Iraqi Rank shoulder slides

[achern]

Thanks, Paul. I like the embroidery on your RCC epaulettes. It looks more dense and the characters on the flag more well-defined. Also, there is a row of double-stitching at the ends of the epaulette which mine does not have. Probably we have different manufacturers, or mine could be a later, lower quality piece (always that assumption, but in the Mid-East, standards are generally not high for embroidered materials).

About the Saddam-level slides, I have in my possession five different examples, including the one I just presented. At least two of them are outright reproductions, with the war college stripe being of satin instead of velvet. Another example is from Trident, of very high quality and by far the most presentable, but definitely a fake.

The latest one I posted is the most unusual one I've seen yet. The wreath and crossed swords are almost identical to the Trident copies, but the eagle has nothing distinct on its chest!

[Paul R]

I just do not like the eagles on the last set you posted. Maybe they are original current issue?

[Hoyden R.]

And here are two more sets of military ranks to confuse things even further!

First, a set of Lieutenant General epaulettes:

And then the Field Marshal epaulettes done in the same style:

I've handled most of Paul's shoulder boards because I -insisted- on putting them into an album to organize them while he was away. I also sew and embroider, so I have a great deal of knowledge about fabrics and garment construction.

A couple of things REALLY stand out to me here.

On the Lieutenant General epaulettes :

• The rough edges on the inside top are overlock stitched. I do not recall seeing that at all when I put all of Paul's into the album or when he has gotten new ones. (I like seeing all the stuff he gets, so he shows me what he gets when he gets mail.) If you flip up that edge, is the stabilizer (white stuff on the inside) stitched to the outer fabric?
  
• The back is angled at the top and bottom verses stitched straight across.
  

On the Field Marshal epaulettes:

• The stabilizer is black. I haven't seen that on any of Paul's collection.
  
• The back is angled at the top and bottom verses stitched straight across.
  

I am not sure what any of that means, but it's just my observation.

I also note that the "stay stitching", little x'es that go down the back center seam to keep the inner seams pressed open so that they don't bunch, move or catch when slid onto the shoulder tabs are not on these either. I am not sure if the stay stitching are on the back of all of Paul's Iraqi shoulder boards, I will have to check, but I noted that they were on a good number of his.

If I can, I'll take pictures of what I am referring to tomorrow so that it makes some kind of sense.

[achern]

Hi Hoyden, I'm with you on your observations. I'm very particular about detail and have noticed these things as well.

The overlock stitching, or what I usually call merrowing (in this case, a rather low-density merrow), is not present on any of the other Iraqi epaulettes I have, but only the Lieutenant General set in particular. All the others are merely stitched across and left to fray. Also, these are the only ones I've seen which are angled, although I do not know what for.

I'll check if the stabiliser is stitched to the other fabric.

I also have not seen any other black stabilisers, except on this Saddam rank set.

Do show me pictures of the stay stitching. I haven't seen these on any of my rank sets.

[achern]

Paul, in fact, I took a closer look and there is a hint of a shield on the chest of the eagle. It is very faint, but there are also three stars sewn in the centre of the shield. This is more apparent in the left side epaulette than the right. A pretty poor job, but still there nonetheless.

[achern]

On the Lieutenant General epaulettes :

• The rough edges on the inside top are overlock stitched. I do not recall seeing that at all when I put all of Paul's into the album or when he has gotten new ones. (I like seeing all the stuff he gets, so he shows me what he gets when he gets mail.) If you flip up that edge, is the stabilizer (white stuff on the inside) stitched to the outer fabric?
  

On the Field Marshal epaulettes:

• The stabilizer is black. I haven't seen that on any of Paul's collection.
  

I've just checked: The white stabilisers on the Lieutenant General epaulettes are stitched to the outer fabric at the top and the bottom.

Same for the black stabilisers for the Saddam ranks.

Both of them have the same merrowed edges running down both sides of the inside seam that goes down the middle of the back. Quite nicely done, too.

Additionally, the white stabiliser on my Cabinet ranks are stitched to the fabric at the top but not the bottom, while the RCC ranks are stitched both top and bottom.

Alf

[Hoyden R.]

I just took a bunch of pictures of the things that I noticed about Paul's Iraqi shoulder boards. I will post them after I resize them, I need to finish up a few pictures for Paul first.

[Hoyden R.]

