R. X. Posted January 28, 2020 Share #1 Posted January 28, 2020 Hi everyone, My first post here on the forum. Hopefully I'm doing everything right Here I have a SACO patch to show. The cotton patch's diameter is 2 and half inches. It is not one of the (dare I say) more common silk ones, but also the construction doesn't seem to be made during the past two decades neither. Has anyone ever seen anything similar? SACO is such a rare unit, I had trouble finding just about anything on the uniforms and insignia they wore. Thanks for any inputs, happy to be on-board on the forum! Ran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. X. Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share #2 Posted January 28, 2020 Here is the back. Leather back. Common material used for CBI theater patches?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wake1941 Posted January 28, 2020 Share #3 Posted January 28, 2020 I have seen similar patches in design but not construction. Looks like you have a real beauty though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted January 28, 2020 Share #4 Posted January 28, 2020 Thanks for posting this as just like Wake1941 commented this same design has been seen on thin silk embroidered circular patches, painted leather circular patches and cotton embroidery on twill circular patches. The way your patch is constructed which looks rather thick in design with that leather backing piece has never surfaced before that I am aware of in any collections. SACO operated in the CBI theater so all of their insignia to my knowledge is theater made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. X. Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share #5 Posted January 29, 2020 Thanks gents for your comments! Certainly not one you'd see often. Would love to learn and see as much as I can on this subject. Ran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KurtA Posted January 29, 2020 Share #6 Posted January 29, 2020 It's a nicely made patch, but I can't get past the materials used. I would expect a Chinese-made patch to have primarily silk components (mainly the background). Don't see that here. And the leather backing just seems like it's trying to "impress a collector". It's not one I would buy for my collection. What was the source of this patch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KurtA Posted January 29, 2020 Share #7 Posted January 29, 2020 I might add, that in addition to just not liking the patch having a leather backing, I even more so don't like the TYPE of leather. For any CBI theater "leather" patch, I always look for soft (typically white) textured goat skin. The leather on this one is slick brown (pig skin?) - not the soft textured white goat skin I would expect to see on an original CBI theater-made patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Scott Posted January 29, 2020 Share #8 Posted January 29, 2020 In my opinion for what it's worth I do not think the patch shown is a real War Time example.I have owned a lot of SACO patches in 40 years of patch business and never saw a Chinese made SACO patch constructed like this one.I think it would have been more believable if they had not sewn it over a leather disc which is not normal Chinese construction for SACO insignia.Scotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted January 29, 2020 Share #9 Posted January 29, 2020 This is outside of my Vietnam era area of expertise, but I am seeing signs this might be a Pakistani made patch. The use of a securing knot spaced in intervals such as you see on the blue inner ring is typical Pakistani technique. The lettering suggests the same source, and the blue and white background materials look correct for Pakistan as well. If it is a fake, someone coached the shop that made on details such as a leather backing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. X. Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted January 30, 2020 Interesting observations. Thanks everyone! In terms of source, this was out of a small town antique shop here in Minnesota. Only a few bucks, sold as a "WWII Patch." I wonder if there are pictures of similar fakes around featuring different patches (or this one if it's a thing). Would love to learn the constructions of fakes vs. real. Ran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearmon Posted July 7, 2021 Share #11 Posted July 7, 2021 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Theater-Made-US-Navy-China-Group-SSI-Patch-Circa-Korea-Vietnam-Era-Original-/184927132391?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0 A 50’s to Vietnam original SACO patch. Looks like the same one in the original post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted July 7, 2021 Share #12 Posted July 7, 2021 9 minutes ago, Bearmon said: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Theater-Made-US-Navy-China-Group-SSI-Patch-Circa-Korea-Vietnam-Era-Original-/184927132391?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0 A 50’s to Vietnam original SACO patch. Looks like the same one in the original post its the same patch. I know the seller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearmon Posted July 14, 2021 Share #13 Posted July 14, 2021 365 bucks. Quite a mistake. Seller must be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walika Posted July 17, 2021 Share #14 Posted July 17, 2021 Great points in Scotty's post. Whether a replica, fantasy or fake, it's definitely post-war construction which by default means it is not genuine. Then there's this pesky fact . . . SACO dissolved in 1946. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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