Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Patches & Pins
  Lion Brothers space shuttle mission patches (Page 1)

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search


This topic is 2 pages long:   1  2 
next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Lion Brothers space shuttle mission patches
Harald Kraenzel
Member

Posts: 304
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-19-2005 03:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harald Kraenzel   Click Here to Email Harald Kraenzel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Does someone have a list of all space shuttle patches made by Lion Brothers?

spacesoup patches
Member

Posts: 69
From: Dale Hollow area of Tennessee
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-27-2005 01:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacesoup patches   Click Here to Email spacesoup patches     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I can list a few STS missions that have patches manufactured by Lion Brothers, but I cannot tell you if it is a complete list.

Lion Brothers made patches for Shuttle missions STS-1 through STS-9 and also made STS-41B and 51A mission patches. Patches for the STS-1 through 9 are very much like the Apollo LB patches in they are cloth backed with no coatings.

Maybe another good question concerns the coatings on the back. Did Lion Brothers use coatings on the back in any mission patches they produced and if so when? STS-1 through 9 and STS-41B and 51A missions were flown between 1981-1984. I also have had patches that were reported and referenced as Lion Brothers produced patches for STS missions 27, 28, 29 and 32. These missions were flown in 1988 or after. As you noted in another post topic about the STS-1 patch there are many different versions. Although the STS mission patches for 27, 28, 29, 32 have differences from the usual AB patches, I have only found those with the coating on the back. So these may be suspect in the origins as Lion Brothers. More info is needed on these and the coatings issue.

Harald Kraenzel
Member

Posts: 304
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-27-2005 02:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harald Kraenzel   Click Here to Email Harald Kraenzel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Concerning the patches for STS missions 27, 28, 29 and 32, what reference do you have that these are LB patches? Can you be sure?

I know that LB did experiment on two patches (one was STS-41B) with very thin plastic coating but this was discontinued.

spacesoup patches
Member

Posts: 69
From: Dale Hollow area of Tennessee
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-27-2005 02:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacesoup patches   Click Here to Email spacesoup patches     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Again I cannot be sure to the authenticity of 27, 28, 29, 32, but I emailed the question to SpacePatches.info a while back, and Erik was kind enough to share some of his knowledge with describing Lion Brothers STS patches for STS-1 through 9 plus 28, 29 and 32.

He said he didn't know exactly up to which missions were made by LB but had heard up through STS-34. I purchased a STS-27 and a STS-29 advertised on eBay as Lion Brothers from Randy Hunt. STS-29 fit the description that Erik had provided and has the plastic coating you mentioned.

Both of these individuals are known as long time collectors with excellent reference knowledge.

Harald Kraenzel
Member

Posts: 304
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-27-2005 05:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harald Kraenzel   Click Here to Email Harald Kraenzel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have to add that these thin plastic cover was experimental and did not go into production. There were experiments for Apollo 17, the Space Shuttle program patch and STS-41B.

Bill Hunt
Member

Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 11-29-2005 01:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bill Hunt   Click Here to Email Bill Hunt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
My experience is that Lion Brothers made shuttle mission patches from the Approach and Landing Test all the way through STS-36 at least. I don't know if they skipped any missions prior to STS-36, but the latest shuttle mission patch that I know was produced by Lion is STS-36.

I have one of these, and the coating on the back is correct for Lion. It also features the more 3D appearance in the embroidery - thicker embroidery - that the early Lion patches have.

I haven't yet seen any patches after STS-36 that even remotely appear to be of Lion manufacture, however I'm always keeping a lookout.

Bill Hunt
Member

Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 11-29-2005 03:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bill Hunt   Click Here to Email Bill Hunt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Actually, let me revise that. I've now obtained what I believe is an STS-39 Lion Bros shuttle patch. It has all the proper characteristics of early Lion patches, is clearly different from both vintage and later era AB patches (produced on both the original and the latest embroidery machines).

