Great thread guys. Grant, unfortunately, I agree with the consensus. I know you are looking for concrete explanations on how to tell if a ball is that old but I don't think any of us can tell you definitively. You just have to familiarize yourself with all the known exemplars I guess or see a bunch in person.
More often than not, they are crude, not uniform and nowhere near perfectly stitched. They were all handmade in different fashions by spouses of players, blacksmiths, saddle makers, etc.
I have a number of reproductions because they are so cool looking and they display well. Fun to talk to others about the evolution of the ball.
I would respect William's opinion above all else as I consider him an expert in this matter. You and Joe brought up a good point about those two suspect balls on my site. Now that I look back, I have my doubts too.
So, should I take those down guys? If you see any others that may be reproductions, please let me know so I can remove them. Appreciate it.
JD
www.baseballglovecollector.com