MILITARY DEVICES & EQUIPMENT

In the native tongue, that’s “Do you sew?” and anyone with this nifty German Army field sewing repair kit would have rightly answered “ja.” The olive drab fold-over pouch came straight from some German military warehouse to ours, and contains metal scissors, several kinds/colors of thread, assorted buttons, (5) sewing needles of various sizes, a metal thimble and safety pins. Pouch measures 4-1/2" x 3" x 2-3/4" when closed and 6” when flapped open and flat. Canvas tie keeps it snugly closed.

Call it a MASK unit. This faux-military “Minor Surgery” kit from Voodoo Tactical® comes in a 7" x 5" x 2-1/2" canvas pouch containing: 6” wound probe; 3-1/2” stitch scissors; 3-1/2” tweezers; 5-1/2” bandage scissors; 5” straight and curved forceps; a #3 scalpel handle with disposable blade; pupil flashlight with mm gauge; alcohol pads; antiseptic towelettes; some 5/0 monofilament; and a gram of antibiotic ointment. Pouch will be OD, Black or Coyote; we'll spin the wheel of fate to decide. And remember: reenacting actual combat surgery without a license is still not allowed.

Why did the Italian soldier bring a standard-issue sewing kit into battle? In case he needed to sew something! This military sewing kit is like new, in a neat khaki pouch, 6” x 5” when open and 2” x 5” rolled up. Inside are spools of white and dark green thread, coat buttons (classic plastic and ornate gold/metal), scissors, an assortment of sewing needles, and safety pins. You know the Italians, they’re all about style. This is a very nice collectible piece.

We’re sure the Italian Air Force drinks vino only when they’re grounded, but those folks know how to live la vida dolce, capish? This glass carafe, in new condition, is etched with the Italian Air Force eagle symbol. Stands 9-1/2” tall with a 4-1/2” wide belly and a slender 3” tall neck. Holds a full liter. Made in France, where they know a thing or two about wine, too. Serve any kind of drink in it, though. It’s all about the sweet logo—and the story. Oh, should we serve it in my Italian Air Force carafe?

No, don’t really go climb a glacier—at least not with these crampons from the French Alpine Legion. They worked great back in the day, when French soldiers used them to scale steep mountains during snow and ice storms in the French Alps. But anymore they’re just for show, or maybe some light-duty walking. You’ll get a pair of them, adjustable from size 7 to 12, made of molded metal—in France, of course.

Or peg o’ our tent, or something. Our each is a set of (6) aluminum pegs, 10" long x 1/2" OD x 3/8" ID cut at 30 degrees at the bottom for driving-into-the-ground efficiency, and drilled at the top to take 50 feet of 1/16” dia white nylon polyester rope (included). We’re pretty sure this was all used to stake something down, we just don’t know what. Whaddya got?

Used Belgian military gas masks. BEM 4-GP is the style. Clear full face shield with swiveling canister connector. Bag is included. Includes non-functional filters as these are for COSTUME PURPOSES ONLY! Used masks, but these units are in really good shape. 

Jarvis says: Online only.

This is a hell of a collectable piece here, a M-59 4X Yugoslavian/Serbian army monocular that’s great for any military or optics collection. If you collect military optics—double jackpot! Yours will probably have minor scratches, proving it was used by actual soldiers. Sight scope has a rubber eye-cup and up and down elevation adjustment. Unit is army-green steel and measures 7” long x 4" wide. Made my Zrak Optics. Comes with the original brown leather half-pipe storage/carrying case, which is 7” tall and 5-1/4” wide and 4” deep. Stamped with letters and numbers on top, and might have a lens cleaning cloth inside. Case also has an adjustable leather strap and a sturdy front buckle.

From the mid-20th-century German military, this is a fully functional field phone. Weighs in at 8.2 lbs, and comes self-contained in a 10-1/4" x 6-3/4" x 4-1/4" dark brown Bakelite case with a handset on a 4-foot cord, a 52” 2-pin jumper, 25” TT plug cord, ringer crank and a battery holder for the battery you’ll need to add. Should work with standard stereo speaker wire, and we’d get a pair of these phones if we were you. Small quantity available. These are surplus and have wear and tear on them. We will pick the nicest of the lot. 

