How to tell ww2 cloth trade badges
 

All,
How does one distinguish ww2 made cloth trade badges from post war made examples? I note that some have a white backing; others black. Additionally, I note examples embroidered on serge while others are on a felt like material.Thanks much!

CB

trade badges
 

Hi
Firstly i am far from an expert i learn everyday on forums such as this but if it was me and the badge has white in it i would use a UV black light to see if the material glows.If the white area in your badges glow you can guess they are post war.
This is only one of maney tools to start pointing you in the right direction in cloth items.
So then summing up a no glow is a good indicator to start.
Then may be a burn test.

Firstly, why would anyone want to know?

Secondly, Edwards and Langley could help in some cases. Anything in the 1984 edition is bound to be 1984 or earlier.

Thirdly, sealed patterns are dated.

Fourthly, museum specimens attached to uniforms are usually kosher. Usually.

........... I could go on ...............

When you say post-war examples due you mean items manufactured up to 1960 when the patterns changed or recent repro's?

Its its the former it can be difficult to tell and more and more repro's items are coming on to the market for the living history guys.

I would like to think most experienced collectors can identify the modern repro's but this obviosly come through looking at lots of badges. Its a pitty you live so far away or I would invite you to look at my collection which must be one of the biggest in the country. I also had the benefit of building up my collection when the book first came and no one was interested in trade badges. Hence cheap prices and very few repro's on the market.

Neil

By definition, I built MY collection before the book came out!

The definitive collection is, I believe, at the NAM: the whole Edwards collection. Again, almost all pre 1984 except modern stuff.

I visited your co-author in Frome many years ago and viewed his collection before he donated it to the NAM.

He is still there: we correspond sporadically!

The type of backing hardly helps when it comes to dating a trade badge. At least that is the case when it comes to shoulder titles and formation signs, I assume it goes for trade badges as well. The weirdest badge I saw was backed with newspaper and right as rain!
The same for serge and felt, I have wartime shoulder titles that show both.
My theory is that it was a matter of availability.

Luc, Was that newspaper backing sort of ground up? And then under a piece of backing material, like black cotton? The paper was used as a stiffening?
Several Canadian titles are made with this construction, and the pattern has not been explained as to time period or geographic location.

It wasn't ground up, just a sheet of newspaper that was sewn onto the badge (Polish para collar kite) without any further backing material. Since a single sheet hardly works as a stiffener I can't think of a purpose at all. Sory I can't be more helpful.

newsprint backing
 

Ref. the above posts concerning news paper backing. Here is one of a pair I have from Australia that has first a white muslin then newspaper and finally brown wrapping paper (stuck to the residue of the embroidery) which I have folded back to expose the article on "DIOR". A clue to dating this piece?. Regards, David J.

I am sure you already realise this, but that is not necessarily going to do you
any good in dating it. They were austerity years and nothing was thrown
away in those days. My gran used to keep not only the brown paper from
parcels, papers, etc etc but the string as well. I used to have to untie all
the knots for her when she wasn't able to. Don't rely on tracking down the
article date as a pointer....

It can't be earlier than the article. ;)

Luc, Absolutely. i was just trying to point out that if the article date was
(say) from a paper 20/30 years previously, it won't help in dating the badge.
Incidently, what could I use on the AAC leather bag to stop it cracking up up
over time?
david

I use renaissance wax for leather treatment. It works very well and it doesn't darken the colour like a regular wax would.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Wax