Common Questions:
What is the difference between the appliqué, silkscreen, and dyed flags?
In the appliqué version, separate pieces of nylon material are sewn onto both sides of the flag. In the case of the White Star Line flag, the white star is sewn onto the red field. Extra stitching in the middle of the star ensures it is well attached. This method looks the best up close and is more traditional in flag design.
In the case of the silkscreen version, the star is “painted” on each side of the flag. The paint or silkscreen that is used is of a high quality and the flag manufacture takes care to use a very strong adhesive in between the paint and the nylon. The paint is very flexible and won’t crack. It also is very well attached (I tried my hardest to “rough up” and scrape the star off but was unsuccessful!). When I expressed to the manufacture my concerns as to the durability of the silkscreen star, they informed me that they actually have never received a complaint from any of their customers as to it pealing, cracking, or falling off. After seeing the star up close, I am confident you will have years of service with the silkscreen version of the flag. A plus of this type of flag over the appliqué is that it is a little more lightweight (enabling it to fly more in the wind) as well as less material on the flag to hold in water if the flag is flown in the rain. Furthermore, the white star really “pops” from the design and is actually brighter than the more muted white star of the appliqué version.
Dyed nylon flags are made from one piece of material and the design is dyed into the actual flag material. This version is well suited to complicated images and makes for a bright colorful design. Unlike applique or silkscreen, when dyed flags are flown in sunlight, the entire design appears to be lit up which makes for a great display. These flags also hold up great in bad weather and don't need a lot of wind to fly.
Note - none of our flags are cheap polyester flags! I only use thick nylon material. Polyester flags can be purchased for a low price but you hardly can get much more than a weekend of use out of them. Plus, they look very cheap and unprofessional.
Who is your flag manufacturer?
Well, I don’t make these flags! White Star Line and US Lifesaving Service flags are made by Prestige Flag in San Diego, CA. I went with Prestige Flag due to their high quality products and reputation. In producing flags I could have easily contracted with an offshore company and make cheap (in price and quality) flags but then how could I attempt to sell them to you? No, I went with the best! Prestige Flag makes the golf flags for 42 of the top 100 golf courses throughout the world. They also make the flags for the New York, San Diego, and other yacht clubs. Golf course flags and flags used in the marine environment have to be good to withstand the heavy usage and weather. So, rest assured, you are getting a very high quality product! The rest of our flags are made by Humphrys Flag Company in Philadelphia, PA. They have been making ship sails and flags since 1805 and make some excellent products. ALL of these flags are made in the United States!
What are your flags based on?
Research! White Star flags are designed according to authentic historical White Star Line house flags in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, United Kingdom. I used those flags as the basis of the modern day recreations in order to ensure the most faithful reproduction. The proportions, color, and construction is very similar to the actual flags in the museum. You can see the pictures of the historic flags here. The other historical flags are based on extensive research into flags from the period. When we make a new flag, we will post the historical reference on our blog for you to read.
How long will my flag last?
I wish I had a simple answer, but it really depends on how you use it. If you fly the flag every day, all day, in all types of weather it won’t last as long as if you took good care of the flag. Expect that if flown every day you should get at least (more likely more) one year out of the flag. Looking at the quality, I suspect it should be more than that but can’t offer any guarantee. One good hurricane can knock down your flagpole and float the flag out to sea, but I suspect that when it washes up on shore years later, it should still be good to fly! If you only fly the flag once a year on the TITANIC anniversary, it might last a lifetime.
Should I buy more than one flag?
If you have been looking for a White Star Line or other historic flag for a long time, I suggest you get at least two of each size that you want. This will ensure you have another one in case the one you fly needs to be replaced. If you fly the flags on a regular basis, swapping out the flags every few weeks will prolong the life of both flags longer. I also don’t know how long I will offer these flags. I rarely reorder designs and once they are gone, they are gone.
Are there other suppliers of the flags you sell?
In the case of our White Star Line flags the answer is Yes, but we are the cheapest, easiest to order, and the only one in the United States. I performed an extensive search for these flags and only found two or other companies in the world that sell White Star Line flags. Compare their prices (one sells for $159!), shipping fees, and overseas location. We have the best quality for price and have an agreement with Prestige Flag that they will only sell to us. In the case of our other historic flags, the answer is No. If there was a source for these flags, I would have purchased one from them instead of going through the trouble of making a custom flag! I only make flags not available commercially.
