Smell Test

[Tim Walker]

I know that this might seem a little strange, but I have found with my flag collection that all of the original flags that I have emitt a certain oder when you smell them.( my wife told me I was crazy until I had her smell each flag )It has to do with the cloth used and the age of the cloth. I swear it does and if you don't believe me sniff some original flags you will see.

[grnberet57]

Tim:

I know what you mean. I got a complete uniform from a fella who smoked a little too much. But all his stuff has this 60 year old cigarette smell to it. Pretty nasty in my opinion. But the inside of the tunic has a different smell to it. More of a stale sweat smell or something. Those original items have a great smell all their own. Sometimes though, I take a little too big of a wiff of the tunic, and WOW it's too much for me

Kevin

[Rick Research]

This is actually true. I have always found--seriously--a distinct cabbage-like whiff to German uniforms. Soviet uniforms are absolutely pickled in tobacco fumes from tight storage in cramped housing for decades.

Sometimes the lack of these Smells of the Ages can be a good tip off for the new generation of fake cloth.

[Allan P.]

It not only works for uniforms boys.
Whenever I buy a cap,visor, helmet although I may look mad I always carry out a smell test.Particularly on helmets where someone has carried out a paint job on a Normandy camo helmet last week!!
I know it sounds mad,but it works!!
Allan

[Dave Suter]

Absolutely true. Can't describe it, but you know it when you smell it.

[CSP]

Old wool. It should smell like old wool, rather musty - period. The cigarette smell a well known odor to many uniforms, but be careful drawing too many conclusions from it alone. The 50+ years of age on wool will come through a cigarette odor that is likewise, 50+ years old. In fact, if it does not it probably means that the dealer or vet is a heavy smoker.
Smelling is a great inspection tool, but should be taken in context of other points of inspection.