WWII RCN rating sleeve badges

[rubicon]

Hi RCN and folks,
All the WWII RCN rating sleeve badges I have in my collection are embroidered with rayon threads which make them very bright in yellow or red colours. Do you know if all the WWII RCN Canadian made sleeve badges were made with rayon threads or if cotton threads had also been used by Canadian makers?

Royal Navy rating sleeve badges for N°1 uniform were also made in rayon as economy purpose in 1944-45. I have shown here a British Petty Officer rank sleeve badge "economy pattern" which belonged to a Shipwright Petty Officer who worked at the Chatham's dockyard from 1940 until 1945 when he was demobilized. Cheers. J-F

[RCN]

Well first off they would not have been in embroidered in rayon at that time period. I dont think synthetic embroidery thread was widely used in manufactured WWII badges. They would likely have been done in cotton, or some similar embroidery.

Usually the colour on the yellow embroidered badges is quite bright. I have shown a few of them in my previous threads on RCN WWII period rate badges.

Bryan

[RCN]

Another thing I just thought of is that rayon melts when put under a flame, so I suppose you could check a badge by trying this, but of course you would ruin the badge! I have never tried it but I have been told this is a way to tell, especially with modern repro badges.

& also rayon embroidered badges glow under ultra violet light. I have seen badges tested at shows by these special lights made for this purpose. I know the KM (nazi navy)period badges have to be checked carefully for modern rayon embroidering as there are so many repros being passed off as orriginals.

Bryan