Border types

Patches are bordered in one of several ways while neckerchiefs may have different types of borders. The border letter is a capital letter as follows:

C = Cut edge. A cut edge is an embroidered type of border that is embroidered directly into the patch at the time it is made and then the edge is cut around the perimeter.

R = Rolled edge. Rolled edges, or marrowed edges, are applied to a patch after it is made. They are characterized by rolling around the edge of the patch from the front to the back. A rolled edge has an interlocking stitch on the front and the back - often called the “lock stitch” in descriptions. Neckerchiefs may also have rolled edges.

FR/E = If the back lock stitch of a rolled edge is visible from the front of the patch, that is known as a Flat Rolled Edge.

P = Piped edge. Piped edges are seen only on neckerchiefs and are characterized by having a cloth or ribbon border sewn around the edge. Piped borders are usually thin, but can sometimes be wide. Wide piped borders are known as Ribbon Borders.

[blank] = None of the above borders. Insignia may still have a border, but is not one of the types of borders as listed above. Examples would include silk-screened patches that may have a silk-screened border and neckerchiefs with a simple hem. Also, many chenille patches have a felt edge border around the chenilled part. These patches would not have any letter listed in the border type column, but the color of the border would be listed.

This information was compiled by Scott Dillard, and is a reprint from the OA Images website, http://www.oaimages.com/bbabbrev.shtml