Brian Wolfe

British Pepper Box Pistol Maker: Charles Osborne 1830 – 1850 Cal: 9mm (measured, research show these could be 13.9mm as well) O.A.: 8 inches Barrel: 2 ¾ inches Ever since the days of the first pistol one of the main problems was in having only one shot before the need to reload was necessary. In the case of multiple adversaries the only answer was to carry more pistols; two being the most practical considering the size of the pistols of the day. Attempts were made to add a second barrel and smaller pistols were developed, still there was a need to be able to deliver more than one or two shots before reloading. Also until the invention of the percussion cap any pistol with more than two barrels was a design nightmare, not to mention the cost of such an engineering marvel. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-48891100-1422374393.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-77441100-1422374424.jpg Around the mid 1850s revolvers were becoming popular; the biggest drawback was the price tag for one of these multiple round weapons. Another problem with early revolvers was the loss of propellant gasses due to the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. In answer to these two problems the multiple barrel pistols were born. The example here is a bar-hammer pepper box pistol c.1849. This is a six barrelled percussion cap pistol with the hammer mounted on the top of the pistol in the form of a bar. The pistol ammunition, in this case measuring 9mm, was loaded from the muzzle of each barrel as one would any black powder pistol preceding this design. A percussion cap was pressed onto each percussion nipple and each time the trigger was pulled a freshly loaded barrel was presented for firing. On the edge of each muzzle you will see groves filed into the metal used to indicate which barrel had been loaded and which ones were empty. This, of course required the person loading to start with the barrel with one filed mark and progressing through each one until the one with six groves was reached. These pistols were not designed to be loaded “in the fieldâ€, more accurately, on the street, and were “charged†at home before leaving. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-97947000-1422374476.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-73601700-1422374504.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-02418200-1422374536.jpg The biggest advantage of the pepper box over the revolvers, in the day, was cost. These were a lot less expensive to make and therefore cheaper to purchase. The biggest disadvantages were the difficulty in reloading when outside the home and accuracy. These were smooth bore pistols and suffered from the same inaccuracy problems of all smooth bore muskets. The pistol, especially the British made Colt pistol of the time, was “rifle bored†giving them greater accuracy because they shot a bullet-shaped projectile through a rifled barrel rather than a ball through a smooth bore. It should be noted, however, this six barreled pistol had the same accuracy of any smooth bore pistol of the same barrel length of the time period and of those that preceded it. All short barreled pistols, of any time period, including today, are suited to close range use. Certainly the short time period in which these were made makes them one of the rarer types produced; a foot note in the time line of handgun development. Regards Brian

I'm with Mike on this one. I've purchased groups from dealers and they often do this when sending the medals in the post. It's simple, quick and works really well. Regards Brian

I missed a photo and figured since I've put this much work into the post I might as will post the last photo as well. Regards Brian

