A question for the pennant experts

[Fballguy]

Hi all...I picked up this old Chicago Bears pennant and couldn't tell until I rec'd it that it appeared to be hand cut. The edges are not quite even...sort of wavy.

What I'm wondering is if this was done intentionally to sharpen the tip...or is this how pennants back in the 1930's came?

Trying to find any information on the history of pennants is nearly impossible so hoping somebody here can help. I will be posting pictures shortly.

Thanks,
Rob

[Fballguy]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/tlyght/_57_zps23vkkeaj.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/tlyght/media/_57_zps23vkkeaj.jpg.html)http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/tlyght/_57-2_zpshekrjwfh.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/tlyght/media/_57-2_zpshekrjwfh.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/tlyght/_57-3_zps0spdreaq.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/tlyght/media/_57-3_zps0spdreaq.jpg.html)

[tcornett]

Rob
What is the size of the pennant. Top to bottom, and edge to tip. Sometime you can tell if they have been altered by the size.

[ooo-ribay]

From the pictures, it just looks like an old pennant. The waviness you mention is hard to see.

[perezfan]

I believe it's perfectly fine. But measurements would indeed help. It looks just like mine, as these were not precision-cut back in the day. Not like today's mass-produced machine cut pennants.

The slight waviness to the borders is normal. Great pickup, BTW... It is stunning and rare!

[Duluth Eskimo]

I generally agree with what Perezfan said, but I have see and sold this pennant in the past and it looks a little thin between the edges and the printing as it goes towards the tip. This is not an automatic disqualifier as oftentimes early pennants and lesser quality pennants up in to the 60's were handcut as well as machine cut. The waviness of the pennant is very common on pennants from this era and would be difficult to tell without having the pennant in hand. The early ones seem to stretch a little too. I would suggest examining the edges to look for a clean cut or discoloration where a newer cut would not show the same aged discoloration that is natural for normal wear over the years. In my opinion, it is probably fine and I would have been fine buying it not in hand.

With all of that being said, it is a fantastic pennant that is very rare and highly collected amongst Bears as well as most early football collectors. Good find. Jason

[Fballguy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Here are a few more pics and dimensions. With items like this I'm not a huge stickler when it comes to condition. It's rare enough that I'll happily live with it one way or the other. I think it looks great regardless.

The edges don't look ragged at all. It's a smooth cut on both sides, just not precisely straight. There's no unusual discoloration along the edge.

It measures 29 inches long and 10.5 inches at it's widest. I didn't try to stretch it or flatten it so it's possible a 0.5 inch was lost to "shrinkage" or wrinkling. At the "B" it's 6.5 inches wide and at the "S" 2.5 inches.

It's the lack of a border at the "S" that first got my attention. It diminishes quite a bit from the "B" to the "S".

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/tlyght/photo%202-27_zps7rehh0gj.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/tlyght/media/photo%202-27_zps7rehh0gj.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/tlyght/photo%203-20_zpsv7qwmbgy.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/tlyght/media/photo%203-20_zpsv7qwmbgy.jpg.html)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/tlyght/photo%201-28_zps6txkk2fc.jpg (http://s17.photobucket.com/user/tlyght/media/photo%201-28_zps6txkk2fc.jpg.html)

Thanks again for the responses.

Rob

[Duluth Eskimo]

It does not appear to have been cut at all on the long edge (piping) and those dimensions are close enough for that era. I think you're good. Nice pick up. Jason

[perezfan]

Agree with Jason (both posts).

If it was scissor-trimmed, you'd likely see a different "sharpness" to the edge, and less aging/brighter felt at the edge where it was cut. Hard to put in words, but you get the idea...

Congrats!

Ps. I have a few pennants (that I know are unaltered) in which the border cut actually touches on the painted graphics. Sometimes the paint even wraps under the edge. This is normal, as it was not a precise process. These pennants probably sold for about a quarter back in the day!

[Fballguy]

Thanks everyone for the help with this.

Rob