Marking One's Canteen

[Benedict]

Madames et Messieurs,

I would like to ask how (Federal) soldiers marked canteens as theirs? I have seen pictures with initials or full names written on canteen covers or straps, but I did not come across the information with what kind of pencil or paint this was done.

Your replies are appreciated!

[Johnny Lloyd]

Mein Herr-

I have an M1858 smoothside Federal canteen that I marked with a painted (not yet sowed-on, but I'll get around to it) letter "V" to emulate the one in the Union Echoes of Glory.

By just having this identifying mark, when canteen details happen, I can easily tell which one is mine- I can imagine your average soldier decorated his canteen for the same reasons other than boredom in camp.

Gruss mit Gott in Himmel

- Johnny Lloyd

[Benedict]

Sehr geehrter Herr Lloyd,

Thank you. This is why I want to mark mine - 1858 canteens just look so similar ... What kind of paint did you use?

Mit freundlichem Gruße

[Eureka Independent]

Good Morning Benedict,

In the 1st CA, we make our M58 canteens by stenciling in white oil paint our soldiers’ number on the cover of the canteen. We also mark the buts of our muskets, the inside of the flap of our haversacks and the back of our packs.

Being a US Infantryman with the same gear on each man, it sure helps keep the gear from getting confused.

On my private purchase canteen, I have my full name stenciled on the cover.......Also since all the guys have the same model blanket, in various ways we have marked our blankets by either stenciling our names on the bottom of the blanket, or in my case embroidering my name in red thread on the blanket.

Hope this helps


Don S

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

Small bottles of black, etc, "modeling" paint from a hobby store works better than the common latex based paints around.
Indelible India Ink does as well.

Plus there are other CW PERiod methods such as carving one's initials with the point of a penknife in the pewter spout.

I would just add the usual caveat about the "uncommon" (such as the overly artistic and the Post War commemorations, and making the exception the Rule.... ;) :)

Curt

[rake]

Here is one method you might try....:)

ARTICLE XII

85. Every article, excepting arms and accoutrements, belonging to the regiment, is to be marked with the number and name of the regiment.
86. Such articles as belong to companies are to be marked with the letter of the company, and, number and name of the regiment; and such as belong to men, with their individual numbers, and the letter of the company.

[roundshot]

Check out Mr. yank's canteen in this photo.

[Jimmayo]

Starting with the picture in Roundshot's post, look at original pictures and canteens, period! See what they did.
Don't look at how reenactor’s canteens are marked unless you want to see how the method of marking turned out.

IMO there were two types of canteen markings. One type was stenciled on the cover and would have been done on a company and maybe regimental level (everybody in the company would stencil the required info on the canteen) like in the attached photo. This was probably a Yankee practice. The other type would be the individual markings made by the soldier which seldom survive today since many faded into nothingness or the cover or strap is gone.

That said, there are some which survive. The other picture is of a tan colored Cincinnati canteen which is marked in pencil "A.D. Reynolds 3rd Va. Reserve Inf." on the cover and is very hard to see. No way to tell if it is wartime or post war but pencil is an option as is ink, charcoal and paint if you thought it would be available to the soldier. Marking could also be done with thread. This is a little harder but I think it would be worth while and would last.

Be careful if you want to carve your initials in the spout. Make sure it is soft metal and able to be carved easily without breaking the spout off. Other than initials in spouts, I think the most common marking method on the ones I have seen is the name on the strap with either ink or pencil.

[Eureka Independent]

Hi All,

Jim,

Good point on what the metal the spout is made of.

Original spouts are far softer than the repros, primarily due to that the original spouts were cast with a lead mixture with another white mental for hardening (Like tin or antimoney) to harden up the finished product. Repop canteen spouts are cast of a non lead mixture, and are harder than their period counterpart as a result.

The repop spouts can be prone to shatering from extreme shock or pressure as a result. Where a original canteen spout will bend or derange.

Still one can carve a repop spout, Just be careful.

Don S

[Andrew Kasmar]

Hi,

I carved my name onto the spout of my Federal issue canteen, and it worked pretty well. I got my reproduction canteen from Don, and I had no problem carving the name into it.

[Charles Heath]

I would like to ask how (Federal) soldiers marked canteens as theirs?

Benedict,

Take some time to locate Archibald Neil's article from the July 1993 issue of Reenactor's Journal (pages 8 and 9) entitled "Marking Your Stuff...How the soldiers did it." This article was also included in the Hardcracker Handbook.

After reading of Si Klegg's blanket misfortune, my primary federal canteen sports a small, red, "H" stitched near the spout. The wool thread came from a ravel from a blanket somewhere along the line, and the spout was soft enough to etch in a tiny pyramid with an eye in the middle. Going back to Si's misfortune, marking blankets is a good idea.

Considering 15 years have passed, coupled with the considerable utility and popularity of Neil's article, perhaps a similar article could appear in a more modern periodical using photographs of original items instead of line drawings.

Yet another one of those fun "one evening projects" to borrow an old phrase.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

One of my canteens is India inked:

"Diese Flasche gehört mir. Heinrich Schmidt"

But that is just a "Heinrich Thing." ;) :cool:

On another note...

IMHO, I think I would prefer to first see more inspectors' and contractors' names on canteens.. ;)

Curt

[Charles Kaiser]

A Question to you, Don
how do you "color" the linseed oil to white color , I don´t think with the original lead- oxide pigment, what do you use as surrogat?

To all:
what can you say about the method to dab the paint on the fabric with a brush?

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

I think he was talking more about "oil-based" paints rather than "latex-based" modern paints.

In brief and to over generalize: "Paint" was typically a linseed oil base(exceptions such as milk paint so noted) to which turpentine was added, to which a powdered pigment such as lamp black, lead oxide, red or yellow ochre, etc., was added.
If one desires, one can mix up one's own paints using those three ingredients (I have done several for 18th century applications).

Some lads use the commercialy available tubes of artist's oil paints from art supply stores as sources of "pigments" to mix their own.

However, many lads use factory made, "oil based" modern paints- some using the military modeling or miniature modeling gloss and flat paints available in small bottles from hobby stores.

IMHO, when painting cloth, one needs to sample the "coverage" versus the
"thickness/thinness" of the paint to see how it "goes on" the material. Too dry and it clumps up, too thin and it bleeds and runs depending on the fabric such as pure silk on flags say versus coarse jean cloth.

Curt

[Arthur Stone]

Gents,
I had nothing to do one winter so I embroidered this onto my canteen cover. It always lifts a few eye brows.
Art

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

Moderator hat on...

Reining this one in a might...

For winter...

I am fond of the "winter landscape scenes" canteens with mountains and snow, and crushed gypsum is used to make the snow and ice sparkle..

Curt