Swedish M39 canvas/leather rucksack

[Robbo]

Arrived to today (ordered Thursday) and took the sting out of my experience with my gernan army poncho (see here http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30271).

Second thing I noticed (the first being the slightly musty smell but hey its been in storage for years) was the quality of it, it looks and more importantly FEELS bombproof.

The canvas is in excellent shape and the leather is excellent if a little stiff, some of the metal fixings need a clean up due to slight corrosion, the brass appears to have a build up of Verdigre (sp?) but nothing that cant be put right in a couple of hours.

Haven't tried it out in the field yet but all in all a solid pack that looks the dogs B******S. All for £12-13 delivered from Genuine Army Surplus .

http://www.genuinearmysurplus.co.uk/pages/products/detail/rowid=679

Now to clean up the buckles, soften the leather and maybe treat it with greenland wax (of course if I had a decent poncho that would stop it getting wet )

Andy

 

[big_swede]

Ahh, the famous 'moose sack'. Couple of years since I saw one, think I have one lying around at my parents house (or maybe I gave it away). The straps on the side are perfect for an axe or showel etc.

Don't waste your hard earned cash on greenland wax, melt beeswax and paraffin together in a water bath (small pot of waxy stuff in a bigger pot with water in it). Add some pine tar for a nicer fragrance (and colour). Let the molten goo settle and harden in a appropriatly shaped vessel. Beeswax is almost free if you go to a beekeeper.

 

[Robbo]

I should have mentioned it was home made greenland wax I was going to use.

I have one question about the pack what are the hooks on the end of the shoulder straps for ? Hooking under the waist belt ?.

Also whats the best way to soften the leather ? Would waxing or oiling it help ?

Andy

 

[Robbo]

Why the 'Moose sack'? unless there are some very small moose in sweden?

Andy

 

[woof]

I used liqued nikwax on the leather of mine, and i don't know if its right but i hook the straps under the waist straps.

 

[DMBackpacker]

I have one question about the pack what are the hooks on the end of the shoulder straps for ? Hooking under the waist belt ?.
{/QUOTE]

Yes, IIRC the hooks on the shoulder straps are meant to attach to a soldier's cartridge belt. Myself, I just hook them out of the way under the lower part of the shoulder strap. Do take care to secure them well -- the strap end can fly around and hit you in the face if you're not careful! DAMHIKT. :yikes:

 

[Tiley]

Also whats the best way to soften the leather ? Would waxing or oiling it help ?

Andy

Brush on Neat's Foot Oil, let it soak in and then treat with Nikwax or your chosen stuff. I did this on a 1953 Swiss Army rucksack (all canvas 'n' leather but bombproof; no corkscrew on it, sadly!) I found in a French flea market recently and it has worked a real treat.

 

[Robbo]

Ok showing my inexperience with leather here but where would I get Neats Foot oil?

Andy

 

[John Fenna]

A saddlers will normaly have Neatsfoot oil.

 

[steveo]

I have been using this sack for a while now and love it, my lk35 has since been rejected to the loft with the saber 45....

 

[Jared]

Brush on Neat's Foot Oil, let it soak in and then treat with Nikwax or your chosen stuff. I did this on a 1953 Swiss Army rucksack (all canvas 'n' leather but bombproof; no corkscrew on it, sadly!) I found in a French flea market recently and it has worked a real treat.

53? or a 35..

The 35 looks like the 39 but has 3 outside pockets... seemingly impossible to find.

 

[Tiley]

53? or a 35..

The 35 looks like the 39 but has 3 outside pockets... seemingly impossible to find.

Definitely 1953 vintage. It is made of a heavy lichen-coloured flecked canvas and has a leather bottom and one pocket on the front. I'm confident about the vintage because the Swiss Army have a habit of dating their gear and it appears on the leather straps and their attachment points to the main sack.

I really like it and, despite the materials used, it feels quite light - when empty!

 

[big_swede]

Why the 'Moose sack'? unless there are some very small moose in sweden?

Andy

Hrmm, don't know how to put this, but it is said to resemble the balls of a moose.. Soldiers nickname..

 

[Jared]

Definitely 1953 vintage. It is made of a heavy lichen-coloured flecked canvas and has a leather bottom and one pocket on the front. I'm confident about the vintage because the Swiss Army have a habit of dating their gear and it appears on the leather straps and their attachment points to the main sack.

I really like it and, despite the materials used, it feels quite light - when empty!

Was just grasping at straws in hope you'd found a supply of 35s

I think I know which bag you have, its the known as the "salt and pepper"

 

[Tiley]

That's the one!

What, then, are the 35's? Bigger? Smaller? Totally different?

 

[Robbo]

Your getting confused between the 1953 Swiss bag shown in the picture and the Swedish Swedish M35 which is as rare as rocking horse poo.

All are of canvas/leather construcion but the M35 and the Swiss both have external pockets unlike the swedish M39 which is what I have.

There was a thread started by spamel regarding the legendary M35 but for some reason I cant grab the link URL

Couple of pictures of an M35 here

http://www.samlarforum.nu/viewtopic.php?p=23475&sid=c711c55c99ea7560a29d5b87e36afcf1

It looks a very good bag all the nice bits of the M39 but with more pockets and leather trimming on edges.

And yes I DO want an M35 too

As an aside would it be sacreligeous if I modified the straps on my m39 and cut off the cartridge belt hooks ?


Andy

 

[Robbo]

Hrmm, don't know how to put this, but it is said to resemble the balls of a moose.. Soldiers nickname..

I've never seem the balls of a Moose but I kinda know what you mean with the name gotta love military humour .

Andy

 

[bigjackbrass]

Couple of pictures of an M35 here

http://www.samlarforum.nu/viewtopic.php?p=23475&sid=c711c55c99ea7560a29d5b87e36afcf1

You'd think that there would be enough of a market these days that some enterprising soul would have started making rucksacks to a similar pattern, but I've found very little even remotely like this, or the multi-pocketed pack designed by Townsend Whelen.

Mind you, I have one of the Swiss "salt and pepper" packs and an excellent "Nessmuk" pack from Gwaltney Gear... along with several modern rucksacks... so I doubt I'd be able to sneak yet another one under the nose of my non-camping girlfriend...

 

[Robbo]

Alas its probably not cost effective to make a modern canvas / leather packs unless you charge duluth pack prices and without their reputation you probably wont sell many, still looking at my M39 its a very simple pack, provided you can weld (for the frame) and have passable sewing and leather working skills, I dont think it would be too difficult to make your own, OR just buy a M39 and make a new M35 style bag for the frame.

Andy

 

[Diamond Dave]

Hi Andy

I bought one of these rucksacks about 6 weeks ago and my first impression was the same as yours, ie. smelly and sad looking. But on reading this thread I have cut those silly hook things off and I will start on the neats oil on Saturday.

Lots of good information from all the guys.

Thanks very much