DIY Helmet Stand – Tutorial A number of years ago a friend of mine who is a police officer in the UK sent me a Bobby’s helmet as a gift. I did not want to display the helmet with the weight resting fully on the rim and peak so I decided to make a stand to support it in my shop. This worked out so well that as I added more and more helmets, both police and military steel helmets, I continued to make more stands. I was unsure of just how many I had made that when I was writing this piece I was going to take a guess at a couple of dozen. Then I thought that this would probably be an exaggeration and that you deserved to have an accurate number so I counted them. To date I have made 41 stands for my helmets and hat collection. Not really that many if I were a collector of head gear, however quite a few considering I didn’t consider myself as a collector of helmets. Anyway, I thought that I would share with you how I go about making stands for my helmets. Normally I work in hardwoods such as red and white oak, walnut, maple and so on. However I needed four stands for some helmets that were being shown in a display that had been lined with knotty pine. Because of this need the stands I will be showing are made of pine. I made eight altogether and stained the four not going into the display a darker colour using Minwax English Chestnut stain followed by four applications of clear coat. >< The first step is to get some material. I used 1½ inch thick by 6 inch (5½†actual dimension) wide pine for the base and ¾ inch thick by 6 inch wide pine for the helmet support for the top. The column is made of 1¼ inch wide stock but you can use some of the 1½ wide material as well; I just happened to have some 1¼ inch wide material in the shop scrap bin. I have tried to make sure that I didn’t make use of machinery in the shop that most people wouldn’t have at home and when I did I made sure to mention the other tools that you can use that might be more readily at hand. I’ll suggest alternative tools as we progress. The first step is to draw a 4 inch circle on the 1½ inch board, make sure you mark the centre well as you will need this mark to locate the position of the holes that you will be drilling later. I would suggest using a compass to draw the circles as the sharp point of the compass will leave a location hole for the drill. Once you draw the circle cut it out using a band saw or a jig saw. You can use a regular saw and just take several cuts around the circumference. Don’t try to cut on the line, leave a little “waste†which we will sand off later. If you are using a regular straight cut saw you will probably have a little more sanding ahead but this is not a race so take your time. Shop safety tip: Do not go into your shop or start a project if you are upset or tired. No matter what the tool supply companies will tell you a shop is NOT where you go to unwind. They are in the business to make money; you are in the business to keep your fingers where they belong. A word about warping: Wood likes to warp, that is in its nature for several reasons I will not discuss here. When you look at the end of a board you will see growth rings, or a segment of those rings. Most of the time they will appear like the letter “C†or “Uâ€, but not quite that drastic. Always orientate the board with the top of the proposed project as if it were on the top of the letter “Uâ€. The rings always try to “straighten out†as the board starts to “cupâ€. Remember this if you are building a deck or helping a friend on the weekend to build his. If you follow my advice the board, when it cups and it will, will not act like a trough that holds water but like a vaulted roof that sheds water. This is your chance to really impress your brother-in-law. See the example of the end of a board with the rings I’ve highlighted with a pencil line. Next take the disk you have just cut and sand to the circle’s mark. You can use a hand sander or a belt sander held tight in a vise of clamped to a bench for this task. Once this is done you may want to chamfer (bevel) the edges of the disk. I used a router table but it can be done with a belt sander if you are steady enough. Is this even necessary? Not really it just looks better; having said that, if you are making this for a softer helmet such as a Bobby’s helmet you should probably round the edges. This will assure that there are no sharp edges that might cause damage to the helmet over time. There is another alternative that I will cover later regarding the use of small pillows. Remember to bevel, or chamfer, the edge on the surface that is opposite to the surface with the compass mark as that will be the underside of the top and where you will be drilling a hole for assembly later. These steps are shown in the photo below. The base is made using the same steps as noted above. In this case that bevel you cut in the top also needs to be repeated on the base. The difference is that the compass mark needs to be on the surface that will be up in the finished project. The hole in the top is in the underneath surface but the hole in the base is in the top surface. To save money you don’t have to use thicker material for the base you could use the same thickness board for both the top and base, and even for the column if you like. The steps for making the base are shown below. For the column, cut the material to the length at which you like your helmet to be displayed. I have made a short column at four inches for