Chindit cloth badge
 

A friend is offering to sell me this badge but I am having doubts about its authenticity.

It appears to have no age at all, the thread appears to be too orange compared to others that I have in my collection and I do not like the way that the backing has been machine sewn to the badge.

That said I would welcome your thoughts.

I must confess at first glance it looks fine to me.

Perhaps just unused?

I would be happy with taking a chance on it.

Cheerio,

Roy

Don’t collect cloth and know diddley squat about it, but, as an outsider looking in I agree the orange thread looks shiny new and even a bit nylon-ey for a +70 year old badge. Have you tried it under UV light? If it is an original the condition is truly remarkable.

Luke,

I am pleased that you agree as I have a very strong gut feeling about it despite Roy's undoubted expertise in the subject. Having looked at Ted's excellent album, (Roy's no longer seems to exist), there are similar badges but in nowhere near such 'new' condition. It is almost too perfect.

I have not done a UV light test as I haven't got a UV light. Any ideas where I could get one?

Simon

Roy,

many thanks for the thumbs up. It certainly has many of the signs of a good one but I am worried that it is in too good a condition and that the thread is too orangery.

There is a similar badge that also has the same backing in this album, but not in this condition. Photograph No 9.

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...hp?albumid=407

Simon

Simon,

You can get mini UV torches that fit on a key ring on eBay for under a fiver. Also useful when staying in hotels or shining at yellow tailed scorpions in Kent ;)

Luke

Completely fine and genuine

No issues at all

Thank you. Clearly the amount of fakes around are making me wary of buying anything in too good a condition. I am going to look at it under UV light and then buy it if it passes the test,

I picked up 5 key ring UV jobs for a fiver on eBay, they're useful but don't have a very powerful light so are best used in total darkness and are a pain to use because you have to keep a button pressed down in use. They're convenient, but I'd get one of the smaller "proper" hand held versions.

Forgive my ignorance - under a UV light, what would you expect to see from a genuine item?

The UV "Black Light" test shows fluorescent whitening making the thread/fabric glow. However this test is inconclusive to determine if an item was made before 1945 as fluorescent whitening agents were in commercial use in 1940. Indeed they had been developed in 1929.
The fluorescent whitening agents have also been used in washing powders, so anything so washed may glow also.

Google Garry Symonds and "The Black Light Test Revisited" for more details.

Keith

fine an dandy an original - NO QUESTION , Alot of these badges were purchased but never worn, too near the wars end