A Selection of Shoulder Patches from Afghanistan

Thanks Bill, before I was sent home for a month on medical, I saw this patch being worn many times. Now that I have returned to theater and am out and around the camp...I hardly see this one anymore.

I was tempted to ask the Cpl to put it back on for a photo, but hey, I have to say I was concerned he may change his mind and keep it.

Another patch I got recently. I had to have this one made as the group had none in reserve. For me it was not an issue as the embroidery shop here in KAF produced them for the unit in question. I think many people here may recognize the Warrant Officer in the photo.

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An enlarged and cropped section of the photo, showing the patch better...
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The example I have...
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I have to say this for Operation Keepsake...it was successful for sure, the walls are barren in both Tim Horton's and New Canada House. I am looking forward to hearing any developments on a display of these items back in Canada.

Hmmm...WO Storey in his disguise as ..........WO Storey. Documenting the deployment before de-deployment. And, the foresight to preserve some of the artefacts and materials that would likely have been trashed. Great image.

I couldn't agree more Bill. Being over here as long as I have and seeing all the things the Canadian Public has sent over it is just incredible. It may seem a little early to be removing keepsake items but if not now, then they would mos likely be lost into the shredders and incinerators on camp...That would be a tragic loss for sure.

It will be nice to see these items at home and I can point them out and say....hey I recall that hanging on the far wall of.....

Of course having someone on the team with Ed's passion for history certainly ensures that items are documented and cared for properly.

Nice shots Cliff! Keep up the good work.

There are a few patches on ebay right now...way out of my spending range right now unfortunately :( but an indication of what collectors will have to spend to get them in the future.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270747251375&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270747251424&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270747251504&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

WOW that TLAV one I have mixed feelings about. I was attached to the TAV team last year. I was doing track outside most of the summer. The patch in question was designed by Cpl Stone.

As for the prices all I can say is WTF?? Totally insane.

The TLAV patch sold for $102.50US ...the STO patch for $46.52US ...the TAV patch for $76.00US

Good thing I started a small collection early...looks like it will be all I will get with prices like this.

Pics of the ebay patches for OMGWTF posterity...
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Made a few more patches and this time I had some of another design made that is already being worn by several members of CHF(A) maint flight. I was unsure exactly what was being portrayed at first but the artist told me that it's a bat diving towards the viewer. It's unique so I thought I'd add one to my collection.

As a side note, I'm sure everyone knows that we lost another Chinook a couple of days ago. Luckily no one was killed. I hope that the nose art will be salvaged and sent to the war museum in Ottawa so that they will leave poor Ed alone.

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Interesting badges Steve. Now I fully understand your description of them. Looks like I will add these two as well to my ever growing list of waned badges. I don't suppose you could pick them up for me??

Very Nice! You could make a killing selling them back in Canuckleland.

mk1rceme wrote:Very Nice! You could make a killing selling them back in Canuckleland.

They would have to sell for a good price in order for me to make any sort of profit.... these things are not cheap to make anymore. I blame the Americans but that's because there are so many of them here and they are without a doubt the biggest consumer of custom patches. It's a shame because patches are such an excellent souvenier item and I'd love to be able to have patches made for everyone on the forum but it's just too cost prohibitive.

I'm sure that someone...if not already...has begun to reproduce them here knowing what people are paying for them. I think it would be hard to tell if they were made there or here. I'm already seeing ebay sellers with multiple KMNB and ISAF patches for sale.

Well, if they are perfect then they are probably not made here. One thing to note is that the velcro is obviously trimmed by hand after it is sewn to the patch. It's also quite often a non matching color like grey or light blue. The finish is just not quite to the standard of patches made back home.

The KMNB and ISAF patches (green) are available in substantial numbers. But, they are obsolete as far as I understand. The green ISAF patches went out of use circa 2006 when the tasking of the Canadian forces changed to KAF.
Counterfeit patches will plague the Afghan deployment collector. I am not even sure some of the stuff being offered now on ebay etc is legit. As patches can be created at discretion, there is little doubt that the line between used (worn) titles and souvenir and fantasy titles is blurry. Cliff has the right approach, document the titles with photos as well as accumulating the actual patches.

Bill wrote:The KMNB and ISAF patches (green) are available in substantial numbers. But, they are obsolete as far as I understand. The green ISAF patches went out of use circa 2006 when the tasking of the Canadian forces changed to KAF.
Counterfeit patches will plague the Afghan deployment collector. I am not even sure some of the stuff being offered now on ebay etc is legit. As patches can be created at discretion, there is little doubt that the line between used (worn) titles and souvenir and fantasy titles is blurry. Cliff has the right approach, document the titles with photos as well as accumulating the actual patches.

