Every Route 66 attraction & National Park had these stocked in their souvenir shops. 60 years ago, any scout worth their salt earned and collected ‘flocked pressed hard felt” patches.
But you can’t find them anymore (it took us months to source a maker who would make these for us/ but not before he questioned why on earth we would want to).
Decades ago, felt was replaced by canvas twill (that would last longer), and embroidery replaced silk screening (which was crisper and more substantial).
When you pick up a scoutmaster jacket from the 1950s, you may notice that the patches are different. Look closely, they are flocked felt. Many are silkscreened, and imperfect - a result of the hand drawn art and manual printing process.
Our source explained you can find a far more durable patch pretty much anywhere. With better imprint, for less money.
So, maybe the one redeeming thing (that a few kindred spirits may find) about our “new” patches is that they remind us of a time and place that we can’t go back to.
It makes us appreciate how far we’ve come and how sometimes the best way to get perspective is to take a step back. So here’s to one more little detail that will help you step back in time when you visit us.
DETAILS
➕ Felt patch measure between 2-3" wide & 3-3.5" tall
➕ Camp Wandawega package measurement 4" x 6"
➕ Flocked rayon fabric
The Wandawega Camp Store Shipping Details