SS Pennant Opinions Please

[timothy6719]

Hello,

A friend is interested in this SS Pennant. I don't like the item but he would appreciate confirmation on my opinion.

Regards,
Tim

[inimicus]

'helmet decal'-style runes look wrong; the rest I've no idea. anyhow fake s.s. pennants been churned out since the '60s and have acquired some genuine aged looks, helped along sometimes by immoral dealers and, sadly, collectors.

[STLMatt]

Your opinion is right
It’s all wrong

[Rick C]

Funny ~ I don't give a hoot about this pennant but I spent a half hour of my free time yesterday reviewing similar purported SS pennants to see if there were any similarities with accepted examples. I noted a variety of levels of workmanship in the 'originals'. I noted a number of accepted examples with similar twisted cording (piping?).

What's interesting is that while folks are more than willing to post their subjective 'opinions' there seems no real effort to make one's point (back up one's opinion) with comparative imagery or empirical evidence to actually lend any weight to said opinions.

Typical 21st century, eh...

[Gary Symonds]

Funny ~ I don't give a hoot about this pennant but I spent a half hour of my free time yesterday reviewing similar purported SS pennants to see if there were any similarities with accepted examples. I noted a variety of levels of workmanship in the 'originals'. I noted a number of accepted examples with similar twisted cording (piping?).

What's interesting is that while folks are more than willing to post their subjective 'opinions' there seems no real effort to make one's point (back up one's opinion) with comparative imagery or empirical evidence to actually lend any weight to said opinions.

Typical 21st century, eh...

WAF's motto, "I don't need no stinking evidence."

[Rick C]

Too funny Gary~

[timothy6719]

Hello,

Attached is a photo of typical style SS Pennant that I have seen come up for sale. I'll be truthful I have only seen a handful come up for sale over the last few years on reputable military websites. It just is not my area of interest so I rarely notice them. The one I posted and this second one don't compare well. If I was going to buy one I would take the second one. Again, just my thought. Does someone have a period image or reference photo of the "felt" SS runes version that I started the post with.

Thanks for the responses,
Tim

[timothy6719]

The second SS pennant photo for review. Sorry it didn't come through with the other post.

[castle]

this was for auction 2 yrs ago. not sure if original but the fender pole and mounting looks good to me

[helmuthunter]

Funny ~ I don't give a hoot about this pennant but I spent a half hour of my free time yesterday reviewing similar purported SS pennants to see if there were any similarities with accepted examples. I noted a variety of levels of workmanship in the 'originals'. I noted a number of accepted examples with similar twisted cording (piping?).

What's interesting is that while folks are more than willing to post their subjective 'opinions' there seems no real effort to make one's point (back up one's opinion) with comparative imagery or empirical evidence to actually lend any weight to said opinions.

Typical 21st century, eh...

The pennant that is the subject of this thread is a poor fake imo..

[Rick C]

The first thing that comes to my mind is that all ‘pennants’ (SS or otherwise) were not used solely for identifying automobiles. Clearly some were made to slip into those celluloid weather cases, others were built around stiffeners & exposed to weather while others may have been table flags, etc. Manufacture for different purposes and/or made by different manufacturers makes for variety so what should we (honestly) look at?

Base material (cloth type) might be a starting point. Piping or the type of black/white twisted cording might be another. Many of the pennants have the runes encircled while the subject one doesn’t. Clearly Castle found another sans the circle (I thought I remembered one the other day with two circles like the honor ring boxes so, again, “variety”).

The key (I think) should be ‘period materials and craftsmanship’ rather than nitpicking over the precise ‘angle’ of the runes or even the thickness thereof. Nor one having white cloth runes and another having felt like material (leftover badgecloth?); heck, the one I own has bullion embroidered runes over unterlagen and ‘silver’ and black twisted cording on the edge so, again, “variations”…?

I think more detailed photos of the subject piece would help such that materials and construction detail might be ascertained.