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Got a bit of a backlog!
- Thread starter Yardstick
- Start date
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
SACO and USN Special Warfare stuff gives me a warm and fuzzy.
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Yes the SACO stuff is interesting. There are quite a few patches in circulation but it's an organisation that I haven't got around to reading much about save for the basics of what it was. The patch was fun to do. I took delivery of some undyed goatskin that was thicker than I usually use but a perfect match for the original. I've also sourced some really nice dyed-though royal blue goat, which I am using suede side up here. The detailing was tricky as it is done in ink which is translucent, so you can't sketch out the design beforehand. In the end it is a very good match for the original I was using as a template, both in look and materials.
There are some beautiful silk embroidered SACO chest patches out there but they are way beyond my skills to re-create.
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Had a few hours to spare this morning, so worked on the 26th FS (P-40 era) patch . Being painted (I think the original was a decal), at least it doesn't need sewing 
. It's painted on 0.8mm veg tanned goat, which was custom dyed and sealed with beeswax.
I photographed it with a similar P-40 era patch from its sister squadron the 25th FS which I finished a few days ago.
. It's painted on 0.8mm veg tanned goat, which was custom dyed and sealed with beeswax.I photographed it with a similar P-40 era patch from its sister squadron the 25th FS which I finished a few days ago.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Selling yourself short Sir!
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
They look finished?It's not getting any better! It's a nice problem to have but it will take 6 weeks worth of evenings to get this lot finished
View attachment 75676
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Sewing - I do it by hand: 1) because I have more control, 2) I don't have much experience with sewing machines and 3) it gives me something to do when watching TV for a couple of hours each evening.
Some of the patches also need sewn detailing added eg. the wings on the 20th AAF chest patch.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
You're right about the patch on the right! Exponentially better in my opinion.
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Should have been clearer - what I meant, was that I revisited a patch I'd done a couple of years back and upgraded it (how it originally looked below). A lot of my older work was done using low res images. As higher res stuff comes to light or I'm able to cross-ref to other patches, I sometimes revisit original work that I may not be 100% happy with. In this case, I think it is a big upgrade for a comparatively small outlay in time and effort (probably 2 hours in total including unpicking the stitching and resewing.
I agree with you on version 2 of the patch though - it's a much nicer design. There is speculation that the blue background may indicate a completed tour or particularly hazardous missions (the mountains undoubtedly being The Hump).
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Couple more ticked off.
75th and 76th Fighter Squadrons of the 23rd FG. Both were originally Flying Tiger squadrons re-designated after incorporation into the 14th AAF (maybe before that, when the AVG became the CATF - not sure of the timing of the change). Both patches are made from 0.8mm goatskin, thicker than the 0.6mm I typically use, but consistent with the originals on which they are based. You can get away with using thicker goat on these multipiece patches as the leather is fantastically supple. If you used the same thickness in veg cowhide, it could be used in a stab-proof vest! The leather is custom dyed, with painted detailing.
If anyone has a good picture of an original 74th FS patch in multipiece leather, please share it. I have images of 3 different designs for that squadron - one painted on leather and the other silk embroidered but nothing in multipiece leather. I'm sure they must have existed as there are so many genuine examples of multipiece leather originals for both the 23rd FG as well as the two other squadrons.
75th and 76th Fighter Squadrons of the 23rd FG. Both were originally Flying Tiger squadrons re-designated after incorporation into the 14th AAF (maybe before that, when the AVG became the CATF - not sure of the timing of the change). Both patches are made from 0.8mm goatskin, thicker than the 0.6mm I typically use, but consistent with the originals on which they are based. You can get away with using thicker goat on these multipiece patches as the leather is fantastically supple. If you used the same thickness in veg cowhide, it could be used in a stab-proof vest! The leather is custom dyed, with painted detailing.
If anyone has a good picture of an original 74th FS patch in multipiece leather, please share it. I have images of 3 different designs for that squadron - one painted on leather and the other silk embroidered but nothing in multipiece leather. I'm sure they must have existed as there are so many genuine examples of multipiece leather originals for both the 23rd FG as well as the two other squadrons.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
I posted one Sean Collins' reproduction patches... no original ones though...
Do recall a 74th related post in the past...
Do recall a 74th related post in the past...
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Thanks - looked up the post and it confirms my info on the versions of the 74th patch. Does seem odd that there are are no multipiece leather versions in circulation. Having said that there they're not the only squadron where this is the case. The 89th FS is one of my favourite designs and whilst there are many examples of multipiece patches for its sister squadrons (88th and 90th FS), the only original patches I have seen for the 89th are embroidered.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Awesome. Have the Men At Arms from Osprey for the US Navy Special Warfare units....
