Here is the 1916 equipment now produced for sale.
The basis of the 1916 Canadian equipment was taken from the artifacts that What Price Glory had, the big exception being the back pack which I researched here in Canada. One day I was conferring with Ashok in India, by email, and we were discussing belt details. I do have two badly damaged belts so I thought I might know what I was talking about. I then realized that the two belts I had were quite different from each other. Consequently I became aware that one of the belts probably had an error in its construction. A fitting had been put on the wrong side. This made me realize that artifacts themselves can also be "wrong". I was also powerfully aware that the reproduction belt I had was a clearer record than these poor damaged relics I had in my hands.
For the most part the items I have researched do not belong to me and I no longer have them as references to match to the reproductions. I can only see that what has been reproduced matches my own photograph collection exactly. A most recent departure from this has been in the 1916 Pattern ammunition pouches. A friend of mine recently gave me an original that he has owned for over 60 years. I now have a chance to compare the What Price Glory reproduction to an original. Except for slight dimensional differences in the buckles and the absence of folding score grooves in the flap there is no apparent difference. And as far as that goes both of these differences could be attributed to manufacturing inconsistencies since the ammunition pouches of 1916 were made by different companies in their original production.
Here are more photographs showing the remarkable exactness of similarity between the reproduction and the original. It should also be noted that no attempt has been made to colour the reproductions on the belief that it is time which has made these old pieces of leather so dark. Indeed, the reproductions I own have become a rich brown colour in just the short year they have been exposed to light and the sun. One can only imagine that in battlefield conditions greasy hands and dirt would add their toll to the leather's tones. For anyone who buys any of this equipment rest assured that the light colour is perfectly consistent with the look of the original the day it was first issued to a soldier.
In this photo, below, two straps details are shown. I've seen other originals where the straps have been sewn into the body. As someone who makes prototypes in leather I am aware of how much simpler it is to use a rivet.
I had another interesting revelation in this business of inspecting originals and reproductions. When I first put my reproduction to the test I was surprised to discover that the stud on the belt loop portion of the strap does not have a superb holding power. After a short amount of time and usage it seems that the strap can sometimes pop off the stud, which means that the pouch leans forward off the belt. This could be an issue when one actually unbuckles the pouch flap. I worried that this might be a defect in the reproduction. Now that I have an original I discover it has the same characteristics. Once again it becomes clear that the reproduction, if it is worth it salt, must reproduce all the defects as much as any other aspect of the original. Here is a comparative illustration, below.
There is not enough body to the leather on either side of the slit to stop the sides from spreading apart. Could this be one of the issues which dissatisfied the British with regards to this Canadian equipment?
For more information on the 1916 Canadian equipment refer back to my past blog with the link here.
Below is a photo of the newly available 1916 water canteen carrier frm What Price Glory.
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