MILITARIA

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.

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.

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.

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.

Or do you say Seemannsmesser? Either way, this solid piece of engineering is a German-style sailor’s knife, or deck knife, which you can use as a regular pocket knife. Has a 4-1/4" handle, a 3” blade and a 3-1/2" marlin spike, a tool used in marine ropework. Shaped in the form of a polished metal cone tapered to a point, it’s used to unlay rope for splicing, untie knots, and as a toggle to join ropes under tension in a belaying-pin splice. Argggh, matey. Has a sturdy black plastic handle, and a little ring handle on one end. This is a solid tool with a nice blade.

Get in touch with your inner Schweizer with an aluminum Swiss military canteen cup. Surplus, and yours might even have a genuine Swiss dent or two. In a perfect oblong, unlike the U.S. kidney shape, they hold 14 oz and measure 4" x 2-3/4” x approx 4” tall with a pair of 2-1/2” folding handles that work better than the U.S. cup handle. All in all, the Swiss seem to have been way ahead of us, canteen-cup-wise.

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.

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?

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 25” long x 1” wide strap around their wrist—or even their arm—is someone we don’t want to mess with. Same goes for that dog.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This Czech military M85 olive drab rucksack is made of highly durable, water-resistant, heavy-duty rubberized vinyl that will keep contents dry and secure. Features an adjustable set of wide, shoulder “Y-straps,” an ID panel and (3) small pockets. Side flaps have their own strap, and (2) more straps on the top closure keep the pack shut tight. Measures 19" x 16" x 6" overall.

These Romanian Army M73 combat helmets are styled after the Dutch M38 helmet, and were used in small numbers in Romania during WWII and up to the 1970s. They’re still in use in some reserve units, and are also currently used by the Afghan National Army. Very dark paint—looks black to us—with black leather fold-down ear flaps and a chin strap. Measure approx 11” x 9-1/4” x 6” with a slightly beaky front. Used but in good condition, considering—and hard to come by.