Canteen Covers

[JacobReichwein]

I recently purchased a canteen cover from CJ Daley made out of a light blue jean material. (really nice for only $2 if i do say so myself) Well, I was wondering if this would be 'acceptable' to have for a union impression. I dont want to go throug hall the trouble of sewing it on and then realize its 'unauthentic' or something.


Please help me out on this one.


Thanks.

[rogue]

I own two original canteens thus covered, a light blue jean material. I will try to attach a photo or two.
The strapped canteen is an unknown (original owner), it clearly shows deterioration of the cover that shows the wool and cotton fabric of the jean. The canteen with no strap was carried by a Sgt. Nikirk of the 55th Illinois.
Jim Mayo has similar canteens posted on his Reenactor's Show and Tell site.
Steve Sullivan
46th Ill.
Co. Mil. Hist.
CWPT

[Hobbit]

Steve,
Cool pics Bro!

[Western Blue Belly]

Take a look here ( the show and tell site mentioned) good info. I beleive it includes the pics already posted plus much more.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/uscanteen.html

[Jimmayo]

Sky Blue was a frequently used color for canteen covers. Not as common as gray or tan but you see a good number on surviving covers. Here is a pic of Chris's blue material on a bullseye.

You can see some more on http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/uscanteen.html

[Lone Guard]

Take a look here ( the show and tell site mentioned) good info. I beleive it includes the pics already posted plus much more.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/uscanteen.html

Man thanks for that link!

Edit:
At the very bottom of that page, it pictures a spout with a hole in it:
Here is a smooth-side canteen with a hole in the spout. One theory is that canteens with the hole came with a water filter attachment. More on this theory will probably be found in Mike O'Donnell's and Steve Silva's Civil War Canteen book due out in 2006.

If I may put in my own idea (pure speculation), could the hole be there to prevent air pressure, and make it easier to plug and unplug the spout?

[Kevin O'Beirne]

An except from an chapter I wrote for some book:

**********************************

The cover is the most visible aspect of a Civil War canteen and, unfortunately, the vast majority of Federal reenactors’ canteen covers are completely out-of-synch with period documentation. A typical Yankee reenactor has a canteen covered with dark blue kersey (wool) material—often of the same type of fabric as his uniform coat.
Many early canteen covers were satinette, which was a cheap cotton warp/woolen weft fabric that appeared to be “finished” only on one side. Once the Civil War began in earnest, the grade of material used for canteen covers actually declined. It is interesting to note that covers were not subject to Federal army inspectors, as was the canteen body and spout. The 1865 Quartermaster Department regulations, which codified what the army had been purchasing throughout the war, specified only that cover material should be, “a coarse cheap woolen, or woolen and cotton fabric”. In contrast, the kersey wool material used on most reenactors’ canteens is a “premium” fabric.
Material purchase records as well as relics from the period show that the vast majority—probably over three-quarters—of Federal canteens were covered with jean cloth, which was a very coarse, cheap cotton warp/woolen weft, twill woven material. Reproduction jean cloth-covered canteens can be ordered from various suppliers, and canteen cover kits are also available from many cloth vendors and makers of high-quality reproduction clothing.
On occasion, any cheap cloth that was available on the open market was employed by private firms and by government purchasing agents to meet deadlines on canteen delivery contracts. For example, a large number of canteens issued from the Schuylkill Depot between autumn, 1862 and summer, 1863 were covered with striped furniture upholstery fabric which, not surprisingly, proved to be very durable.
The predominant color of canteen covers issued by the Federal army, especially jean cloth covers, were gray. Today many relics have brown, reddish-brown, or tan-colored covers. These most likely were gray at the time of their manufacture and, over 140-plus years, the logwood dye used to color the fabric oxidized to a brownish hue. Thus, living historians seeking to improve the authenticity of their canteen should consider replacing their dark blue kersey cover with a gray-colored jean cloth cover; it is not unsuitable for early-war canteens to be covered in satinette. However, because canteen covers were not always durable, a canteen covered with any cheap, widely available material is also appropriate as a “field repair”. Use of an old, 100 percent wool army blanket or a sock for a canteen cover is ideal in this respect. Use of field-improvised covers should be minimal because most surviving canteens appear to retain their original cover, and many “field repairs” on existing canteens may have been made by post-war owners.
New York Depot canteen covers were almost universally machine-sewn on the lower half and then hand-finished on the upper half, after the cover was slipped onto the canteen. Most Schuylkill Depot covers were likewise partly machine-sewn, although some canteens with entirely hand-sewn covers exist. Machine-sewn canteen covers were present only on factory-made examples and, obviously, covers that were repaired in the field should not have machine sewing.
Finally, based on period photographs, is appears that coverless canteens were rather common during the war, and were probably more prevalent than is seen today in the ranks of reenactment units.
To re-cover a canteen, first remove the strap. If you plan to replace the strap with a new one, simply cut it in two. If you are going to put the same strap back on the canteen, carefully take the strap-joint apart with a stitch-ripper. Note how it goes together so that it can be re-sewn in the same fashion. Next, cut the old cover off the canteen. Leave the old cover’s stitching intact so you can refer to it when putting on the new one.
If you are making your own cover, take the cover material and cut out two circles, equal in size to your old cover, plus about a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Pin the two circles “right sides together” (i.e., with the sides that will be outside facing in) and stitch them together about halfway around the lower circumference of the cloth, about 1/4-inch inside the edge of the material. This seam should run between the two top strap keepers, leaving a gap through which the bottom strap keeper will protrude. After this phase of the sewing, turn the cover inside out, so that the “right sides” are facing outside, and slip the canteen into the new cover. Now stitch from the top of the strap keeper on each side to the spout. The seam allowance will have to be turned inside for this part of the sewing, but once it starts it is surprisingly easy. Use the old cover as a model.
With the new cover in place, dampen it thoroughly and let it dry before putting on the strap. This will shrink the cover, depending on the strength of the material, and help it conform to the shape of the canteen. Once the sewing is complete and the cover shrunk onto the canteen, put the strap (old or new) through the loops and, if you have a cloth strap, sew the joint, and your canteen-covering operation will be complete.