It's also clearly different - of much higher quality - from the cheaper replica patches from Asia and other sources. So I believe it's likely that Lion continued to produce shuttle patches until at least 1991.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-21-2006 08:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sorry to resurrect an old thread but it seems like there's still no clear information on Shuttle-era Lion Brothers patches on the net.

I've been trying to build up a set recently and can identify quite a few of the early LB designs now but some I'm not 100% sure of.

One thing I've noticed is that they exist with wax/plastic backings as well as with bare backs. I've seen this with STS-1 and others. This seems to go against what was mentioned above.

Harald Kraenzel
Member

Posts: 304
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-21-2006 09:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harald Kraenzel   Click Here to Email Harald Kraenzel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, there are LB patches that do have wax or plastic backs. I know that for sure for STS program patch, STS-41B and STS-51A.

I am still looking for the patches of STS-7 and STS-8 having cloth backs. Further on I do not really know whether there are patches after STS-51A.

Do you think you can publish a list of your collection describing their mission and what back they have cloth or wax/plastic?

Go4Launch
Member

Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-24-2006 10:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Go4Launch   Click Here to Email Go4Launch     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here's a summary so far of what we believe Lion Bros. made. We agree Lion made patches for the Shuttle Project, ALT, and STS-1 thru 41-B.
  • 41-C NO?
  • 41-D YES (John)
  • 41-G YES (John)
  • 51-A YES (Ron)

  • 51-C thru 61C NO?

  • 51-L YES (John - although not 100% sure)
  • 26 YES (John)
  • 27 YES (Ron, John)
  • 29 YES (Ron)
  • 30 YES (John)
  • 28 YES (Ron?)
  • 34 YES (John)
  • 33 NO?
  • 32 YES (Ron)
  • 36 YES (Bill)
  • 31 YES (John)
  • 41 NO?
  • 38 NO?
  • 35 YES (John)
  • 37 NO?
  • 39 YES (Bill)
Maybe someone can fill in the gaps?

The only ones I have with a plain cloth backing are STS-1 thru STS-5.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-25-2006 02:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have STS-9 with a bare back too.

To your list I would add that I'm pretty positive about LB designs for STS-41C and 51-C.

I would also say it's a certainty they didn't miss out any missions until the company folded. That doesn't mean it's easy to identify their designs of course.

Go4Launch
Member

Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-25-2006 09:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Go4Launch   Click Here to Email Go4Launch     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This list is based on members actually having identifiable patches, not on speculation, so I'm not inclined to alter it based on you bring "pretty positive," nor am I sure how you can say "it's a certainty they didn't miss out any missions." In addition, of course, the company never "folded" and remains in business to this day...

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-25-2006 11:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
John, I'm not suggesting you add other missions to your list as definitive but I'm sure you accept that there are patch designs out there for the 'missing' missions that are likely to be by Lion Brothers. Until the real design is positively identified the candidate patch design(s) shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

If a particular patch design turns up consistently in set of patches where all the 'known' shuttle patch designs match those from Lion Brothers then I would suspect that design to be a likely Lion Brothers one. That's speculation of course not certainty, but it's a basis for further investigation.

I'm rather surprised that you seem to think the company actually missed out whole swathes of missions before deciding to produce certain patches again. Surely it's more logical to imagine they produced patches consistently for all missions up until a certain point?

I take the point about the company not having folded. I was really thinking of them having abandoned space patches. My bad.

Go4Launch
Member

Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-25-2006 09:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Go4Launch   Click Here to Email Go4Launch     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, I agree with all that. Sorry if that came off as a little harsh. Note that all the "NO" listings are followed by a question mark...

dmash4077
Member

Posts: 64
From: Prattville Al
Registered: May 2006

posted 11-26-2006 09:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dmash4077   Click Here to Email dmash4077     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
These are the Lion Bros patches I have, that I know are Lion. The ones with the coating on the back, are not like the AB, they are more like a vacuum sealed back.

