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Some repro patches from my collection
- Thread starter Yardstick
- Start date
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info - nice grouping.
Interested to hear you say the metallic material is silver. It looks to have a gold tinge in the pics - colours are very trick to get from a single set of images. That was puzzling me as the rule of thumb appears to be that the Ferry Command emblem had a yellow/gold background while Transport Command was grey/silver.
Flightengineer
Well-Known Member
I have been drawing my whole life (when not flying or making models 
), including leather patches as part of my jackets hobby (including for some members here at their request).
Let me take my hat off to your level. Your works is incredible, primarily cause it carefully reproduces the originals with all their flaws. Now there are many people who make patches with a good level, but many of them looks too neat and beautiful as if they were drawn by a computer. Your works really keep the spirit of the times.
Hand-embroidered and composite patches are magical.
Thanks for sharing.
), including leather patches as part of my jackets hobby (including for some members here at their request).Let me take my hat off to your level. Your works is incredible, primarily cause it carefully reproduces the originals with all their flaws. Now there are many people who make patches with a good level, but many of them looks too neat and beautiful as if they were drawn by a computer. Your works really keep the spirit of the times.
Hand-embroidered and composite patches are magical.
Thanks for sharing.
bseal
Well-Known Member
True, I wonder if both the ATC and the AFC had employed the novelty nude?
Can you spot the nice S.Collins repro?
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ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Very popular.... With varying levels of 'success' accurately depicting the curves of the fairer sex.
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
I have been drawing my whole life (when not flying or making models
Let me take my hat off to your level. Your works is incredible, primarily cause it carefully reproduces the originals with all their flaws. Now there are many people who make patches with a good level, but many of them looks too neat and beautiful as if they were drawn by a computer. Your works really keep the spirit of the times.
Hand-embroidered and composite patches are magical.
Thanks for sharing.
This is turning into a massive ego massage - I need to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground
It wasn't my intention to come here in search of such praise, I just wanted to share my work with those that have the expertise to appreciate what I am attempting to achieve with these reproductions. Family and friends are interested but they don't have the depth of knowledge of the subject matter to give such informed feedback.I'm glad you’ve noticed that I attempt to recreate the look a feel of the original patches - warts and all. It's not always easy to resist the temptation to embellish an original design but I love the look of the period patches and want to remain true to these. I do sometimes correct particularly glaring errors (the Italian carved patches are frequent offenders in this respect) but I often introduce my own minor errors with these - so I figure it balances out
Occasionally, I'm unable to find a well executed example of a nice design, so turn to the source material for reference (original artwork or decals) and transpose this into a more accurate example of the contemporary style patch. I'm doing this currently with a 16th Combat Cargo Sq patch - the decal is a really nice design but the multi-piece patches I've seen don't seem to do it justice. So my version references the original decal but in the style of the multi-piece patch.
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Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Sticking with the 8th AAF theme, first up is a patch from the 544th BS, 384th BG - based at Grafton Underwood in Northamptonshire. This is a complex patch made up of layers of felt and leather with chain stitched detail (tricky to do accurately by hand through the leather). However, it came out well and I'm pleased to have ticked this uniquely constructed patch off the list.
Second up it's off the CBI to the 6th Combat Cargo Sq, 4th Combat Cargo Gp. This was one where the original multi-piece leather patch was not doing it for me but the actual artwork was very nice. So I went back to an original decal as my source material and made a multi-piece patch based off that.
Second up it's off the CBI to the 6th Combat Cargo Sq, 4th Combat Cargo Gp. This was one where the original multi-piece leather patch was not doing it for me but the actual artwork was very nice. So I went back to an original decal as my source material and made a multi-piece patch based off that.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Love them both..
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Here are a couple of CBI patches using a nice pebbly goat skin which is entirely consistent with the originals, as is the use of a smoother goatskin for certain sections. I was very pleased with how these two came out. They are striking designs (the red, yellow and blue colour schemes really work well) and I managed to faithfully recreate both patches.
First up is a very rare patch: 14th Photo Lab, a unit attached to the 468th BG. I've only seen the one example posted by Rick Briethaupt over on the US Military Forum.
