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Respirator Haversack Question?

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Post by Bazooka_Joe Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:04 pm

I've just received my first piece of gear for my BEF impression. It's a MkIV Respirator (stamped No4 III with reddish brown cloth covered facepiece and a buff filter dated 1937), with a MKV haversack stamped "V Maple 1938".

All this is good so far, but the haversack has the letters A.J.A. stencilled on the front of it, and the fixing rings for the whipcord and the carrying strap, as well as the fittings on the strap itself appear to be of steel rather than brass construction. The bag itself is in very good though slightly grimy condition.

Is this a problem?

Cheers
Jeff




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Post by TubbyBinns Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:54 pm

Hello Jeff - can you post some pictures of it? Was it an EBay purchase? If so, link through the reference.

There were many variations on the bags... Maple & Co are a well known maker... I can give you a pretty quick answer I reckon...

You could always wash then blanco the bag... They found the bags got very dirty and looked washed out when laundered so they were eventually told to start using blanco on them... Come 1941, they were also using hessian covers... To be honest, you'd be fine leaving it as it is (probably)...

Send some pictures through with some close up of the fittings...

An alternative is getting a repro bag to preserve your original MKV...
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Post by Bazooka_Joe Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:42 am

It was from Ebay actually, but the photos don't show the fittings too well. I'll take some photos and get them posted tomorrow.

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Post by Bazooka_Joe Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:11 pm


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Post by TubbyBinns Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:51 am

It's a pukka MKV and is perfectly fine. It must have just been built using economy parts instead of brass. Unusual at that time... 1938 dated, you say?

It may have just had a replacement strap... But MKVs are attached permanently at one end anyway... Are the D rings on the bag (for the whipcord) just tarnished brass or alloy? And what about the press studs?

Don't worry about the stencilling on the bag... That is the side that actually faces your body... so when it's on you won't see it...

All fine...
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Post by TubbyBinns Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:22 am

PS - No need to blanco or wash it either...
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Post by Bazooka_Joe Fri Mar 14, 2014 5:48 am

That's good news that I don't have to Blanco it!  Very Happy 

I just checked with a magnet and they're definitely not steel, if they're blackened brass or some sort of alloy I don't know.

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Post by TubbyBinns Fri Mar 14, 2014 6:23 am

They're zinc I think... Not an intentional rhyme. Not magnetic. And don't really rust like steel would.
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Post by Admin Sat Mar 15, 2014 9:02 pm

Sometimes I have found brass fittings on bags, so tarnished they appear steel, rotate the ring out of the web and try some wire wool on the hidden bit
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Post by Bazooka_Joe Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:15 am

Admin wrote:Sometimes I have found brass fittings on bags, so tarnished they appear steel, rotate the ring out of the web and try some wire wool on the hidden bit

Bang on! That's exactly what it was. No sign of verdigris at all, just jet black, but definitely brass.

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Post by Admin Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:52 am

Resi bag fittings seem to go that uniform tarnish like no other brasswork on equipment does, I wonder if the bags had some sort of treatment that eventually affects the metalwork
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