When I mention "coated" here, it means like the vacuum sealed backing, not the normal iron on backing. And I am not sure of some, only because I don't have a reference to positively identify them as Lion Bros.

But I do know, the STS-41B and 51A are Lion. Ron and I have had a lot of discussion about this subject, but no one can be sure at the moment.

  • Shuttle Program, Coated
  • ALT, Cloth Back
  • STS-1 thru STS-5 Cloth Back
  • STS-6, 7 do not have
  • STS-8, Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-9 Cloth Back
  • STS-41B Coated
  • STS-41C, D, G Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-51A Coated
  • STS-51C Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-51D I have not found a Coated one
  • STS-51G, F, I, J Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-61A, B, C Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-51L Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-26, 27 Have not found a Coated one
  • STS-29 Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-30 I have not found a Coated one
  • STS-28, Not Sure, Coated
  • STS-34 I have not found a Coated one
  • STS-33, 32 Not Sure, Coated
I have some later missions with the same type coating, but for the most part, they have normal iron on backing. I would like to exchange scans of the patches with John or Bill to compare if you guys would? Harald already has scans of mine.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-27-2006 09:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'd like to put together an illustrated list of the suspected LB shuttle patches on my site if possible.

I know Ron already has great scans and details of shuttle patches on his site but this list would be more a temporary basis for the discussion here.

What I'd like to be able to do is to put scans of all the patches people propose as being known or possible LB patches.

It wouldn't be definitive and no-one should be afraid to put forward a patch design as a candidate. No flaming should result from someone suggesting a particular design, just some healthy discussion.

If anyone would like to send me scans at about 100dpi of STS patches they suggest might be LBs I'd be very happy to put them on this provisional list. You should include scans of the backs too.

I only have a few patches so far myself but I'll try to put together a basic list and post a link later today so you can see what I mean.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-27-2006 01:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I haven't had much time to work on my list but I've put together a mini site for what I've done so far.

I need to add scans of the backs of the proposed LB patches. I'm also missing lots of later AB patch scans...

I'm sure there will be people disagreeing with what I've already posted. Just try to keep it polite!

Please send in scans (100 dpi preferably) if you have patches you suspect may be LBs and I'll add them to the list.

Go4Launch
Member

Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 11-27-2006 11:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Go4Launch   Click Here to Email Go4Launch     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great work with your website! Based on examining scans from Dan and Harald, I think there's almost no doubt all of theirs are Lion Bros. patches. If you agree, then they can fill in some of the current LB "holes" on your website (if you can't).

But then after that -- there STILL seem to be no examples yet for these seven flights: 51-B, 36, 41, 38, 37, 39 and 40.

For the moment, 43 appears to be the last one known (Dan has one). So I think the question is, does anyone out there have examples of these remaining seven?

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-28-2006 07:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I've just uploaded an update to the site with Harald's scans up to 51L (Thanks Harald!). The gaps I have in the first 25 now are: 51B, 51G, 51I and 51J.

He's going to send me post-Challenger scans soon.

If anyone has other versions of patches I've already posted that they'd like to add to the list just send me a scan. The list is in no way definitive at present. I think we should also consider the possibility that different versions of the same patch may have been produced by LB.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-28-2006 09:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The list has now been updated with Harald's post-Challenger STS suspected LB scans.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42983
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-28-2006 11:42 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Does anyone know if any of the LB STS patches ever flew? The common line of thought is that AB produced all the patches for the space shuttle program but if that is the case, why did Lion continue producing theirs? Were they strictly souvenir and if so, who was their major customer(s)? Anyone know?

lucspace
Member

Posts: 403
From: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-28-2006 01:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lucspace   Click Here to Email lucspace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
STS-1 flew the Lion patch... not aware of the rest, but this is info I have been looking for for quite a while! Wonder if we can come up with a list...