[bcatgrappler]

The hole must have been a vent hole, just like on a gas can. It allows air to get in behind the liquid and let the liquid come out faster without that "glug glug glug." Similar to a "shotgun" neck made for beer bottles!

Michael Ray

[Calico Boys]

Canteen covers were usually made from whatever material they had on hand, usually the cheaper cloth. Anyhow for an interesting look at a canteen, check out John Tobey's article in CWH "Frankenrelic" there's a canteen in there that would make most authentics cringe.

[swampyankee76]

yeah i was just going to ask if there was any evidence of crappy hand sewing. Cause i had to sew the cover on myself and it didnt turn out all that great :confused_ . Also does anyone have one of those Orchard Hill canteen covers. Its a grayish blue logwood dyed cover, kind of similar to what Kevin was talking about.

[Calico Boys]

Caleb,

I dont recall the crappy handsewing, it was the cover itself that was interesting. It was several colors etc...

[Jimmayo]

Most of the covers I have seen have good sewing if it is original. Stitches are the same size and spacing and most of the time small. Many original covers have been resewn over the years and you can usually tell this by looking closely. You have to remember that the folks who were covering canteens did so all day long and got very good at their jobs.

[paul9thky]

I like to go with no canteen cover at all. Kinda under represented.

Paul Richardson
9th Ky Cavalry CSA

[Pvt Peck]

I'm with the no cover school on this too, I have 18+ year old coverless canteen I usually carry as a Fed, and rarely ever see another. It is finally getting pretty beat though and I need to get an new one so anyone have any suggestions as to who makes a top flight canteen & cover? Orchard Hill? Great photos of the originals too by the way & thanks for sharing them.

Ted Parrott
"HUMBUG"

[Guy Gane III]

(sorry, copy of the one below.)

[Guy Gane III]

Its a sweet canteen... too bad not too many other people rock them. Be proud to wear it and if anyone gives you any problems, they obviously don't know squat. :cool:

[CJDaley]

I like to go with no canteen cover at all. Kinda under represented.

I agree Paul, but at this point, sky blue is under represented as well. :rolleyes:

There is a sky blue satinette covered canteen in the Gettysburg museum collection belonging to Pvt. John Cooke. There are others as well, that's just one example.

So, two weeks ago at Perryville I brought 50 canteen covers to sell. 48 of them were tan, brown and grey. Two of them were sky blue satinette. Guess which two were the only two NOT to sell...that's right the sky blue satinette ones.

The first thing I did when I got home was to cover my canteen with one of those sky blue satinette covers. I realized the next time I went to an event, my canteen would be the only one left in the hobby with a sky blue cover and would be easily recognized in the pile coming back from a canteen run. :wink_smil

[paul9thky]

I agree Paul, but at this point, sky blue is under represented as well. :rolleyes:

There is a sky blue satinette covered canteen in the Gettysburg museum collection belonging to Pvt. John Cooke. There are others as well, that's just one example.

So, two weeks ago at Perryville I brought 50 canteen covers to sell. 48 of them were tan, brown and grey. Two of them were sky blue satinette. Guess which two were the only two NOT to sell...that's right the sky blue satinette ones.

The first thing I did when I got home was to cover my canteen with one of those sky blue satinette covers. I realized the next time I went to an event, my canteen would be the only one left in the hobby with a sky blue cover and would be easily recognized in the pile coming back from a canteen run. :wink_smil

I like your rationale, very smart.

[Mutt]

"For example, a large number of canteens issued from the Schuylkill Depot between autumn, 1862 and summer, 1863 were covered with striped furniture upholstery fabric which, not surprisingly, proved to be very durable."

With that said, I'll have to get a buddy of mine to post a picture of his canteen. They were carpeting Ft. DE with FHW carpeting and had some extra. Guess what he did with the scraps :D Really easy to pick out of the bunch after a canteen run.

Regards,

[GreencoatCross]

There's an interesting canteen on display at the State Library Museum in Lansing, MI. It's a pewter-spout smoothside covered with what appears to be a striped ingrain carpet. I will get a picture of it posted as soon as possible.

Brian White
Wambaugh, White, & Co.
www.wwandcompany.com