I have been asked what I look for in trying to determine whether or not a visor is pre-1945 and in its original state. For our beginning visor collectors, I will give the basics (all you advanced collectors, feel free to chime in).
Anyway, these are the "absolutes":
1. Plastic Sweatdiamonds (they should always be celluloid, which has the same feel as 35mm film negatives)
2. Plastic visors (and generally, these won't be crosshatched like a Vulcanfiber original)
3. Plastic sweatbands (they should be leather, paper, or oilcloth)
4. No synthetic threads (except celleon). If you burn a thread, and it melts (leaving a hard core) it is synthetic--natural fibers turn to ash.
5. Black-light test: For best results, use a fluorescent black light bulb.
What you are looking for is a glow--use a modern t-shirt to be able to compare. Look at the "core" of the bullion piping, and the chin-cord.
The most important place to look is at the padding behind the front lining---a lot of fakers use a refined cotton for padding. However, you have to be careful not to break the stitiching--most effective are the penlite LED keychain blacklights they sell now.
6. Machine-stitching of the lining on the LOWER edge of the lining. (J. Sperb and Pekuro both used it on the upper edge, but not the lower.)
7. Plastic inserts in the chinstrap knots--these are postwar (but do not automatically mean the entire hat is bad.)
I'm sure the rest of the gang will have other tips, but these are all I can think of right now while under the influence of muscle relaxers!
Anyway, these are the "absolutes":
1. Plastic Sweatdiamonds (they should always be celluloid, which has the same feel as 35mm film negatives)
2. Plastic visors (and generally, these won't be crosshatched like a Vulcanfiber original)
3. Plastic sweatbands (they should be leather, paper, or oilcloth)
4. No synthetic threads (except celleon). If you burn a thread, and it melts (leaving a hard core) it is synthetic--natural fibers turn to ash.
5. Black-light test: For best results, use a fluorescent black light bulb.
What you are looking for is a glow--use a modern t-shirt to be able to compare. Look at the "core" of the bullion piping, and the chin-cord.
The most important place to look is at the padding behind the front lining---a lot of fakers use a refined cotton for padding. However, you have to be careful not to break the stitiching--most effective are the penlite LED keychain blacklights they sell now.
6. Machine-stitching of the lining on the LOWER edge of the lining. (J. Sperb and Pekuro both used it on the upper edge, but not the lower.)
7. Plastic inserts in the chinstrap knots--these are postwar (but do not automatically mean the entire hat is bad.)
I'm sure the rest of the gang will have other tips, but these are all I can think of right now while under the influence of muscle relaxers!
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