Soldier of Fortune aviators kit bag AN-6505-1

[Greg Gale]

Did they use such tabs in WW2?

 

[Smithy]

Did they use such tabs in WW2?

They're definitely post WWII Greg.

This would be my choice for a zip puller.
I think it would look cool.View attachment 8419

I've got one on my car keys Burt

 

[B-Man2]

No not exactly like this but...…….they did have original bomb fuse pins which you can still find

 

[Pilot]

Really cool! How did you get it?

Got it from the “ musée L’ abri de Hatten in the Niederelsass” , traded it against some Luftwaffe sleeve patch/rank.
It was back in 1997 when I worked in Strassburg. I do keep record of all I have as real non repro-items....for insurance reasons.
This museum has one turbine from this Me262 plus a lot of other parts. The Museum keeper in that time was an ex-Luftwaffe pilot ( not the one of the Me262).

 

[Pilot]

This brings up the point about replicas, clones & future fraud.

How close do you want a bag, jacket etc to be ? It might satisfy you now but when you can't tell if something is real or not, the price dives through the floor.
Look at ditching whistles.......

Sefton Clothing makes great repro kit but Steve the artisan always makes sure there is at least one thing that tells others who know their onions the item is modern.

However, with German WW2 kit, it was made after the war in the same machines and of German metal and has been sold as genuine for decades.

Careful what you wish for ......

Basically right, but come and visit us with a metal detector...The earth of Alsace and whole Germany is still full of “ original metal...” ( several other countries as well, I am sure...)...especially in this size as shown..

 

[Earloffunk]

Thanks - really interesting. Guess, I’ll have to go there sometime. The only WW II Museum I have visited in that area was an old bunker with my parents roughly 750 years ago... But I remember that I have seen my first .45 Colt in that museum and wanted to have one ever since. well I eventually used to own one but shooting it was not too much fun for me.

 

[Pilot]

Thanks - really interesting. Guess, I’ll have to go there sometime. The only WW II Museum I have visited in that area was an old bunker with my parents roughly 750 years ago... But I remember that I have seen my first .45 Colt in that museum and wanted to have one ever since. well I eventually used to own one but shooting it was not too much fun for me.

There is also the Veteranenbörse ( militaria , relics, memorabilia etc...show for all which flew during WW2) in Speyer on Nov. 3rd...a lot of WW2 relics and scrap from all WW2 participating Airforces including Luftwaffe..these little parts are sold by the Kilo ( scrap price)..you can see its torn sometimes charcoaled as a tossed tin can, and you know its real...you still have all earth and soil arround it...

 

[Earloffunk]

Thanks again - put it down in my calendar. Hope I will get the day off to go there.

 

[Officer Dibley]

This would be my choice for a zip puller.
I think it would look cool.View attachment 8419

I got loads of these from work (surplus for beacon covers) but the are VERY big and long for a jacket zipper pull Burt. Great for a holdall though

 

[Pilot]

Thanks again - put it down in my calendar. Hope I will get the day off to go there.

If I am in Europe I will visit...google it...always a great show...and especially all arround military air relics of all kind...plus a bit of other air memorabilia and militaria...but mostly WW2
No other specific ( WW2 ) show like this I know of

 

[Officer Dibley]

Basically right, but come and visit us with a metal detector...The earth of Alsace and whole Germany is still full of “ original metal...” ( several other countries as well, I am sure...)...especially in this size as shown..

Pilot, i am referring to modern buckles , O2 masks and "stitch-for-stitch, 1942 in a bag" jackets. Who will know a real A2 from some repros ? Will people be talking about variations in contracts that didn't occur but are due to custom sizing of a repro....

 

[Pilot]

Pilot, i am referring to modern buckles , O2 masks and "stitch-for-stitch, 1942 in a bag" jackets. Who will know a real A2 from some repros ? Will people be talking about variations in contracts that didn't occur but are due to custom sizing of a repro....

Thanks..OK...1000% with you.

 

[B-Man2]

I got loads of these from work (surplus for beacon covers) but the are VERY big and long for a jacket zipper pull Burt. Great for a holdall though

Dave
Actually these are not the full side ones but they are miniature reproductions about 5 inches long total length.

 

[zoomer]

This brings up the point about replicas, clones & future fraud.

How close do you want a bag, jacket etc to be ? It might satisfy you now but when you can't tell if something is real or not, the price dives through the floor.
Look at ditching whistles.......

Sefton Clothing makes great repro kit but Steve the artisan always makes sure there is at least one thing that tells others who know their onions the item is modern.

However, with German WW2 kit, it was made after the war in the same machines and of German metal and has been sold as genuine for decades.

Careful what you wish for ......

That detail ought to be small but findable. It also ought to look how it COULD have looked in the period...but didn’t. No 50s or later type fonts and such.

 

[Officer Dibley]

I hear ya Burt ! These came from an Aviation Life Support Tech

PS- like the new dice ?

 

[B-Man2]

I hear ya Burt ! These came from an Aviation Life Support Tech

PS- like the new dice ?

View attachment 8431

I do..... nicely done!

 

[Smithy]

As I mentioned at the start of this thread I was going to stencil my bag and post my progress with that here. Well just about to start work stencilling my kit bag. Got my stencils all rendered and printed, now just need to get cutting. I'm hoping to get some paint going on tomorrow work and kids allowing. One turn up was that the stencils I made when stencilling my name and a serial number on the lining of one of the A-2s were the perfect size for the bag, so that's saved me a bit of time.

Here's the exact artwork that's going on mine, this version of the 4th FG boxing eagle and which was often associated with 334 during WWII:

 

[B-Man2]

Tim
That bag is going to look sweet.
This might just be a new part time sideline for you. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Cheers
Burt

 

[Smithy]

Tim
That bag is going to look sweet.
This might just be a new part time sideline for you. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Cheers
Burt

Thanks Burt! I'm in two minds about putting a squadron stencil on as well, but I'm leaning towards having "334 FTR SQN" on it as well.

 

[Greg Gale]

I just finished stenciling my name, serial No. and "334 FTR SQN" on mine. Getting there!