Whats the best site for South Vietnamese and Cambodian army stuff

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

badge closeup

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

2nd beret label

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

I hope I haven't just confused everyone now and scared some away from collecting berets, but remember what I said, there is an exception to every rule! On a lighter note here is a photo of another small grouping that I managed to acquire from a vet! Jeff

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

closeup of beret!

[ETN]

Patrick,

That is by far the scariest fake I have ever seen.

~Erich

[Patrick Dempsey]

Patrick,

That is by far the scariest fake I have ever seen.

~Erich

Hi Erich,

i quite agree!

The quality and detailing is superb,no corners cut or short cuts taken.
It is a beret designed purely to deceive those who take the time to look for all the little quality signs.

What the photos can't tell you is that the plastic sweatshield is very thin and has no age toning at all.
With the exception of the paper lable to a non-existant maker ( thanks Jeff) possibly the only other flaw it has?

I imagine that these berets are still around from the initial batch, if the faker/tailor was supplied with original foil labels....

Not a good thought.

File the photos away for reference, i think i have most of the details covered, if you need more let me know.

Love your ranger beret by the way.


Patrick.

[hochiminhtrail]

Hi Jeff

i think you are the right person to ask about this beret flash, what do you think of it ? the buillon is not as nice as the others and the chute is not in silver color, the national colors are also missing, the flash is on an original para beret, this flash is a replacment for another para flash that was previously on the beret, this one also looks like it has been there for ages, as the beret is in very worn condition and you can see the flash beeing on the beret for a quite long period. But im still suspiciuos as it is not the same as the other ones shown here.

many thanks

Alex

[Patrick Dempsey]

To my knowledge this maker never existed but is a take off on the maker Phuoc Thanh. This is the beret that sometimes appears on dealer sites. The quality is that good! Jeff

Hi Jeff,

i see the inspiration for the label now.

Great berets from Hong Kong,always good to see examples of other period Asian tailoring. Such a rich and diverse topic!

Which is why we are fascinated by it of course.

On a lighter note here is a photo of another small grouping that I managed to acquire from a vet!

Another fine grouping...any details on the individual?


Patrick.

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

Alex, I would not buy that flash that you posted. If you are going to collect these items it would be better to stick to textbook examples that collectors will not question when it comes time to sell. I have seen some originals that resembled this one, but I was able to see the back! It is easy enough to find minty Nhay du berets so I would not settle for one of this type.
Patrick, sorry but I have no info on this guy other than his name. Periodically I encounter vets that are not interested in talking about their experiences, this just so happens to be one of those purchases. At least I saved it from going to the landfill! Jeff

[hochiminhtrail]

thanks Jeff

Alex

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

Alex, here are some photos of Nhay du berets and flashes. Compare them to yours and file the info away for future reference!

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

Bullion flash on a beret. Note how they are sewn on!

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

Another bullion flash on a beret. Note the funky red thread used to sew on the flash. Another thing to remember about ARVN berets is the number 7, note the number of shroud lines on the parachute. All originals will have this number of lines. This also includes the LLDB berets! On Armor berets there will always be 7 sequines used for the bogie wheels!

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

Here is a hand sewn flash on a beret. IMO the hand sewn flashes are the most desireable and are the hardest to find.

[Jeff Ashenfelter]

Here is a nice opportunity to view the bullion and hand sewn flashes off of a beret. Take special note of the backs!