Here is an example of the stay stitching that I've seen down the back of some of Paul's Iraqi Tabs. See the little X stitches? Their purpose is to keep the seam pressed open so that the shoulder board can slide onto the shoulder tab with out catching and to keep the stress from wear and tear from pulling open the seam.

These are some of his nicer Iraqi Shoulder boards with a cocoa colored nylon embroidery thread on an olive colored cotton mix bottom weight material with velvet ribbon from Wrights.

Edited May 5, 2012 by Hoyden R.

[Hoyden R.]

Another example of the same type tab as above. Same embroidery thread, same inner stabilizer, same embroidery digitized pattern for the stars used, same fabric from same dye lot.

[Hoyden R.]

This set of shoulder tabs has a tulip type top like some of the ones pictured above. The thread is polyester and a color known as "school bus yellow" by Robison & Anton Embroidery Co.

Notice the quality of the construction, the embroidery and the inner finish work of the tab. See the post below for more details of the inside.

[Hoyden R.]

Close up of the inner construction of the tab above with another tab for comparison.

On the top shoulder tab, note the following;

• The double stitching on the top that was done with a serger, you can tell by the perfect distance between the two rows of stitches and because the underside of the stitches looks like a "chain".
  
• Overlock stitches in black thread below the serged double row of stitches
  
• Good quality cotton twill bottom weight material
  
• Overall superior quality of the piece due to the interior "finish work"
  

On the lower shoulder tab;

• Single row of stitches done on a "home quality" sewing machine. I am guessing a Singer or Brother machine with plastic interior parts by the "wiggles" in the bottom stitches that show. (some stitches veer off, they are not uniformly straight.)
  
• Unfinished edges on the interior
  
• Lower quality cotton/poly blend trigger material
  

[achern]

Here is an example of the stay stitching that I've seen down the back of some of Paul's Iraqi Tabs. See the little X stitches? Their purpose is to keep the seam pressed open so that the shoulder board can slide onto the shoulder tab with out catching and to keep the stress from wear and tear from pulling open the seam.

Thanks for the analysis. I also have that set of high-quality epaulettes with the X-stitching. In fact, of all my Iraqi epaulettes, that version is only one to have the X-stitching on the rear. All the others have the stitches hidden inside.

[achern]

Here's a picture of the top back of the Lieutenant General rank

And here is the bottom of the same

[achern]

Here is the back top of the high quality Brigadier rank

And the bottom

[achern]

Here is the top back of the unusual Field Marshal epaulettes, same style as the LG ranks, but quite different stitching

And the bottom

[achern]

And here is a set of Toye Kenning and Spencer Lieut-General epaulettes made around 1991. They are huge.

[Paul R]

I really love the tan insignia a lot! Very high quality embroidry

[Hoyden R.]

Here is the back of one of Paul's Iraqi Shoulder tabs. I didn't open it up, it came that way.

Notice the lack of stabilizer? This material is heavy enough to embroider without it, but the front does show some puckering.

[Hoyden R.]

I found several with black stabilizer on the inside. Notice that this one has backside of the embroidery showing through and they used the embroidery stabilizer to give body to the fabric?

[Hoyden R.]

And another that was embroidered without the benefit of the stabilizer as the back side of the stitching is hidden under the white interfacing.

[achern]

Here is the back of one of Paul's Iraqi Shoulder tabs. I didn't open it up, it came that way.

Notice the lack of stabilizer? This material is heavy enough to embroider without it, but the front does show some puckering.

I must confess I got a fright when I saw the autopsied epaulette!

I have seen the latter two examples of embroidery, not the first one though.

[Paul R]

I must confess I got a fright when I saw the autopsied epaulette!

I have seen the latter two examples of embroidery, not the first one though.

LOL! The slide was not taken apart by me. It was the way it came. Either it was not completed or the stitching did not hold out. Regardless, it displays well and one would not know it was not attached if it were not held open for the photo. The other is complete and together.

[Hoyden R.]

Is there a way to make the pictures that show up bigger without putting them onto photobucket?

I've been resizing them to 640 x 400 or 800 x 600px, but they still show up small.

[draco]

Thank you for sharing all of this in-depth information. This is definately valuable!

[speedytop]

Hi Hoyden R.,

"I've been resizing them to 640 x 400 or 800 x 600px, but they still show up small."

Please click on the small picture in Post 94, and you can see it in 800 x 600px:

Uwe