Yard Sales, Flea Markets and Antique Shops 2025

[Aragorn243]

Hit a surplus store I like yesterday and found an entire pile of British large packs with a few Belgians mixed in. Started digging out of curiosity and quickly found WWII dated ones. As they were priced at $5 each I dug around for a while and picked out 4 nice ones. Can't go wrong for that price. What I found was that one in three had legible markings, one in eight was post war Belgian. One in three had factory repairs. Supposedly there were WWI dated ones in there also but as the packs were different then, I had my doubts and tired of digging after 15 minutes or so. A few of them had blanco on them and I thought about getting one for just the variety's sake, but they looked awful. You'd think if they wanted to change the color of fabric, they'd dye it rather than paint it with something that's going to come off.

This is what I brough home.

[browningautorifle]

You'd think if they wanted to change the color of fabric, they'd die it rather than paint it with something that's going to come off.

Lots of times Blanco or Webbo was the result of an RSM's orders for his own tastes. Then there were the ones that wanted you to paint your bayonet scabbards...or use shoe polish to have them shining black... It wasn't the army in general.