Original or repro ?

[bombs away]

Hello,

I've bought it a few days ago on ebay for $25. Seller didn't knew what she was selling and has never sold anything related to wwII in her recent sales.
Italian made patch from the 766th BS, 461st BG, 15th AF.
It really looks like an original to me : leather is old (and smells like it !), paint is cracking like old paint, thread in the stitching holes is old too.
BUT I know some guys able to create such leather patchs and making them look used and old.

So any opinion is welcomed, and please feel free to speak frankly as, in the repro case, I would have just bought a nice repro for a good price !
(sorry for the big size of the pics, but I think it may help to make an opinion)

Tim

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Right as rain, is the leather pretty soft and flexible? They can be that way or fairly stiff. This one looks like it's the soft leather. I had the DI for that unit not too long ago.

 

[bombs away]

Yes, soft and flexible leather.

You think it might be an original one ?

Tim

 

[Andrew]

I'm no expert Tim but as you say all the parts certainly look original and naturally timeworn. I can't imagine how anyone could replicate that appearance but I suppose it may be possible. I'm saying it's orig!

 

[a2jacketpatches]

And I always like to add to consider how you bought it, someone went through an awful lot of trouble to make 25 bucks if it's fake. I just repopped an XV type 15th AF patch for a customer and it took a lot longer that 25- worth of time.

Yours is real for sure, I could almost feel it in my hands when I saw the color, texture, and weathered paint.

 

[dmar836]

Agreed.

 

[ties70]

The leather might not be the right indicator for original or repro....I have some musty, smelly natural hides from the early 40s, all the guy in the shop could tell was that it came "from animals we are not allowed to hunt anymore". This leather is usually very stiff and gets only soft, the more you break it in.

If your patch is soft, I would think that is has been moved a lot, seen some rain over years, maybe was treated with something (which destroyed the colour, by the way)...Of course, somebody could use 70 year old leather, old thread, maybe lead paint to replicate a patch and then give it the natural wear of years in the cockpit, followed by more years in the garage, the garden or on a bike....but is it likely?

No. I say it is an original patch, and a really nice one as well. Wish I was able to achieve this level of ageing artificially, but I can't.

Ties

 

[Andrew]

Please just tell us the seller wasn't Contrailchaser. :twisted:

 

[a2jacketpatches]

The leather I refer to is like chamois, very typical with Italian patches, can't say for sure what animal but I think lambskin.

 

[bombs away]

Thank you for your opinions guys.
It looks like a great deal then !

And no, the seller wasn't Contrailchaser but a lady selling vintage Disney's figurines. :mrgreen:

Cheers,
Tim

 

[dujardin]

gooooooooooooooooooooooooood catch

grrrrrrrrrrrr, i envy you

everytime at the right place, at the good moment

following the story of the selling, i agree it's an original
no reason someone waist time (and talent) for such a small amount.

or maybe a one shot; to test if opportunities exist to make money in the future; selling incredible high level repro patch as original.

i'm thinking you have a good star above your head, :lol: :lol:
so..... it's an original

 

[TankBuster]

Hey Tim,

It's a very nice original Italian made patch. Congrats on a great purchase!

 

[shedonwanna]

Thumbs up from me. Natural looking wear and leather streached vertically with jacket. Paint cracks and flakes off. Leather looks to be vintage goat or lamb. The only thing to make this patch more appealing would be provenance. Great find!

 

[EMBLEMHUNTER]

it sure looks old and original, like the other poster mentioned , they went to a LOT of careful cutting and aging etc to make this look old if it's a repro, in my "opinion" I think you a got the "real deal" .
Johnny