SS Sports Patch Cloth Tag Variations

**daveward** · 02-17-2015, 08:58 PM

I found this interesting, so I wanted to share it with the group. I was looking through my pictures of various SS sports patches, and I noticed some variations in the way the cloth RZM tags are attached. Most of the patches with cloth tags that I've found have them stitched to the patch along their long edges. Here are two examples of patches with authentic RZM tags that have been attached along the bottom edge of the tag:

Here's one where the tag is sewn in along the top edge:

However, here we see an authentic SS sport patch with the RZM tag sewn in along its short edge. This method of attachment seems to be a little more rare.

This caught my attention because I recently picked up a similar sports patch from Sid in the "Classifieds" section. As you can see, my new patch was made by the exact same manufacturer (11) and in the same year (1936) as the previous patch. However, the tag's location on the edge of the patch is different. Based on what I've seen, I'm wondering if this method of RZM cloth tag attachment is unique to this particular manufacturer...

Anyway, I just thought it was interesting to see all of the little subtle differences in these patches. Perhaps this information will help others in their future authentication attempts. Happy collecting!

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 02-17-2015 08:58 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Adrian Stevenson** · 02-18-2015, 10:24 AM

Hi Dave, as you say, this method of stitching the contract tag may be unique to this maker. I don't know for sure, not having looked at these in this level of detail.

The RZM would have specified that a tag must be sewn in place, but may not have said it must be stitched along the long or short edge. Sometimes a drawing might illustrate exactly what was wanted.

This is the beauty of original RZM documentation WHEN it can be found. This kind of minutiae which collectors revel in (and really meant very little at the time) all helps build up a picture of how the RZM contract system worked.

Cheers, Ade.

**daveward** · 02-18-2015, 10:42 AM

Indeed. I was telling my wife the other day that a lot of us on the forum sound more like tailors or metalworkers than anything else when we get to discussing the different patterns in stitching on an armband or the casting flash on a fake cap skull. It is an interesting little obsession that we have here!