Tonomachi Posted September 16, 2012 Share #1 Posted September 16, 2012 I saw this at an insignia show today in Northern California and it looked real to me but when I asked the seller if this was an original war time piece he told me that he had this and others made in Vietnam recently. I'm not familiar with this patch but what is scary is the way the back is made which looks just like the original war time pieces. He told me that they still use the older Schiffli sewning machines in Vietnam and orders whatever he wants to have reproduced. FYI Link to post Share on other sites
Tonomachi Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share #2 Posted September 16, 2012 Back Link to post Share on other sites
Bearmon Posted September 16, 2012 Share #3 Posted September 16, 2012 Holy Crap! That is scary good! Link to post Share on other sites
jgawne Posted September 16, 2012 Share #4 Posted September 16, 2012 They've been doing this for a long long time. Most of the 'old stock' patches people have bought in Nam over the years were done by the same old ladies, on the same machines, with the same material- but for collectors and not soldiers. Link to post Share on other sites
irish Posted September 16, 2012 Share #5 Posted September 16, 2012 I agree that these are getting scary good. Unless you spend a lot of time handling good period insignia these will fool you. It is getting to the point where you won't buy viet era insignia unless it can be attributed or unless purchased from reputable dealers only. but this is good advice for just about all militaria any more. Link to post Share on other sites
Bluehawk Posted September 16, 2012 Share #6 Posted September 16, 2012 Anybody got an authentic one to show? HONORING FAMILY LtCol Wm Russell (1679-1757) VA Mil; Pvt Zachariah McKay (1714-97) Frederick VA Mil; BrigGen Evan Shelby, Jr (1719-94) VA Mil; Pvt Vincent Hobbs (1722-1808) Wythe VA Mil; Pvt Hugh Alexander (1724-77); Lt John R. Litton (1726-1804); Bvt BrigGen/Col Wm W. Russell (1735-93) 5th VA Rgmt; Lt James Scott (1736-1817); Capt John Murray, Sr (1747-1833); Capt John Sehorn, Sr (1748-1831) VA Mil; Pvt Corbin Lane (1750-1816) Franklin/TN Mil; Cpl Jesse D. Reynolds (1750-1836) 5th VA Rgmt; Capt. Solomon C. Litton (1751-1844); 1Lt Christopher Casey (1754-1840) SC Mil; Pvt Mark Adams (1755-1828); Pvt Randolph White (1755-1831) Bailey's Co. VA Rgmt; Capt. John R. Russell (1758-1838); Pvt Joseph T. Cooley (1767-1826) Fort Hempstead Mil; Pvt Thomas Barron (1776-1863) 1812; Capt. John Baumgardner (1787-1853) VA Mil; Pvt Joel Estep (1828-1864) Co B 5th KY Inf CSA & US; Pvt George B. Bell (1833-1910) Co C 47th IL Inf US; Cpl Daniel H. Barron (1838-1910) Co B 19th TN Rgmt Inf CSA; Capt Richard K. Kaufman (1908-1946) 7th PRG/3rd AF CCU; T-5 Vernon L. Bell (1926-95) 1802nd Spec Rgmt; PO2 Murray J. Heichman (1932-2019) HQSB/MCRD; PFC Jess Long (1934-2017) US Army; PFC Donald W. Johnson (1931-) 43rd ID HQ; A1C Keith W. Bell (1931-2011) 314th TCW; A3C Michael S. Bell (1946-) 3346th CMS; A1C Sam W. Lee (1954-2017) 2d BW; AW3 Keith J. Price (1975-) VP-10; 1Lt Matthew Wm Bell (1985-) 82nd Abn/SOC Link to post Share on other sites
Sabrejet Posted September 16, 2012 Share #7 Posted September 16, 2012 It can be honestly sold / described as a "Genuine Vietnamese-made patch"....except that it was made in 2009 as opposed to 1969!! Alleged "theatre-made" VN war patches have become a collectors' minefield...which is why I don't collect them. I leave that to smarter folks than I! "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!" Winston Churchill " Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans." John Winston Lennon Link to post Share on other sites
vintageproductions Posted September 16, 2012 Share #8 Posted September 16, 2012 This patch looks okay in the photo, but in person it wouldn't fool anyone who has ever handled real Vietnamese made patches. www.vintageproductions.com "A militaria show is a social event for anti-socials" - A.T. 2008 ASMIC Executive President Link to post Share on other sites
V42 Posted December 21, 2012 Share #9 Posted December 21, 2012 Everybody knows that they are still making items today in Vietnam, so just be careful. Link to post Share on other sites
firefighter Posted December 21, 2012 Share #10 Posted December 21, 2012 This patch looks okay in the photo, but in person it wouldn't fool anyone who has ever handled real Vietnamese made patches. This is true.But i'm sure this will end up on eBay and fool a lot of people. ASMIC #1098 Link to post Share on other sites
beezman Posted December 27, 2012 Share #11 Posted December 27, 2012 Some not-so-scary repros like thos one can fetch $300: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Patch-Vv758-RT-ILLINOIS-CCC-Vietnam-War-Special-Forces-Recon-Kontum-/360525981934?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53f105e8ee&nma=true&si=o8QLRZ%2FtJ%2Bw8z75kFkip%2FicqUyE%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 If there is a market for these horrors, the fakers obviously do not need to put too much effort in their creations. Link to post Share on other sites
vintageproductions Posted December 27, 2012 Share #12 Posted December 27, 2012 What's the saying? A fool and his money are soon parted........ www.vintageproductions.com "A militaria show is a social event for anti-socials" - A.T. 2008 ASMIC Executive President Link to post Share on other sites
firefighter Posted December 28, 2012 Share #13 Posted December 28, 2012 What's the saying? A fool and his money are soon parted........ Sad but true.Another wise man said, 'Any man that hates kids and dogs can't be all that bad'. ASMIC #1098 Link to post Share on other sites
gwb123 Posted December 28, 2012 Share #14 Posted December 28, 2012 Everybody knows that they are still making items today in Vietnam, so just be careful. A lot of the modern made reproductions have errors that betray them. Typically they are made with either synthetic materialsor thread, or both. (Yes, there were period made patches that were made with synthetics, but natural materials such as cotton, silk and even wool were more common.) Reproduced designs often use the wrong colors, are mishaped, or have design errors. And for some reason, many patch mills in Vietnam insist on artificially aging the patches they sell. They will be dirty or stained without any sign of ever having been actually sewn on a uniform. The best thing one can do is look at, touch and feel as many real period made patches as you possible can to learn what they should look like. Gil BurketOmaha, NESpecializing in Fakes and Reproductionsof the Vietnam Warburkcats@hotmail.com "One is easily fooled by that which one loves." Moliere: Tartuffe Link to post Share on other sites
all-bull Posted January 8, 2013 Share #15 Posted January 8, 2013 Blue, Here's the front of a real one. Hunter Anybody got an authentic one to show? "Bullets make the best goodbyes. The more people I meet, the more bullets I need." Link to post Share on other sites
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