This leather German police strap with punched holes, quality stitching and a metal buckle looks like a belt for a very small person. Or maybe a stylish, tan collar for a very large dog. When we looked up “leather strap” in the original Deutsch, thinking this thing couldn’t possibly be for a waist or neck, we got “Lederarmband,” which means “leather bracelet.” Anyone who can wear this 22-24” long x 3/8” wide (all sizes are approximate, and vary piece to piece) strap around their wrist—or even their arm—is someone we don’t want to mess with. Same goes for that dog.

Whether you’re a military collector or you just like to look over cubicles and around corners, this 15" long x 1-13/16" Hungarian-made military periscope will make your day. Used, and in good condition, it has markings of “42 3-00360” and “1953”on it. It’s rare that we get stuff with a date marked on it. Input is 1-1/8" and output lens 1-5/8". Some lenses might need to be wiped, but like you, they clean up nicely. This scope doesn’t magnify much, if at all, but it gives a nice clear image of whatever you’re spying on.

The kind that you hammer into the ground for to hold up your tent. Make that shelter-half, because these are from Uncle. Measure 12" long x 1-3/4" wide in a V-shape, in olive drab steel with a 1/4” bore for your rope, and shoulders to wrap the rope around. Condition/appearance varies based on which warehouse they've been stored in, but all are useable. Marked 97403-132227 E0136 MFR 92398, which is a lotta numbers for a tent stake, but that’s the gummint for you.

These wraparound Chinese military goggles have a camo pattern and come with one-piece, long, swappable clear and gray lenses. Also comes with both an elastic headband and standard temples that can be, yes, swapped out. Includes a cleaning cloth and an olive drab quarter-moon-shaped solid plastic case with a pair of clips that are probably meant to attach the case to a pistol belt. Includes instructions in Chinese because the guy who wrote them had no idea the goggles would end up in a warehouse in suburban Chicago.

From the Chinese military, this olive drab canvas recon chest rig is made for carrying SKS rounds. We think it’d also be great for fishing lures, balloons (if you’re a balloon artist or a water-balloon tosser), various nails and screws, bolts and washers and probably a hundred other uses. Business part measures 24" wide x 5-3/4" with (6) 4-1/4” deep pockets, (2) at 2” wide and (4) at 1-1/2” wide, all with flaps that close with little plastic clips. Has 4 holders for items in the 7" long range. (Photo shows 7" long tubes inserted) Fits via adjustable crossed shoulder straps and a buckle. We also think it would hold a nice assortment of snacks for hands-free hiking.

Keep your powder dry and your canteen cold. Can’t help you with that powder thing, but this insulated camo canteen holder folds together and holds via hood-and-loop strips. Has a 5/8” ID grommet and a big hook-and-loop patch on the back to secure it. Measures approx 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 5" inside with room for adjusting.

The Hungarian military used these sturdy 6x30 binoculars during World War II, and they’re still in good shape. In black, they have independently adjustable lens focus, and come in an authentic leather hard case with straps. Filter lenses are included in a snap closure inside the case. Glasses have a rangefinder reticle in right lens view, and the words "Honvedseg Tulajdona” written on the body

From the Romanian military, this olive drab, flask-shaped, insulated 18-liter food container has what appears to be a stainless steel interior, and was probably designed for mush, or gruel, or some of kind of stew to keep the troops warm and awake. But we see it as a portable punch bowl, complete with a large ladle that stores inside when you secure the 6-1/4” dia lid with the simple twist of a wing nut. Not sure we’d actually use it for food or drink, though—more as a collectible. Has burlap-ish backpack straps, and measures approx 16” tall overall x 14-1/2” wide x 9" deep.

Nope--we thought it was a theodolite-- a surveying instrument for measuring angles in horizontal and vertical planes, but it seems we missed the mark. With the help of a knowledgeable Surpie, we’re reasonably sure this olive drab apparatus is an artillery sight for a Chinese howitzer. (See, even we don’t know everything.) Measures approx 7-1/2" x 5" x 4" with a plethora of moving parts: optical head that pivots up and down; focal knob calibrated from 0 to -90 and +10 to + 80; horizontal and vertical adjustments with a locking lever; and a 1-5/8" dia ball with a 1/2" hole in the bottom for a mount. Weighs in at over 5 lbs. The paint is chipping, but you would too at this age.