the British style helmets and longer ones at six inches for the German helmets. You may want the helmet to be displayed at a higher level than I have suggested, it is all a matter of taste. You may also want to take the edges off the column to make it look a little slimmer but that again is just a matter of taste. I have included some photos later on of the different column designs you might want to consider. You can also purchase spindles that are used in railings and cut them for this purpose as well. I have done this when I want a fancier column and photos of those are shown later on. If you want to use wooden dowels to connect everything together as I have you will need to drill holes as shown in the above photos. There is no reason that you can’t use wood screws to achieve the same goal; I just like to glue things together. Now that you have everything cut, shaped and sanded you are ready to assemble the stands that will not be stained. If you have elected to stain your stands, as I have done with half of the number I have made, I suggest that you do your staining of the parts before you try assembly. This gives you a much better finish. Glue or screw the stands together before you apply the clear coats, I used four coats of Minwax Oil Modified Polyurethane. Do yourself a big favour and purchase only low odor and water cleanup finishes. You could also paint your stand if you like, it’s yours so it’s up to you. If you elect to glue your stands together wait at least 12 hours for the glue to set properly before trying to put on the finish coats, regardless of what is written on the side of the glue bottle. Always apply glue into the hole and NOT on the dowel as any glue on the dowel will simply be scraped off as you are trying to insert it into the hole. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-28136500-1421963222.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-33208400-1421963262.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-52190400-1421963294.jpg The final thing you should do is to glue some felt on the bottom of the stand to protect the finish of whatever you sit the stand on. Rare good marital advice: Taking marital advice from me is usually an unsound move but this one is solid. Putting felt on the bottom of the stand keeps the stand from having that “clunk†sound when you might set it on a nice cabinet in the living room. The soft dull thud makes the project seem much classier and since it doesn’t sound like it has caused any damage you might get to leave your helmet displayed somewhere nice. What other military forum can you belong to where you get military history plus marital advice? You have to love the GMIC. Earlier I mentioned the use of “pillows†with the stand to prevent wear on the inside of the police helmet. These are small pillows that I make out of black velvet and fill with fine gravel that is used in aquariums; make sure the gravel is clean and dry. Either do this yourself or have someone help with the sewing. Make a bag out of the velvet with it being inside out. Leave one side open. Next turn it the so the velvet is now on the outside and add the stone. You’ll have to hand sew the last edge. This allows the helmet to rest on a surface that will not mar the inside if the helmet. Another use of these is in the off chance you miscalculate in the length of the column and need the stand to be taller. One of even two of these pillows can be used to adjust the height. A photo of one of these stands with a pillow is shown below. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-74096600-1421962824.jpg Another variation on the helmet stand is the stands I make for hats. The only difference is in the top piece. I make it the same size as the hat size so that the shape of the hat is maintained and even the peak has a natural curve as in normal wear rather than getting flattened out when displayed for a long time on a shelf and the weight is on the peak (similar to the Bobby helmet scenario at the start of the tutorial). You’ll notice in the photo below that I put a bit larger 1/8 inch of hardboard on the underneath of the top to support the rim. This keeps the hat resting nicely and prevents it from sliding down on the wooden “plugâ€. I paint the top, or “plug†black so that it doesn’t “jump out at you†when you view the hat. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-95035000-1421962987.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-64108300-1421963043.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-61216900-1421963080.jpg Below are some random shots of different stands and helmets in the collection. A couple of photos are a bit dodgy, please forgive their poor quality. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-94095300-1421963396.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-21224400-1421963428.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-86749900-1421963466.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-91345400-1421963579.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-09242300-1421963616.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2015/post-1801-0-80228100-1421963649.jpg If you have any questions about making these please send me a PM or email me at brian.wolfe@bell.net I would like to hear from other members as to how they display their helmets and hats, as I know there are more methods out there than the ones I use. Please feel free to expand on this tutorial. Regards Brian

