always make the most authentic items possible and to have them made here, locally; I work out of my home in Salem Ohio and in cooperation with various area businesses, machine shops and friends from the hobby, each with their own particular skills set. This is by no means a large operation and I generally keep the production runs small. I will only sell items that I would use in my own impression. I am not much of a sales man; I prefer to present my items as best I can with pictures and good descriptions and trust that the items can sell them selves.

The real goal of Kriegsende Militaria (kem) is to make unique items, make them well, and make extras so other people can have the chance to own them. I will happily supply to film studios, reenactors, collectors, or any other interested person or company. Accuracy, authenticity, and attention to detail are important to me. I will only make an item if I feel confident the result will hold up to these standards. Many reenactors have a 10 foot rule; I like to maintain more of a 10cm rule. Most of my projects are inspired by a desire to see what a soldier would have 60+ years ago. Its great to hold an original even if it is rusty and pitted but a soldier would have been holding a factory fresh piece and probably pulled it from a full box piled with similar full boxes and that is the experience I wish to recreate.

Ever since I have chosen to pursue reproducing these items for sale I have had a few friends, who are all skilled in their own right, join me in my efforts to improve Reenacting as a hobby. They also produce items of unbelievable quality, accuracy and with great attention to detail and I offer their items on my site. I keep the items in stock and at hand so that ordering is a simple process.

Why Kriegsende (wars end)? I thought about names for a long time. A name can be descriptive or it can focus on something specific. I thought about dates, battles, and fronts but that never seemed right. So I picked the only part of war that made sense, the end.