[Robin Hickman]

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Hi, Matt !


One way or the other, by e-mail or telephone, GOOD LUCK !!!


Robin

PS. It might come in handy if you happen to have a few photographs of your Flag that show just how far "off" it really is. After all, it IS a "Government Specifications" Flag, isn't it ???
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[mattsaccount]

These should fit the bill. The flag is folded in half, and the grommets are lined up:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/temp/DSC_6033.JPG

But, alas, the other end of it is not even close:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/temp/DSC_6031.JPG

The flag is indeed lying flat here, and there are no wrinkles etc that would cause this.

[Robin Hickman]

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Hi, Matt !


Wow! It looks even WORSE than I had imagined !!!

Definitely a manufacturing "problem"! And by the looks of it, one that goes beyond the "factory second" or "factory blem" stages!

FWIW : You might try to get a picture (or two) of the entire Flag (all in one shot) folded in half so it shows the disparity in the fly corners.


Robin
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[mattsaccount]

The point of this one is just to show that the folded part is lined up. It's taken with a wide-angle, so the perspective exaggerates any discrepency.
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/temp/DSC_6038.JPG

Folded into quarters:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/temp/DSC_6041.JPG

Closeup of the misaligned part:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/temp/DSC_6040.JPG

When you said folded in half, I know what you meant, but getting the problem to show up when folded in that direction is hard because it's difficult to know if it's folded in half in a straight line. That is, since the bottom the flag is shorter than the top, when I fold it in half that way, the tendency is to line up the fly end with the hoist end--the result is that the part of the flag that's folded is at an angle, but you can't see it well.

[Robin Hickman]

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Hi, Matt !


When I said "folded in half", I meant (of course) lengthwise so that the bottoms and tops of the hoist (header) and fly ends are folded in on themselves.

The idea of having the whole Flag folded in half in one shot is to not only show the "problem", but to show that there's no "trickery" involved.

Not for OUR benefit, mind you, but for the good folks at the Valley Forge Flag Company! We want THEM to SEE their "out of square" G-Spec Flag and replace it at no additional charge to you.

Although the vendor you bought the Flag from MIGHT be of some assistance, I really think it's a MANUFACTURING problem.

As always..... GOOD LUCK !!!


Robin
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[mattsaccount]

Ah, indeed, well since you're giving me all this motivation to get this addressed, here's one more pic for your benefit anyway

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~mjr/temp/DSC_6048.JPG

I guess when I call them I'll tell them they can look at this one. It seems pretty clear.

Getting this picture was rather difficult because of the large size of the thing. Good thing for wideangle lenses

[Robin Hickman]

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Hi, Matt !


QUOTE : "Getting this picture was rather difficult because of the large size of the thing."

I had kind of, sort of, thought of that AFTER posting the suggestion.

It occurred to me that the SMALLEST "G-Spec" flag I could recall was 5'x9.5'. Most ceilings are about 7'8" or so, and that would make it pretty hard to take a picture of it (the entire Flag) indoors.

It looks to me that you've got a pretty good shot of it !


When you get in contact with them (VF Flag) you'll have something "on hand" that backs up your claim right then and there!

BOOYA !!!


Robin
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[mattsaccount]

Originally Posted by Robin Hickman

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It occurred to me that the SMALLEST "G-Spec" flag I could recall was 5'x9.5'..

Categories | Valley Forge Flag

Valley Forge does actually sell others that are smaller. I think the one I bought is sort of in the middle in terms of sizes available.

[Robin Hickman]

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G-Spec sizes (as per Valley Forge Flag Co.) :


2' 4 7/16" x 4'6" (Two feet, four and seven sixteenths inches by four feet, six inches)

3'6" x 6'8" (Three feet, six inches by six feet, eight inches)

5' x 9'6" (Five feet by nine feet, six inches)

8' 11 3/8 x 17' (Eight feet, eleven and three eighths inches by seventeen feet)

10' x 19' (Ten feet by nineteen feet)



Learn something NEW every day, eh ???



Robin

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[mattsaccount]

I called them up, and they cited a 5% tolerance, so from their perspective there's nothing wrong. 5% of 9.5 feet is 5.7 inches, but this flag is not screwed up that much.

I wonder if I should have been an irritating customer and quoted the 2% figure from the spec?

3.4 Design. The design of the US National Flag and Union Jack shall be .... A tolerance of ± 5 percent shall be allowed for all dimensions exceeding 4 inches, except that the maximum and minimum measurements of the same dimensions on a single flag may not differ by more than 2 percent of each other and both measurements be within 5 percent tolerance on the minus side or plus side (dimensions involved are "A," "B," "C," and "D"). A tolerance of ± 1/4 inch shall be allowed for dimensions from 2 to 4 inches and a tolerance of ± 1/8 inch shall be allowed for dimensions 2 inches or less. Tolerance for the "E" dimensions on the Schiffli embroidered star fields shall be 3/4 inch. Piecing of the canton or Union Jack is prohibited except for flags with a blue field hoist dimension exceeding 60 inches, in which case only 3 pieces will be allowed and no piece shall measure less than 32 inches in the hoist dimension.