Thank you for your comments Eric. I think you and I could kill a couple of pots of coffee over some great discussions on those topics without getting upset. Too bad that is not awlays the case with everyone. Regards Brian

Thank you for your comment Larry, it is appreciated even if if comes from a youngster such as yourself. It is very difficult to discuss history without the inclusion of politics, perhaps even impossible. Personally I try to stay away from current events altogether and especially the politics surrounding those events. That is not to say that I don't follow what is taking place and I do have strong opinions; opinions that would no doubt see more than a few members enraged. I have indeed taken the time to read the rules, though I am sure your comment was not offered in a mean spirit. There you see how the written word can easily be taken wrong? This forum is dedicated to military interest subjects, as the forum's name would indicate, nowhere is it stated that this is a political discussion forum. Far too often people are not fully aware of all of the facts when it comes to discussing politics and end up only supporting their own party platforms. One of the problems with any organization where the rules are far from draconian, such as ours, is that it is open to interpretation. Using terms such as "overtly" leaves it open to interpretation and in some cases a moderator may make a decision that may be seen as too harsh. My question is why would anyone want to talk current politics, especially international politics, unless they have a desire to start a fight? As you pointed out there are sites that allow political discussion and therefore it seems to me that these are the places to visit and therefore keeping the GMIC free of politial debate. I do like your way of saying "bovine excrement", however I see this forum as one dealing with history, military history, and that I would say is one thing you are full of (history, just to be clear). If I am going to argue with someone let it be over historical facts and not the lies and deceit of politicians. We can discuss and even argue over history but winning an argument over politics is hampered by the fact that there is a good chance neither one of us knows the truth behind the policy. In closing let me say that I agree that at times the moderators seem to "hit the button" a little too quickly. I tend to caution the participants and then probably let things go too far. There have been times when another moderator will lock a topic to which I have only given a caution but that is a matter of differing opinions on the severity of the trespass. I do not see you as a child (as in being treated like a five year old) but I think you are aware of this considering the years we've known each other. On the other hand you and I both know this cannot be said about everyone. Thanks again for your comment it is food for thought and greatly valued. Regards Brian

Many thanks Paul. Regards Brian

HI IrisGunner, Actually the eggs were finished and I needed, NEEDED, ketchup for the home fries and sausages so the more ketchup the better. The OC (thank you for using the vernacular) provides condiments at no additional charge, even if you wear some home on your shirt. I fear that I am just about the most unexciting person you could ever meet. In fact if I were a super hero I’d be Bland Man and my costume colour would be beige. No I would NOT wear a cape, no way, that might make me seem a little to much of an “adventurerâ€. Hi Megan, I am so happy to hear that the article made other people think about breakfast; I had an almost uncontrollable urge to go out to the OC here in NH for breakfast all the while I was composing this piece, in fact even now....

Thnaks Stuart. Regards Brian

Why can’t we discuss politics on the GMIC? It all has to do with ketchup. Today my dear wife, Linda, wanted me to go into the City to exchange something or other; I wasn’t listening because I didn’t really want to go. Knowing this she suggested that we stop for breakfast in our small town first. She is a wise woman as she knows my fondness for breakfast meat, not to mention over-easy eggs. This would make me both cheap and easy. I would have been the most popular girl in school had I been born a female. During breakfast I decided I required a small bit of ketchup for the sausages and in picking up the full bottle I realized that talking politics on the forum was just like what was about to take place. To be clear I am not clairvoyant, just a creature of habit and one who will repeat mistakes with an alarming regularity. The ketchup (or catsup if you prefer) bottles are always full at our local restaurant, the “Old Country Restaurant†or O.C. as we locals refer to it. We live in New Hamburg so we often meet up with friends at the O.C in N.H. It’s a small town thing. Now for the political discussion comparison; one starts out gently patting the bottom of the bottle in an exercise in futility hopping that by some miracle the contents will flow out easily. When that doesn’t happen we all do the same thing, hit the bottle harder. Perhaps you bounce the neck of the bottle on your finger but the next step is always the same – apply more force. You might see if there is a knife by your plate, which has yet to be used and therefore clean, in order to insert in into the bottle. Thus producing an air space allowing the ketchup’s release from the effects of the bottle’s vacuum. Once in a while this works but most of the time all you end up with for your efforts is a knife covered with the red sauce all the way up the blade and well onto the handle. Now you’re getting a little hot under the collar, but still in control of your inner rage against the physics of a vacuum and Mother Nature herself fort having invented the dammed tomato in the first place. The bottle is now firmly grasped in your left hand and you start to strike the bottom of the bottle with the heel of your clenched right hand. Still nothing! At this point with your spouse showing signs of somewhere between embarrassment and disgust you lose all control. Beating the hell out of the bottle, uttering muffled statements that may or may not cross the line into blasphemy, while everyone in the restaurant looks on wide eyed. “Yes lady you heard me correctly now get over it and piss off!†you think as you notice that kindly eighty year old lady looking your way in shock. You’ve come to the point where you are committed, you will be the master of this bottle and its contents; this is the hill upon which you are will to die! You committed all of your resources and now it is you or the bottle, “No quarter, you’re going down you glass vessel from the lowest bowels of Hell itself!!!!!†RAGE, unadulterated rage! Then without warning it happens, like some sort of demonic orgasm or an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, the red thick sauce finally burst forward covering the largest area of your plate with half an inch of ketchup. The whole place is looking on witnessing your triumph yet missing the point entirely that you were victorious and your manhood is once again verified. Needless to say the trip, to the city and back, was very quiet indeed. Oh yes, here’s tip. If you find yourself in one of these situations where the silence emulating from your significant other is almost “deafening†do not; I repeat, do not, turn on the radio. And this, my friends, is why we can’t discuss politics on the forum. Regards Brian