True, but not everyone is going to have the option that Steve and Cliff have by being there. I predict a massive flood of reproduced Canadian patches coming into the market soon, if not already, to quell the collector frenzy for them...it is inevitable. When the trunk monkey patches started coming home with US troops, a flood or repops hit the market...along with individual unit morale patches that were made in theatre. I'm sure whoever is running the patch making facilities in Afghanistan are not planning on shutting down when everyone heads home. They will have hard drives full of patches for their machines to reproduce back in the world.

Hi Dale, I think we are saying the same thing. The problem is that we don't even know what exists. I have accumulated some images from roto's before Cliff (and Steve) were contracted / deployed, and there are literally hundreds of designs of patches that have been made. And that is just for Canadian roto's. As you say, they are on the hard drives (maybe even on some portable drives) and when papa needs some new shoes, out come 20 patches for sale. The 8 Ball patch for the RCR is an excellent example of the practice you mention.
Documentation of existing patches is essential, but there-in lies the rub. Many of the patches are not politically correct or are very personal and the chance of documenting them is difficult, if not impossible. Best we can do is list them, image them if possible, and note the construction / features. It is going to be a huge task.

Found this pic of a Brigadier General on another forum...especially like the IJC ISAF NATO patch. His nametape is interesting too.

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Is there a photo of the Mission Transition patch yet? I picked this up at the embroidery shop only because I know someone here will want it.

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Nice image. Thanks for posting it Steve.

Infanteer wrote:Is there a photo of the Mission Transition patch yet? I picked this up at the embroidery shop only because I know someone here will want it.

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Hey Steve, I have not had the chance to upload any of my resent pick-ups, nor the photos of them in use. I now have a Canadian Produced TFK patch, a locally produced 3-10 OMLT patch and a Roto 10 Ammo Tech patch. The MTTF patch you showed I was considering, but I am currently chasing my Warrant for one.

Also I have a very interesting IR Canada Flag patch to show. I am waiting though until I have a photo of it being worn here.

Further and somewhat off topic....where he heck have you been?? I am usually at Timmies around 19:30 or so and have not seen hide nor hair of you. Nothing like a piping hot Timmies Coffee in 40 degree weather.

pylon1357 wrote:

Infanteer wrote:Is there a photo of the Mission Transition patch yet? I picked this up at the embroidery shop only because I know someone here will want it.

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Hey Steve, I have not had the chance to upload any of my resent pick-ups, nor the photos of them in use. I now have a Canadian Produced TFK patch, a locally produced 3-10 OMLT patch and a Roto 10 Ammo Tech patch. The MTTF patch you showed I was considering, but I am currently chasing my Warrant for one.

Also I have a very interesting IR Canada Flag patch to show. I am waiting though until I have a photo of it being worn here.

Further and somewhat off topic....where he heck have you been?? I am usually at Timmies around 19:30 or so and have not seen hide nor hair of you. Nothing like a piping hot Timmies Coffee in 40 degree weather.

Sounds like a nice selection there Cliff. As for me, well I'm on night shift again so I'm at work when your chill'n with a coffee... LOL I should be able to meet up with you later in the week when I'm back on the dreaded day, or should I say "sweat" shift.

I'll sell the MTTF patch if someone wants it. I'm only collecting the patches I used myself except for a cool Marine aviation patch with a WW2 flight helmet wearing skeleton in front of the Japanese rising sun... just an appealing subject matter.

Hi Steve, Please see my pm.

Sorry for the delay in getting these latest photos uploaded. A while back we had a discussion about the construction of the Green/black IR Canada flag. The discussion pertained mainly to the difference in construction between the US and Canadian ones, where the the Canada emblem was stitched around the border and in an "X" across he middle. This of course is done to prevent the patch from separating like the US ones do.

Here is a photo of a Canada Flag patch I got a while ago. It is in used condition. Notice it does not have the normal stitching to keep the patch together. Also I have included a photo of this patch in wear.. Interestingly enough, the photo of it in wear is of a CWO of the PPCLI taken 21 Sept 2008.
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Next up is the ROTO 10 MP patch. Note it is not a bilingual patch but strictly French language only. I think I may have posted this before, however I finally have a photo of it is wear. This patch is a locally produced Unit Patch.
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