Does anyone know how to get the game-used look on an official NFL football, without using the machinery that the equipment managers use? I have a definite game-used football and a non-used one - they look very different, the game-used one is very recent and is redder, shinier and has more of the nubs worn off. The unused one simply looks like an out-of-the box NFL football.
My question has two purposes:
1) I'm finding a few 'game-used' footballs that look very, very authentic, and if it's impossible to get the look without machinery, then I'll feel more comfortable about purchasing them.
2) I have an unused one that I am trying to rough-up to look like my authentic one, so that I can put the authentic one in the safe and display the other one - the unused one is older and does not have the same number of stars in the logo, so there is absolutely no danger of it getting sold as 'real', but otherwise, I have added the appropriate official's marks. I know it sounds stupid, but I'm paranoid about theft, fire, sprinkler systems, etc. I have worked the unused one, using techniques I found in the Eli Manning thread, and also in a couple of kickology posts where NFL kickers were interviewed, but my ball is still not red enough or shiny enough. I'm hesitant to do this, but I think a little mahogany shoe polish, treating it like a shoe, would probably work - I just don't want to take the 'football' qualities out of it unless necessary.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. If the thought is that giving out such information would encourage forgeries, I completely understand.
My question has two purposes:
1) I'm finding a few 'game-used' footballs that look very, very authentic, and if it's impossible to get the look without machinery, then I'll feel more comfortable about purchasing them.
2) I have an unused one that I am trying to rough-up to look like my authentic one, so that I can put the authentic one in the safe and display the other one - the unused one is older and does not have the same number of stars in the logo, so there is absolutely no danger of it getting sold as 'real', but otherwise, I have added the appropriate official's marks. I know it sounds stupid, but I'm paranoid about theft, fire, sprinkler systems, etc. I have worked the unused one, using techniques I found in the Eli Manning thread, and also in a couple of kickology posts where NFL kickers were interviewed, but my ball is still not red enough or shiny enough. I'm hesitant to do this, but I think a little mahogany shoe polish, treating it like a shoe, would probably work - I just don't want to take the 'football' qualities out of it unless necessary.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. If the thought is that giving out such information would encourage forgeries, I completely understand.
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