Vietnam era in-country made patches (1st Avn Bde, 5/60 medics, Jugle Clearer, Navy tab)

[Giovanni R.]

Hello,

I recently purchased these in-country made patches, any opinions and infos about them?
(warning: pics are huge!)

1st Aviation Brigade:

Central part looks hand embrodered, cheese cloth backing.

5/60 Infantry Medics

[Giovanni R.]

US Navy tab

 

538th Landclearing Company


Thanks in advance
Giovanni

[vintageproductions]

They are all real

[Giovanni R.]

Thanks for the raply Vintageproductions, are these all vietnamese made? I'm still learning, these are the first originals loose in country made patches in my collection.

[vintageproductions]

They all look Vietnamese made from the photos

[Giovanni R.]

Thanks!

[Patchcollector]

You have some nice pieces there.Regarding the 5/60th Medics patch;I too bought one of these a few months back,it may have even been the same one as it appears identical to the one I had,even the paper on the back,although I believe that you may have gotten yours from a different seller than I did.

It looked pretty good in the photos,but when I had it in hand my opinion was that it is probably a pretty nicely made copy,so I returned it.

[vintageproductions]

There's nothing wrong with this 5/60th that is shown. Looks like the one that was on Ebay this week from the seller in Greece.

[Patchcollector]

Yes I also saw it for sale by the Greek seller.He usually has some nice patches,but I've seen one or two that he offered that were copies.
The one I bought was identical to this one,from the seller Rube,or something similar,can't remember right now.When I received it,I noticed that it was stiff,the back under the paper was too white,and the edges looked like some I've seen on copies.I still think it is a fairly well done repro,but that is just my opinion.

[Giovanni R.]

Thanks for you input Patchcollector.

All of these comes as stated from Greece, being a newbye I had a very little experience in patches so I will take any opinion as gold.
If it may help I noted some details of the patch in question

- looks to have been ironed at least once: the purple cloth shows the classic "shine" in some areas off from the embroidered parts (and of course looks never worn on a uniform)
- the backing paper looks something like news dispatches or similar, I can read word such as "(sa?)igon, televis(ion?), bbc" (see next to last detailed pic). The paper looks not yellowed at all on the back but doesn't look new, the whole patch has a faint smell of "old newspaper"

- the cloth backing is indeed white (the jungle clearer scroll is a bit more "yellowish" than this

- there are two loose threads coming from the rifles in the front

- the patch was stapled twice on the top right corner and I see any rust stains there

Hope this may help, sorry If I may sound finicking, I'm just trying to learn

[vintageproductions]

I will say it again, the 5/60 is right as rain. The paper used on the back of this one, is not what the fakers use.

[Patchcollector]

Giovanni,I have more than a few ironed and/or starched VN patches,and this one doesn't exhibit the same characteristics.I believe that it is the type of cloth itself that is producing the stiffness.Also,the cloth back is different than all the "Cheap Charlie" pieces I have handled,and is more like the modern made copies I have seen.
The seller does have some nice patches,I've bought some from him before.I have seen a few copies among his auctions in the past,but I do not believe that he is intentionally misleading anyone.
Bob,I respect your opinion,but I believe that this is a classic case of a piece that needs to be held in hand rather than just seen from photos.I too was encouraged by the back paper,but in the end that was the pieces' strongest point,so I returned it.
Just my opinion.

[Giovanni R.]

Thanks for the help to both!

[Giovanni R.]

Hello, these are two more patches just arrived, opinions (click on thumbnails for Hi-res pics)?

"River Riders" tab, looks to have been stapled to something:

 

 

9th ID LRRPs scroll:

N.B. the 9th ID patch shown over is a US made piece I already had

 

 

[Patchcollector]

Nice patches!

[Giovanni R.]

Thanks Patchcollector, Happy you liked 'em!