Harald Kraenzel
Member

Posts: 304
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-28-2006 01:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harald Kraenzel   Click Here to Email Harald Kraenzel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What do you mean with "flew the Lion patch"? There are pictures showing John Young wearing the early four color flame AB Emblem patch.

lucspace
Member

Posts: 403
From: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-28-2006 01:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lucspace   Click Here to Email lucspace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Whoops, I guess I stand corrected. It's so difficult to tell those two apart... Yielding to other experts.

hoorenz
Member

Posts: 1031
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 11-29-2006 05:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hoorenz   Click Here to Email hoorenz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The STS-29 in your AB list is not the flown version. I have a time original with a sewn border (just like 51L) not an overlock border. Also, the blue background has a radial pattern, which is very beautiful.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-29-2006 05:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I've uploaded some more scans from John and Dan (thanks guys). There's still a few gaps and lots of questions remaining.

I'm particularly intrigued by the question of the STS-5/6/7/8 designs. It seems that the first 4 missions and STS-9 turn up fairly frequently and are widely recognised as LBs but the four missions in between seem to raise more questions.

The designs I posted for the 5-8 missions are those I've found appearing in those slots consistently in 'sets' of LB STS patches from different sources. That doesn't prove that they are LB of course but it seems odd that these apparently non-AB designs turn up each time in collections of otherwise all LB patches.

The scans from Dan and Harald for the cloth-backed STS-5-8 designs do indeed look like LB versions and are also cloth backed. The ones I posted I've only seen with coated backs. Is it possible that there are two generations of LBs for those missions - early bare backs and later coated ones?

spacesoup patches
Member

Posts: 69
From: Dale Hollow area of Tennessee
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-29-2006 10:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacesoup patches   Click Here to Email spacesoup patches     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hello again everyone!

I took six months off to collect something different. I collected all of my belongings and moved my home from Georgia to a mountain top in Tennessee.

I have had several emails in the last two weeks asking if I would wake up from this dream I'm living, and take a look at this thread and get involved. Looks like finally the community is getting some good feedback on the LB issue.

I would like to make some comments and I will send a few scans to Chris to help with identification or stir the pot more. I put great amount of time into researching Lion Brothers patches last year and the first five months of this year. This is some of things that I have found out from my own purchases, others I have examined, talks with other collectors, and a very lucky find.

Starting with the Lion Brothers Shuttle Program patch. This patch is the one patch that can truly identify the graduation of coatings used by Lion Brothers during this manufacturing time period. I also believe it to be the only patch that LB continued to produce outside of the original production period. (It is widely accepted that Lion Brothers only produced patches at the time of the actual mission.) The STS-1 however may have been the exception, since I have collected three different examples. The first one is a bare backed version with the starch type stiffener applied. The second has a tight vacuum sealed type plastic coating clear in color, the third has a tight vacuum sealed plastic coating purple in color. All three were EXACTLY the same in stitching front and back in every respect. I also have a fourth example I am almost certain is a LB version, but the stitching on the front has changed slightly and the back has the tail. I say this is also an LB because it matches the style change in the STS 5, 6, 7 and 8 LB patches.

I have an STS-2 emblem exactly the same in front stitching as the bare backed version everyone seems to be familiar with, however it has a gauze bandage type cloth back. NO Coating just a white cloth covering. This example came from a woman that worked at Lion Brothers. I was able to pick up STS-1, two different coated STS-2's 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 41B, 41B, 41C, 41G, 51A, and 2 different STS Program patches. There were a couple of multiples in the group. The lady I bought them from was from the daughter of the person that worked there. She had passed away,and all she could tell me was her mother sometimes brought home things she had done, and these were the space patches she had. The family lives in Maryland and it is too long of a story of how I found her. None the less, I am fairly certain that each of these examples gets us to through 1984. I do not know why she did not have any others for later years, and the daughter could not give me any indication when her mother stopped working for LB.

