No 4 Mk1 T Transit box Reproductions/Canadian Version

[grant580]

Hi grant580,

You're doing a grand job on the No4 T chests! In reply to Peter Laidler, if there's not enough original L42 chests out there, then I've knocked up one or two new ones as per 'the Guru's' excellent book .... before the Company Storemen got hold of them!! here's a couple of pics!







Dave

Hi Nobsdave

Thank you for the kind words about my boxes, now that I have some decent plans thanks to our fellow milsurp friends, there are some "new and improved" versions of my transit boxes coming. There were so many unanswered questions and with those new plans I can come even closer to the originals. Will keep posting as many pictures as I can of my boxes in the future.
Now pardon me, and hope this isn't a stupid question, what does the term "knocked up one or two" mean?? Did you get these as surplus compliments of the UK govt? Seeing as you have two, I'll buy one!, I need one to make blueprints so I can start building these too.

grant580

[grant580]

Just re-read more of the excellent articles and misc. feed-back posted by various members on milsurp.com regarding the Canadian and British versions of the sniper transit boxes. I have a couple of different leather handles on the way in the mail to try and come up with one for my repro boxes that is closer to the originals.
What I can see from the photo essay comparing the British and Canadian leather handles is that they are made the same way using the "skived and folding" method, but the British handles must have been simply glued with some type of hide glue, whereas the Canadian versions may or may not have been glued, and def. stitched?? Can anyone verify this?

[Surpmil]

Seems that one fellow KNOWS who K ML were, but he prefers NOT to share the knowledge with the rest of us.I am hot on the trail of a MINT 1945 dated HCF(Hill-Clark-Frances,of New Liskeard,Ontario) transit chest as I type this so rest assured that HE won't be getting a sniff should I decide to part with it.

Should ANYONE else hereabouts have any knowledge as to WHO K ML were .I and many others would LOVE to hear about it.Don't you just LOVE primadonnas ?

Cheers

JR

Not unless they're female.

[John R.]

Just re-read more of the excellent articles and misc. feed-back posted by various members on milsurp.com regarding the Canadian and British versions of the sniper transit boxes. I have a couple of different leather handles on the way in the mail to try and come up with one for my repro boxes that is closer to the originals.
What I can see from the photo essay comparing the British and Canadian leather handles is that they are made the same way using the "veining and folding" method, but the British handles must have been simply glued with some type of hide glue, whereas the Canadian versions may or may not have been glued, and def. stitched?? Can anyone verify this?

I can mail you a piece of a broken ORIGINAL leather carrying handle BUT you are honour bound to RETURN it.Our's seem to have been folded and perhaps pressed and then stitched down the centreline.I don't know about the glueing part though.

Drop me an e-mail to ROBERTSONYVR@TELUS.NET if you would like the original bit to look at.

Cheers,

JR

[grant580]

I can mail you a piece of a broken ORIGINAL leather carrying handle BUT you are honour bound to RETURN it.Our's seem to have been folded and perhaps pressed and then stitched down the centreline.I don't know about the glueing part though.

Drop me an e-mail to ROBERTSONYVR@TELUS.NET if you would like the original bit to look at.

Cheers,

JR

Hi John R

That would be great, I will return it, and you have my word! I will be emailing you in the AM to arrange, thank you so much. Not sure what I would do without all the help and support I have been getting from you guys.

[grant580]

John R,

I have been thinking about your above statement and in reference to the piece of handle. You say it is folded, pressed and then stitched down the "centerline". So far from my limited research I know that the British handles were not stitched and from the photos I have on file, the Canadian versions were always "double" stitched.

It would seem that now we have some kind of new version of leather handle, a handle that was only stitched in the middle? Anyone have a sniper transit box with a leather handle that is only stitched in the middle and is that box a British, or Canadian transit box?

[Nobsdave]

Hi Grant580,

The term 'knocked up' is a local middle-England term meaning 'I've built these from scratch'... in effect that makes them a repro. Over recent years since the L42's were released by the MOD I've repaired a number of the chests to get them back to this condition for people who prefer the 'unissued' look. Then, people who hadn't got a chest asked if I could make them.... well the answer was yes. By a couple I mean that I have two at the moment but I have made considerably more.... and they are out there somewhere!!

[Surpmil]

Hi Grant580,

The term 'knocked up' is a local middle-England term meaning 'I've built these from scratch'...

And you did a magnificent job of it by the looks of that one.

I guess we'd better not ask where you got the hardware!?

[Peter Laidler]

What nobsdave hasn't told you is that he had the original drawings and access to the original spec and with it, details of the equipment suppliers who supplied the original manufacturers.

I hope that I haven't given away any secrets nobs........

On that basis, I suppose that you could say that they are as original is it is possible to get a repro.............. if that makes sense.

[jmoore]

Just re-read more of the excellent articles and misc. feed-back posted by various members on milsurp.com regarding the Canadian and British versions of the sniper transit boxes. I have a couple of different leather handles on the way in the mail to try and come up with one for my repro boxes that is closer to the originals.
What I can see from the photo essay comparing the British and Canadian leather handles is that they are made the same way using the "skived and folding" method, but the British handles must have been simply glued with some type of hide glue, whereas the Canadian versions may or may not have been glued, and def. stitched?? Can anyone verify this?

If you could use a section of British transit chest handle material, I finally found the loose bit off of one of mine. I've no use for it, you can keep it!