I recently posted a blog in which I captured a distressed Eagle Scout badge, along with the necessary tools to repair it. Here’s the post.
It’s one thing to photograph this wrecked badge. But it’s another to actually take a moment and fix it.
And the big issue now for this medal … is the ribbon. Or, as you can see, what’s left of it.
Yikes.
So now it’s time to fix this award.
The first thing to do is replace the ribbon. The ribbon, or “grosgrain,” is a three-colored fabric that connects the metal scroll to the dangling metal eagle. In modern Eagle Scout badges, you can actually purchase a replacement ribbon section that attaches to the modern scroll with two push pins.
For older medals, you can actually purchase grosgrain ribbon replacement material at a Scout Shop; however, it is considered a “reserved item,” meaning that you need proof of being an Eagle Scout or related to one. I sourced this pack from an eBay seller who didn’t care that I never made it past Tenderfoot.
The medal I have was manufactured generations ago by the Robbins Company. BSA collectors would officially designate this medal as a “Robbins 3,” built between approximately 1936 and 1953. I’m not able to source original grosgrain material from the 1940’s for this medal, so we’re just going to have to make do with a modern grosgrain ribbon from Jo Ann Fabric.
Anyway … here’s the photo I took of the medal as part of a “Still Life” shot for my photography competition season.
Yeah. Totally unacceptable for any Scout to wear this medal in THAT condition.
I took the tattered grosgrain off the medal. For this project, I’ll use a grosgrain ribbon that I purchased from Jo Ann Fabric. You want the ribbon to be 1 1/2 inches wide, with the tri-color red/white/blue look.
I cut a three-inch length of grosgrain from the 25-foot ribbon roll. Using using a simple needle and thread, stitched the two ends together.
The stitch would normally be in red thread, but I only had black thread. And I wasn’t going back to Jo Ann Fabrics just for a spool of thread. This is a restoration project, and sometimes you gotta make do with what you have.
Oh, look. The stitching is complete. Not bad for a Tenderfoot.
I then turned the fabric inside out, so that the stitches would stay inside the newly-sewn grosgrain loop.
The “BE PREPARED” scroll has a small bar that can be gently pulled open. And I mean GENTLY. You’re not prying open a Scout knife from its case. This metal is soft and can easily break.
I slid the ribbon onto that bar, then slowly and carefully pushed the bar back into place.
The blue of the grosgrain ribbon presents on the right side. Just a note so that you don’t put the ribbon on backwards.
If you’ve done everything right, the ribbon and scroll should look like this.
Now to attach the eagle. Fold the lower corners of the grosgrain into a point. GENTLY open up the metal ring that will anchor the eagle to the ribbon. Thread the ring onto the ribbon, then GENTLY close the ring up. If you’ve done it correctly, the eagle should present staring at the left.
You know … like this.
And there you have it. A restored Eagle Scout medal.
Now the next thing to do is to make sure this badge gets to proper ownership. Again … Chuck is not an Eagle Scout, although I probably earned about five different merit badges in repairing this treasure.
No, this actually belongs to an Eagle Scout. Perhaps one who lost his medal in some tragedy. Yeah, I know that if an Eagle Scout loses his medal, he can go to the Scout Shop and purchase a replacement.
Yeah. Maybe I’m not that kind of person who just “buys a replacement.” Especially when there’s more care and effort in repairing an Eagle badge.
I’ll contact the local Scout Council later this week and find out what they think.
And if they don’t think it’s appropriate to re-gift the badge …
I’ll come up with another reverent idea for this.
Because I can. I’m prepared for such things.
Yes, even Tenderfoot Scouts can be prepared.
Chuck The Writer 