"My" theory is that LB started playing around very seriously in 1982 with there manufacturing process including coatings and different sewing lines. STS 1, 2, 3, 4, seem to be very straight forward, however STS 5, 6, 7, 8, show both old and new process in designs. 1984 seemed to be the new line of both sewing, quality, and coatings. It makes sense that in 1983 manufacturing changes caused a struggle of sort if line changes were made, coatings applied, and seems to be a few quality issues with STS 5 & 6 mission patch productions.

I will try and give Chris some scans of any differences and will confirm any of those I just spoke of in his image gallery. I will also send scans of probable STS 26 and 51G that look to be the same manufacture as others in this era's images Chris has listed.

Now that I have awoke my collecting self, I need to update my website, add a couple of hundred images, write a new Lion Brothers article. Stay tuned.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-30-2006 04:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hoorenz:
The STS-29 in your AB list is not the flown version.
Erik, Thanks for the heads-up. In fact the patch I included as an AB appears to be the same as Harald's proposed LB. I've replaced it now with a scan kindly sent by John of the patch version you describe.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-30-2006 05:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I've been taking a closer look at the backs of some of my patches:

I have two STS-1s with coated backs. In both cases the plastic has a fine pattern of circular indentations in a square grid. Measuring the indentations I find that 5 dots span about 5mm. This pattern is also present on my two LB Shuttle Program patches.

This fine pattern is also the same one I see on my STS-5/6/7/8s and my 41C. It is also, incidentally, exactly the same pattern as on the backs of the Lb-style Apollo and Skylab patches that I acquired some time ago (which you can see on my extras site under the fake/replica LB patches tab). This tends to make me think that those Apollo patches were indeed produced by Lion Brothers as an experiment with new designs/machinery.

By comparison, the earliest AB STS patches I have all have a different pattern on the coatings. These have larger round dimples, with 3 dots spanning about 5mm. My old AB 41D and 41G have a finer pattern (about 4 dots per 5mm) but arranged in more of a honeycomb pattern not a square grid. Later missions have a smooth fragile waxy coating or large dimples again.

Going back to the LB patches, the two STS-2s I have with coated backs both have a kind of a slick coating that looks as if it's been smoothed across from one side to the other, sometimes leaving hollows.

My STS-41B and STS-41D have what I think you describe as a vacuum-sealed back. It's a very shiny thin coating that is contoured deeply into the threads of the back.

dmash4077
Member

Posts: 64
From: Prattville Al
Registered: May 2006

posted 11-30-2006 09:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dmash4077   Click Here to Email dmash4077     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That's weird, I have 3 Lion STS-1 patches, 2 STS-2's, 3 STS-3's and 3 STS-4's and they are all cloth back. My STS-5 is cloth back also.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-01-2006 06:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Out of interest, there was a jacket sold on eBay recently on which were sewn a set of largely Lion Brothers shuttle patches.

If you look at the back all the patches through to STS-51C at least are the ones commonly seen in LB STS patch sets. As with other such groups I have seen the STS-5, 6, 7, 8 and 41C designs are the ones I included in my list as possible Lion Brother designs. All other designs in this series are the ones I think we have agreed are definitely LBs.

The later patches (lower row on the back and on to the sides and front) I'm not so sure about.

It'd be nice to see better images of the later designs to see if they're regular ABs or possible LBs. Also, it would be interesting to know what coatings there are on each patch. I think Ron has talked to the buyer of this jacket, so perhaps scans are available?

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-01-2006 11:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Regarding the issue of STS-1 and 2 coatings I've now modified my list to include examples of bare-back and coated versions as distinct entries.

I have two STS-1s with a coated reverse and the stitching patterns front and back are identical.

What's interesting is that there is a distinct difference on the stitching of the front designs between the bare back and coated versions. The bare back version has a more solid black windshield, the coated versions have a detail of black stitching down the right hand side of the shuttle fuselage that's absent on the bare back version. The cloud patterns are also distinctly different between the two versions. The bare back version has the upper body of the small shuttle heavily over-stitched by the flames of the larger one, although this may be just my version.

