Grand Union and Annin Sunglo US flag pics.

[wild-bill]

I got them up and got a few good pics. The Sunglo dyed flag flies MUCH better than the GU with sewn stripes. It floats in a good breeze!






And since they don't have sewn or embroidered stars, they look good backlit.

[NAVA1974]

Thanks for the beautiful pics, Bill.

Nick A

[wild-bill]

Here are a couple after dark. I'm thinking about making a 6 or 7 foot extension for the tripod so I can mount the flash about 12 feet high. That would give better lighting for those night shots.

[Peter Ansoff]

The Sunglo dyed flag flies MUCH better than the GU with sewn stripes. It floats in a good breeze!

Wild-Bill raises an interesting point here. My impression is that collectors seem to prefer sewn flags, presumably because they are more traditional. However, when it comes to actually flying them, printed flags are arguably superior, because they fly better and avoid the "black star" effect. For flags that are flown outdoors, it seems to me that there are two other factors involved: durability and cost. Printed flags are obviously cheaper, but which type tends to last longer? I've seen many examples of sewn US flags in which the individual stripes have separated, presumably because the stitching is weaker than the fabric itself. What are the tradoffs involved? Is there a reason (other than tradition) why sewn flags are still the preferred alternative in some environments? Again, I'm talking about flying them outdoors rather than as static displays or collectables.

Peter Ansoff

[Robin Hickman]

.

"SEWN vs. DYED" ???


I have discussed the flying superiority of "printed/dyed" Flags elsewhere in these Forums. I have based my observations and conclusions on over 20 years of actually handling and flying printed/dyed American Flags. I've got hundreds of them!

I may be wrong, but I think one of the main reasons, if not the #1 reason, for the "printed/dyed" Flags' superiority is the invention and extensive use of Dupont's patented "SolarMax" nylon in their manufacture.


Don't get me wrong, I LOVE well-made sewn American Flags!!!


In fact, yesterday and today (July 23rd & 24th, 2011) I am flying a sewn & embroidered U.S. Flag and a sewn Norwegian Flag at half-staff in front of my house.

P1070784.JPGP1070785.JPG


I would think that the closest we might ever get to a definite answer would be to fine someone who has flown BOTH sewn and a dyed American Flags from the same flagpole at the same time over a perion of time..... A close second might be someone who has flown a sewn American Flag and a dyed State (or other entity) flag from the same pole at the same time.....


Perhaps we should have a "SEWN vs. DYED" discussion???



Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA

[NAVA1974]

Vanessa Van de Pute, former NAVA Historian, did a research project on the durability of flag materials. I don't recall if she studied sewn vs dyed/printed, but her study should be available through NAVA. It may have been published in RAVEN. Peter, do you recall Vanessa's paper?

Nick A
Columbia MD

[wild-bill]

While we're on the sewn vs dyed discussion, I weighed the 2 flags posted in this thread. The weight difference is not as much as I thought-8.6 oz for sewn GU and 6.7 for US Sunglo dyed. But there is a big difference between stiffness and flyability.