Regulation pompoms for bachis, made before 1960.

Produced by Éts David.
Until 1870, the color of the pompoms, also called "shock absorbers" because their function was to cushion the impact of bumping one's head on the gangways, was blue and red!
The regulation of March 27, 1858, even specified:
"This puff is composed of 112 strands of blue thread and 76 strands of madder thread."
The puff remained two-tone until February 21, 1870. The regulation then specified that it was composed of "150 strands of madder thread."
The sailor's red pompom is therefore a relatively recent appearance, and its purchase or manufacture often remained the responsibility of the sailor, who was expected to have time at sea, possibly to do it himself...
In short, sailors often purchased their pompoms with their own money, and you can come across extremely varied types of pompoms. Depending on the fashions of the time, sailors enjoyed wearing models that were quite different from the standards of the time.
Here are some notable examples, more recent than the other models from Ets David that we also offer.
The " fastening system runs right through the pompom, and the top of the fastener is sometimes visible at the top of the pompom.