I also have two STS-2s with a coated reverse (different to that of STS-1), again with identical stitching on the two examples.

As with STS-1 it's clear that the coated and bare back versions have been stitched differently, leading to subtle but noticable differences in the fronts (I would say the front of the coated version is more crude than the bare-backed one). The way the stitching has been done on the reverse is very much like that on the reverse of the coated STS-1s.

Has anyone noticed this before?

From this I suspect that these two designs were redone for a different set of machinery at the same time that the plastic/wax backing was introduced to the process.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-01-2006 01:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I just switched my STS-41 example from the AB column to the possible LB column. It came from a collection that included the proposed LB designs for STS-27 (Harald), 29 (Harald), and 43 (Dan) and has exactly the same kind of vacuum-sealed plastic backing.

I don't have a vintage AB version to compare it too but it has the look and feel of a possible LB.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-05-2006 06:27 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As of today we've still not seen an STS-51B example or a 51J with tab. We're also missing STS-38, 37 and 40.

Are there any examples of LB STS patches with separate tabs? If not then presumably they only released their patch versions at about the time of the launches themselves rather than in advance.

dmash4077
Member

Posts: 64
From: Prattville Al
Registered: May 2006

posted 12-05-2006 06:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dmash4077   Click Here to Email dmash4077     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ron said he may have an STS-40. Hopefully we will fill all the holes...

KAPTEC
Member

Posts: 578
From: Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2005

posted 12-06-2006 04:57 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for KAPTEC   Click Here to Email KAPTEC     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A simple (or not) question: looking at the original artworks of the Space Shuttle emblems... don't you think that -generally- AB patches are more faithful than LB's?
Perhaps on STS-1, 41B, 51F and 61C, LB made better works, but in the others...

I think they are very best the AB's STS-5, STS-6, STS-8, STS-9, 41D, 41G, 51G, 61A, 61B and 51L, than the LB's, mentioning only the 25 firsts.

What do you think?

Harald Kraenzel
Member

Posts: 304
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 12-06-2006 05:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Harald Kraenzel   Click Here to Email Harald Kraenzel     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
To me - I don't know how other collectors think- it's not only the quality of patches which caused me to start this topic. Upon learning that there are STS LBs I wanted to know for which missions LB did make patches. Asking LB there were and still are not able to tell you. Instead I was told they do not know because no one who worked during that time frame of the STS missions in question is working with LB today to give answers to my questions.

Concerning quality of the ABs I watched that they vary during the years. They get worser some time and turn back becoming better.

Additionally my feeling is that the look and feel of a patch is related to a collector himself and therefore you will not come to a uniform conclusion.

What do other collectors think?

KAPTEC
Member

Posts: 578
From: Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2005

posted 12-06-2006 07:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for KAPTEC   Click Here to Email KAPTEC     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I agree, Harald.

spacesoup patches
Member

Posts: 69
From: Dale Hollow area of Tennessee
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 12-07-2006 08:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacesoup patches   Click Here to Email spacesoup patches     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by dmash4077:
Ron said he may have an STS-40.
I did not find an STS-40 in my collection of odd and unusual patches not identified, but I did find an STS-37 that is of the same make as the rest we have proposed to be Lion Brothers. I will send the scan to Chris for posting.

Bill Hunt
Member

Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 12-08-2006 12:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bill Hunt   Click Here to Email Bill Hunt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I believe I have a possible Lion STS-40, along with some others you don't have up yet. I'll try to scan them over the next week or so and send them on. I've still got to post those photos of the SpaceShipOne patches too.

Although I have to say, looking at those patches on the site, I think some are Lion but I suspect there are other manufacturers in there as well.


This topic is 2 pages long:   1  2 

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement