UV light

[sgstandard]

Shirt

There is nothing wrong with the small amount of glowing. VERY common, as most of these shirts have been laundered. How about some nice closeups of both these shirts? Any RZM tags in waistband? These sometimes look like a plain white piece of fabric, because the label gets washed out. More pics!!!
Closeups of tabs, etc.!!

[415]

Sorry no RZM tags. Here are the pictures of the two of them.

[checkit]

Here are some facts about UV glow.

Many modern repro bevo patches and such are made with Acetate or Polyester thread. They don't just react to a UV light - they actually fluoresce just like a low wattage florescent bulb would. This reaction can not be masked with modern UV blockers.

Then there is a detergent glow. It is a far more mild reaction, and if you have a mediocre UV light, you might not even detect it, unless it is bright bright, like a modern white cotton tee shirt.

I have been collecting since 1964, and agree that no WW2 German item I have ever picked up from a vet reacts to UV light in any way.

Some of the early repro patches that were put out in the 70's have a detergent glow. Modern repro patches made in China tend to fluoresce, but you don't need a UV light on them as the embroidery work pills up in a manner that silk or Rayon never did.

As for US patches, the gauze on the back of factory emboidered patches started to exhibit a detergent glow in the early 70's. By the late 70's early 80's, the fronts of many US patches had components that glow.

BTW - Old Rayon does not react to UV light unless it has been washed in modern detergents or you really have modern thread.

If you are serious about determinign if a patch reacts at all to UV light or not, get a good quality mineral light with an external filter. Don't use one of the internal filter (dark purple colored) bulbs or fluorescent tubes. If you have a really good UV light, you can pick up problems with red thread and fabric (a weak fluorescence) that the other lights miss. While the time frame for red fabric dye that glows is under debate, at the very least, absolutely no WW1 era patch, US or foreign, uses this dye, but the fakers often overlook this.