Not all patches advertised as World War II are remotely authentic period pieces. The most common misunderstanding is that has "no glow" or is on cheese cloth or it is from the WWII era. Not so! As a professional embroiderer I can tell you it is quite possible to make modern non-glow patches. No glow simply means the patch may have been made in the period (or made with similar materials as an original) of roughly WW II to the late 80's early 90's. At that time most American embroiderers experienced a quantum leap in embroidery technology and changed to more durable longer lasting threads made of rayon, polyester and more. Unlike cotton based threads - they glow under black light. Therefore the glow is not an appropriate proof of age, only an indicator the patch may be from the correct era. Cotton threads are still available in the international market though not typically used by normal embroidery companies. There are a plethora of issues with stitch length and patch design but these are far too numerous to mention here. Suffice to say someone out to reproduce an authentic looking patch can if they really want to.

There are quite a few Airborne and Ranger patches advertised as original or WWII because they were made as above in the 60's during a resurgence of interest in those units from WWII. They were made just for collectors and sometimes by the original company that manufactures the real deal. They look old - because they are 40+ years old - but not WWII. Remember, just because they have glue on the back and have been collected doesn't mean they are original.

Similarly, cheesecloth means little. I have purchased some very outstanding replica/repro patches out of England made specifically by the the WWII cheesecloth specs by the original maker with the same cotton thread materials. In two weeks with a few coffee stains, earth and bright light they could be passed off quite easily as real. Now please don't get me wrong, as I applaud some of these companies who have taken the high road and advertise their quality goods as replica. There are just not enough affordable authentic patches to go around. Therefore well made reproductions are a desirable way to fill holes in the collection. Once again beware. Always ask if it is original, if any provenance is available and is there a money back guarentee.

Your best method is by doing your research. There are many fine web site that have pictures of fantastic collections to compare to, or purchase one of many outstanding books on the subject (many available right here on ebay) such as Christopher Brown's "U.S. Military Patches of World War II". It is fun and there are good deals out there but also some scams so be prepared. Chances are you will get a few bad apples as you start to collect. Most collectors won't tell you - but it happened to them as well when they started out. It has happened to me. Good Luck and welcome to the club.