In the appliqué version, separate pieces of nylon material are sewn onto both sides of the flag. In the case of the White Star Line flag, the white star is sewn onto the red field. Extra stitching in the middle of the star ensures it is well attached. This method looks the best up close and is more traditional in flag design.
In the case of the silkscreen version, the star is “painted” on each side of the flag. The paint or silkscreen that is used is of a high quality and the flag manufacture takes care to use a very strong adhesive in between the paint and the nylon. The paint is very flexible and won’t crack. It also is very well attached (I tried my hardest to “rough up” and scrape the star off but was unsuccessful!). When I expressed to the manufacture my concerns as to the durability of the silkscreen star, they informed me that they actually have never received a complaint from any of their customers as to it pealing, cracking, or falling off. After seeing the star up close, I am confident you will have years of service with the silkscreen version of the flag. A plus of this type of flag over the appliqué is that it is a little more lightweight (enabling it to fly more in the wind) as well as less material on the flag to hold in water if the flag is flown in the rain. Furthermore, the white star really “pops” from the design and is actually brighter than the more muted white star of the appliqué version.
Dyed nylon flags are made from one piece of material and the design is dyed into the actual flag material. This version is well suited to complicated images and makes for a bright colorful design. Unlike applique or silkscreen, when dyed flags are flown in sunlight, the entire design appears to be lit up which makes for a great display. These flags also hold up great in bad weather and don't need a lot of wind to fly.
Note - none of our flags are cheap polyester flags! I only use thick nylon material. Polyester flags can be purchased for a low price but you hardly can get much more than a weekend of use out of them. Plus, they look very cheap and unprofessional.
Who is your flag manufacturer?
Well, I don’t make these flags! White Star Line and US Lifesaving Service flags are made by Prestige Flag in San Diego, CA. I went with Prestige Flag due to their high quality products and reputation. In producing flags I could have easily contracted with an offshore company and make cheap (in price and quality) flags but then how could I attempt to sell them to you? No, I went with the best! Prestige Flag makes the golf flags for 42 of the top 100 golf courses throughout the world. They also make the flags for the New York, San Diego, and other yacht clubs. Golf course flags and flags used in the marine environment have to be good to withstand the heavy usage and weather. So, rest assured, you are getting a very high quality product! The rest of our flags are made by Humphrys Flag Company in Philadelphia, PA. They have been making ship sails and flags since 1805 and make some excellent products. ALL of these flags are made in the United States!
What are your flags based on?
Research! White Star flags are designed according to authentic historical White Star Line house flags in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, United Kingdom. I used those flags as the basis of the modern day recreations in order to ensure the most faithful reproduction. The proportions, color, and construction is very similar to the actual flags in the museum. You can see the pictures of the historic flags here. The other historical flags are based on extensive research into flags from the period. When we make a new flag, we will post the historical reference on our blog for you to read.
How long will my flag last?
I wish I had a simple answer, but it really depends on how you use it. If you fly the flag every day, all day, in all types of weather it won’t last as long as if you took good care of the flag. Expect that if flown every day you should get at least (more likely more) one year out of the flag. Looking at the quality, I suspect it should be more than that but can’t offer any guarantee. One good hurricane can knock down your flagpole and float the flag out to sea, but I suspect that when it washes up on shore years later, it should still be good to fly! If you only fly the flag once a year on the TITANIC anniversary, it might last a lifetime.
Should I buy more than one flag?
If you have been looking for a White Star Line or other historic flag for a long time, I suggest you get at least two of each size that you want. This will ensure you have another one in case the one you fly needs to be replaced. If you fly the flags on a regular basis, swapping out the flags every few weeks will prolong the life of both flags longer. I also don’t know how long I will offer these flags. I rarely reorder designs and once they are gone, they are gone.
Are there other suppliers of the flags you sell?
In the case of our White Star Line flags the answer is Yes, but we are the cheapest, easiest to order, and the only one in the United States. I performed an extensive search for these flags and only found two or other companies in the world that sell White Star Line flags. Compare their prices (one sells for $159!), shipping fees, and overseas location. We have the best quality for price and have an agreement with Prestige Flag that they will only sell to us. In the case of our other historic flags, the answer is No. If there was a source for these flags, I would have purchased one from them instead of going through the trouble of making a custom flag! I only make flags not available commercially.