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Blues Starter Customization


Van67

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While photos speak for themselves, it appears that the Blues had 3 different customization styles when they wore the Starter mesh jerseys. The McLennan photo shows clearly their unique vinyl middle layer. The MacInnis pic appears that the A is semi kiss-cut (can't find any pics to show if the numbers are too). The Turgeon gamer photo looks like the yellow is a vinyl top layer with the blue middle layer on top. 

Can anyone shed light on the different styles and if they were used on both white and blue jerseys? Is it random like the old Islanders wave jerseys?

 

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I am not 100% certain of this, but I believe the three-layer numbers with the vinyl middle layer were only used on the white jerseys during the 1997/98 season, when they were the alternate jerseys.  There were no blue jerseys with this 3-layer construction because the blue ones didn't appear until the following season (1998/99), when they became the new road jerseys, like the Turgeon one you posted.  I don't think there is any vinyl layer on the 1998/99's (whether home or road).  I'm pretty sure the numbers are stacked two-layer twill only.  In the Turgeon example, the gold layer is on top and the white layer on the bottom, with the dark navy strip screened on top of the gold layer, with a row of dark blue stitching covering the navy strip, which simulates a third layer.

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Have you considered the possibility that the Noodles shot was taken during the 1997-98 season when that style was used as an alternate? The lettering in that time frame was still twill/vinyl/twill as opposed to the faux-kiss-cut look that apparently began in 1998-99. I had a home white from that year and it was done via the Turgeon style you included.

Just as an aside here, those blue Starter 1999 jerseys are easily some of the most beautiful ever worn on ice. I would say the only Blues jersey nicer than that was the pre-1984 version.

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The white being the 97-98 alternate explains the middle vinyl layer in that timeframe. That said, the date on the MacInnis photo is from March 1998, which puts it in that season. I'll assume the letters for the front were kiss cut while the numbers had the middle vinyl layer?

Just to understand the faux kiss cut look, the yellow layer is twill, the blue is screen print and the sewing is just to create an illusion that it's blue twill? Any better closeup photos anywhere? 

Sometimes I hate being a stick for authenticity!

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I wouldn't assume the "A" on the MacInnis was kiss-cut; it might be 2-layer stacked and screened.  The "A" on the Turgeon was 3-layer stacked, I believe.

Here's another pic of the 2-layer screened numbers- it's a Koho, not a Starter, but the numbers are constructed the same way:

Blues Koho

 

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I think you're probably right about the A being screen printed and stitched. (Interesting they would do that for letters while doing their old way for the numbers.) It seems like that whole late 90's / early 00's, the Blues did the screen and cover in stitching rather than kiss-cut. I'm starting to piece it together now. 

I know EPS can do the vinyl middle layer. They've done it for me before on an old Gretzky jersey. Anyone know if they can do this screen print style?

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3 hours ago, Van67 said:

Anyone know if they can do this screen print style?

Keener can do it for cheaper. I asked EPS about doing some Bruins jerseys in the same style and they wanted to charge me more than $100 per jersey.

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