Next is the 35th PRS, 77th PRG. This is a more common patch but is a bold, stylised design that includes stitched detailing.
First up is a very rare patch: 14th Photo Lab, a unit attached to the 468th BG. I've only seen the one example posted by Rick Briethaupt over on the US Military Forum.
Next is the 35th PRS, 77th PRG. This is a more common patch but is a bold, stylised design that includes stitched detailing.
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ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Top one is out of the round. Can not abide.
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
23rd Fighter Group today.
The first patch is a a faithful recreation of one from Rick Briethaupt's collection over on the US Military Forum. This is made from custom dyed indigo blue suede cowhide, a gold goatskin border, the lightning bolt is pebbled goat and the winged tiger is made from smooth white goatskin. It's a patch I have wanted in my collection ever since I first saw it 3 years ago and it has taken me a until now to track down the right materials to re-create it.
The second version is one of the first multi-piece patches I made long ago and is based on the original Disney artwork. In some ways it is a better execution of the original design but in my view it doesn't come close to the character of the above patch. I've also come a long way in my understanding of how these multi-piece leather patches were constructed.
The first patch is a a faithful recreation of one from Rick Briethaupt's collection over on the US Military Forum. This is made from custom dyed indigo blue suede cowhide, a gold goatskin border, the lightning bolt is pebbled goat and the winged tiger is made from smooth white goatskin. It's a patch I have wanted in my collection ever since I first saw it 3 years ago and it has taken me a until now to track down the right materials to re-create it.
The second version is one of the first multi-piece patches I made long ago and is based on the original Disney artwork. In some ways it is a better execution of the original design but in my view it doesn't come close to the character of the above patch. I've also come a long way in my understanding of how these multi-piece leather patches were constructed.
Nickb123
Well-Known Member
Incredible 3D look to that camera lens.
YoungMedic
Well-Known Member
Very nice work! You've definitely got the knack for it
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
One of the more interesting patch designs today. North African Ferrying Division - "Dumbo Airlines". This unit was responsible for transporting troops and cargo between Casablanca (N. Africa) and Karachi (British India, now Pakistan) and was carried out by C-46s and C-47s. The C-46 was called "Dumbo" because of its size, being the newest and largest transport aircraft at the time. 47,999 Gross was a reference in pounds to its all up take-off weight which was approximately 1.5 times that of the older C-47. This is a comparatively large patch at 5.5 inches and replicates one in Rich Breithaupt's collection: Dumbo Airlines
The patch uses 2 types of custom dyed goatskin - the blue, green base having an unusual 'tie dyed' finish. The detail is hand embroidered. My fingers are now completely knackered as 3 layers of goat is considerably tougher than 1 layer of human.
The patch uses 2 types of custom dyed goatskin - the blue, green base having an unusual 'tie dyed' finish. The detail is hand embroidered. My fingers are now completely knackered as 3 layers of goat is considerably tougher than 1 layer of human.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
Stitch work is impressive good Sir.
Yardstick
Well-Known Member
Inspired by the ATC novelty patches posted earlier in this thread, I have a couple of these variants to show today. First up is my attempt at recreating the 'medal ribbon' ATC Morse code section that is found on many of these patches. I think I've worked out how this was done on the originals and I thing it came out well. The material section is my attempt to replicated silver doped fabric. It didn't quite come out as I wanted but looks a lot closer to the effect I was after in reality (the picture makes it appear more textured than it is given the way the silver catches the light).
Second is another ATC nude. More conventional construction this time, the notable feature being the Morse section which covers a full 180 degrees rather than the usual 90. The silver leather is painted goatskin.
Finally, there are a couple of shoulder patches: AAF and CBI. I always make a few of these up every now and then as they are a good way to use leftover scraps from a hide (I suspect the original manufacturers did the same back in the day).
Second is another ATC nude. More conventional construction this time, the notable feature being the Morse section which covers a full 180 degrees rather than the usual 90. The silver leather is painted goatskin.
Finally, there are a couple of shoulder patches: AAF and CBI. I always make a few of these up every now and then as they are a good way to use leftover scraps from a hide (I suspect the original manufacturers did the same back in the day).
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