Farts and Darts: Military Cap Visor Embroidery

Where the Nickname Comes From

Officer cap visor decoration goes by several formal and informal names. The phrase farts and darts is a colloquial way of referring to certain embroidered motifs, but the design and official terminology vary by military service.

Oak leaf clusters / Oak leaf embroidery: The most common formal name, as the design traditionally features detailed oak leaves and acorns
Laurel wreath embroidery: Used in certain branches and countries (such as the U.S. Army field grade officers) where the design depicts laurel leaves rather than oak
Visor embellishment / Peak ornamentation: The universal textile and manufacturing terms for the decorations.
Gold bullion trim: Refers directly to the high-quality metallic wire used to hand-embroider the designs.

Slang & Colloquial Synonyms

Scrambled eggs: The standard American and British military slang for the gold embroidery, earned because the dense gold bullion resembles the dish from a distance.
Spaghetti: A common alternative slang term used interchangeably with "scrambled eggs," particularly within certain navy, coast guard, and police circles.
Farts and Darts: The official U.S. Air Force equivalent. Instead of oak leaves, Air Force senior officers feature silver clouds and lightning bolts on their visors.
Brass: Often used broadly by junior personnel to refer to both the visor decoration and the senior officers ("the heavy brass") who wear them
From above down
New Zealand Police Senior Officer visor cap (forage cap), featuring distinctive gold oak leaf embroidery on the peak.
Made by Hill's Hats in Wellington, New Zealand.
Uniform Context & Identification

The Color: The cap is made from a dark "vitric blue" wool. The New Zealand Police transitioned their uniform color from traditional black to this dark blue style between late 1975 and 1976.

The Checkerboard Band: The black-and-white checkered ribbon wrapped around the base of the crown is known as the Sillitoe Tartan. It was introduced universally for sworn members around the time of the uniform shift.

The Visor Peak: The double row of embroidered gold oak leaves on the glossy black visor indicates the rank of a senior commissioned officer, specifically an Inspector or higher (such as a Superintendent).

The Badge: The central emblem features the stylized NZ Police crest surmounted by the St Edward's (Queen's) Crown.

US Army Medical Corps (USMC) Dress Blues Cap made by Jacob Reed of Philadelphia
Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) Major Inter-war years cap with bimetal pre-1952 Cap Insignia
Brigadier Rank British Army Visor Cap with bullion Insignia, made by Hawkes & Co of 1 Savile Row.

Commander) Charles F. Gailey, Jr. of the U.S. Coast Guard.
US Air Force belonging to Lt. Col. R.M.H. O'Day , made by Bancroft.This
Above is a Dress Cap worn by an Officer during the Korean War, armed conflict fought on the Korean Peninsula from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. The cap is made by Mrry Luxenberg of New York and London.
Above: USN Visor cap belonging to Commander Pittman, US Navy c. 1979. Pak-Cap made by Bancroft.
Regarding Bancroft:
- The company moved from Worcester to Framingham in the 1950s—operating out of the old R.H. Long Building at 59 Fountain Street.
- Transition to Arkansas: Production began shifting to Arkansas in the 1990s, and manufacturing in Framingham wound down through that decade before the facility eventually closed.