[mattsaccount]

It arrived yesterday. I couldn't post until today because of network issues. Here are some photos. Time is short so I haven't put it on the pole. Maybe this weekend. (I have a state flag on that at the moment).

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag1.jpg
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag2.jpg
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag3.jpg
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag4.jpg

In all the pictures, the rayon flag is sitting on top of of the nylon one. The fabric is softer, perhaps slightly less shiny, but looks great. The fabric is noticeably thicker/denser. When held up to the light, very little light comes through--less than the nylon one. The colors are more rich. It's hard to say if this is solely a consequence of the flag, or if my older one was simply a bit faded. It definitely looks nicer than my older nylon flag, and looking at them in person, it's easy to pick out the new one.

[american_flag_uk]

Oh Matt - That is absolutley beautiful!

What a gorgeous flag!
I've never seen anythimg like that!

[mattsaccount]

Here are a few more pictures with it in the sun instead of a flash. These probably better demonstrate the difference. As before, the rayon flag is on top of the nylon one.

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag_sun1.jpg
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag_sun2.jpg
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag_sun3.jpg

I also forgot to mention yesterday that the flag is made by Annin. They're sold under the brand "Federal Art-glo." I'm still having some trouble reconciling the cost. I know that this kind of fabric isn't 4x more expensive than nylon, so they obviously made some money on the deal. Nevertheless, I'm certainly happy with it, and it would be hard to go back to the other kind. If you ever want to buy an indoor flag, it would definitely be worth considering one of these.

[american_flag_uk]

my message was so short last time because it was so late - but i really wanted to respond!

Ok so its not so late today!

That new flag of yours..... it is absolutley beautidful!
The colors are so rich and deep compared to the nylon one

I have a nylon indoor flag... a very beautiful flag this is i have,.. but i really do wonder what the difference would be if i were to switch it.. your new flag is so exquisite!

I assume you have an indoor pole for these flags... could you take pics of each of the flags taking a turn on the pole?
How much was your flag again?

How does the material feel? Is it a bit like nylon? or more like cotton? silk? or something else? - is it thick? It certainly looks thick from the pictures.

I really like how the stars are embroidered on the new flag - with each point of the star having 2 wraps of threading to make it up

thanks for taking all the pics...it is relaly interesting and good for me to see the comparisons between the regular nylon flag and this one

[PRGringo]

Thank you, Matt for the pictures both under flash and sunlight. The sunlight pics did it for ma and I must say that there is a perceptable difference in the materials under sunlight and I would imagine, under indoor lighting as well. It is a beautiful fabric and looks stunning in the pictures.

I like the quality of the sewing on the stars and, I might be mistaken, but the rayon flag material does seem more "opaque" where the red stripes are sewn under the white stripes. It seems harder to see the red coming through. Perhaps the density of the fabrics comes into play.

I don't know if I would ever be able to afford one but it is certainly a stunning addition to flag material options and I thank you for sharing this with us!

[coasterville]

Ive noticed even amongst Annin, there is a difference between their nylon flags that are sold through big box stores, and those sold from flag dealers.

I bought a flag once from Krogers (grocery store) in September one year when they were desperate to get their seasonal aisle converted to Halloween. Package said Annin - Nylon - Sewn stripes/ embroidered stars and was clearance sale priced at like $5.99. I usually restock with an Annin Nyl-Glo from a flag shop.

When I opened the grocery store version I noticed a few differences - the stars on it weren't as plush as a NYL-GLO, it lacked the color matching thread feature - instead white thread was used throughout for the seams, and the header wasn't as 'stiff'. At least those were the differences I noticed, other than the subtle change in the manufacturer stamp on the header - instead of saying ANNIN NYL-GLO it read ANNIN NYLON. On the cheaper flag when it would get wet, the embroidered stars would actually appear to turn blue.

I still have that one here somewhere as well as a new in package NYL-GLO if anybody would be interested in comparison photos.

[mattsaccount]

Here's some more information to address the points raised. Don't make me take any more pictures because I have to get some work done eventually

Nylon mounted: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/nylonflag_mounted.jpg
Rayon mounted: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag_mounted.jpg
Nylon in light: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/nylonflag_light.jpg
Rayon in light: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/files/rayonflag_light.jpg

The first two pictures show the flag on a pole. As before, I had to use a flash, and the difference is not very clear from the pictures. In person, the different is rather more obvious.

The last two pictures are intended to illustrate the difference in thickness, which you both asked about. The rayon is certainly heavier. It almost completely blocks the light behind it. To be clear, the light is directly behind the red stripe. In contrast, the nylon is relatively thin and lets significantly more light through. I think it's worth noting that this is not some crappy nylon flag either. Putting a light behind it is a pretty picky test. The nylon one does not look like it's full of holes in normal use.

Originally Posted by american_flag_uk

How does the material feel? Is it a bit like nylon? or more like cotton? silk? or something else? - is it thick? It certainly looks thick from the pictures.

The material is smoother and softer than nylon. It's not fuzzy like cotton. It's probably most like silk, which I believe is what rayon is supposed to be like. The precise type of material is called cuprammonium rayon, which is the same thing as "Bemberg rayon." You can find lots of information about it on the Internet--I know, because I read about it before buying it

Originally Posted by american_flag_uk

I really like how the stars are embroidered on the new flag - with each point of the star having 2 wraps of threading to make it up

Good call. I realized they were different but it hadn't registered what the difference was, precisely, until you pointed it out.

[mattsaccount]

In response to coasterville's comment on Annin Nyl-glo, I'm not sure who the original manufacturer of the nylon flag in my photos is, which makes it harder to compare.

[coasterville]

You just jarred my memory - isn't rayon the 'silk-like' material they use to make the Empire brand miniature desktop flags?

[mattsaccount]

That, I do not know. I have, however, seen desk flags made from rayon, but I'm not sure of the brand.

I think rayon is really only suitable for indoor use. Apparently, if it gets wet, the colors will run. The information I've read on the Internet strongly suggests dry cleaning only.