custom neckerchiefs

[selder]

We've decided to design and purchase some custom Troop neckerchiefs.

Anyone know where I should or could, order from..?

I cant seem to find any good sites on the web.

Also need some advice on screen printing or embroidery.

 

Thanks.

Sal

Troop 530

[John-in-KC]

Welcome to the Forums!

 

Have you considered:

 

Setting a standard for cloth ?

Buying cloth on the bolt?

Cutting blanks?

Asking parents who sew to hem the blanks?

 

I ask this seriously; you eliminate costs of shipping and handling, as well as costs of labor in making the neckers.

 

The Troop of my youth did this. It's almost 40 years later, and my necker is still serviceable!

 

If you search on neckerchief in this forum, you will find several threads in the past year about locally procuring neckerchiefs.

 

Overall, again, if you have a family or two who have embroidering sewing machines, you may be able to reduce your cost per item to almost nil.

 

For that matter, who needs embroidery? The neckerchief of my youth Troop was solid green, with a 1" tape of white as a border. I still have it, and this fall it'll be 40 years since I was a Tenderfoot!

[Kudu]

For easy-to-follow directions on how to make traditional 32" square neckerchiefs from a bolt of cloth, see:

 

http://inquiry.net/uniforms/neckerchief/how_to.htm

 

At a Committee Meeting find out if anybody knows of an individual or group that would be willing to hem 27 pieces of cloth 33" square each. Don't be shy, a local church group may be willing to volunteer. A few times we have found a neighborhood sewing enthusiast who was happy to volunteer for a limited project such as this.

 

When you have found a volunteer, then stop at a few local merchants, odd-lots stores, and flea markets until you find someone who will sell a bolt of cloth to a Boy Scout Troop for the wholesale price.

 

As the above instructions indicate, all you do to prepare the cloth for the volunteers is rip the bolt of cloth down the length of the bolt 33" from the edge, and then rip 33" pieces across the length of this 25 yard piece. When they are hemmed, you will have 27 neckerchiefs 32" square for about $2 each.

 

If you closely examine Norman Rockwell paintings, old Scout literature, or the opening of the Indiana Jones movie with Jones as a Boy Scout (pop quiz: what rank is he?), you will find that most of the early Boy Scout Neckerchiefs were this 32" square size and featured NO patterns or Troop identifications!

 

Some troops use this traditional no-pattern design (which certainly beats tacky silk-screening after a few washings). Other Troops purchase standard or custom neckerchief patches (neckerchief patches are usually shaped as an upside-down triangle), which they award to the Scout when he earns "Scout" or Tenderfoot. Other Troops leave the Neckerchief blank until the Scout sews on his first summer-camp patch or memorable high-adventure patch.

 

For general information about the advantages of 32" square neckerchiefs over skimpy triangular neckerchiefs, see:

 

http://inquiry.net/uniforms/neckerchief/index.htm

 

Kudu

 

[selder]

Thanks guys..

I've read most of this already.

 

 

We'll need to start with over 75 neckerchiefs and add about 25 more each year.

I doubt very much if we'll be making them.

 

We'll probably go with an emroidered custom design.

I just need the names of a few good vendors.

 

Thanks

[local1400]

Search "Chief Neckerchief". I've seen that name in several recent threads. Too bad the boys couldn't make their own as a troop project or maybe(?) part of the Textile MB??????