I just recalled that the one I had was marked by someone on the handle. One side had two groves running across the handle, the other side had two initials (owner's?) separated by a large "X". I believe the ones made for use in WWI had a handle that had a shape that led to them being referred to as "coffin handle" knives. I suppose these could have found their way into use during WWII as well. I was not aware of the copies, though also not surprised. It has been a long time since I collected edged weapons so a lot of fakes are now probably much more common. Several decades ago you didn't have to be as knowledgable about many collectables as there just wasn't that many fakes out there. Regards Brian

Yep WWII, I have a photo of one of these being worn and if I can find it I'll post it. The clip allowed it to be worn on the belt, thrust into a tunic or in a boot, the clip keeping it in place. The one I used to have also had original black paint on the sheath. There should be a mark on the other side of the blade down by the hilt as Paul suggests. Regards Brian

That's sad news, sorry we could not help. Regards Brian

It may take a while for the right member to see these. I looked through the few books I have and cannot help you, sorry. Regards Brian

Most of your observations both pro and con I can see and agree with however, sadly, you only need to visit my shop to answer your question as to why would anyone take so long to create something that looks period for such small profit. Not being an expert on antiquities, especially of the age this one represents I must go by my posket book. Would I purchase this item as an original? No. However, I could every well be walking away from an extremely valuable artifact, on the other hand I could be dodging a bullet. I can't tell if this is made from one piece of wood or from plywood as the skins cover that detail. I can't tell and I have been a cabinet maker for several more decades than I care to remember. Plywood has been around for centuries, not that I am suggesting that it was used in this case or even in the area where this drum would have been made. I can say that there were trees wide enough to have provided the wood needed to have been bent to serve as the outer shell a century ago. Steam bending of wood also goes back for centuries. While the drum skin looks to be old I do not agree that the ropes are original nor the material used to tighten these ropes strong enough to do the job properly. I do like the rope that runs along the bottom of the drum which no doubt would add a snare drum sound to this instument; a detail I would expect to be missing if this were an out and out fake. Having said that and at one time having been a semt-professional drummer I think this would be a detail I personally would not have missed if I were making a copy of an original. Reputable auction houses and dealers? After the scandal involving two very well known auction houses a number of years back I think the words "reputable" and "dealer" need to be carefully ued especially within the same sentence. A pound of square cut nails for every so called expert dealer or auction house who has been fooled by a clever copy. Profit often clouds minds even to the point of the risk of sacrificing reputations. I say this not to further an opinion but to add to the information contained here within. I do hope this posts garthers more opinions as it is good to see lively discussion. I doubt this drum was beaten as much as the discussion here as to it's originality. Thanks for posting this Keven and well done gents on this interesting discussion. Regards Brian

Just to add to Mervyn's statement, in agreement, it is indeed a responsibility for Mederators to respond when they can but of course it is not necessarily manditory. There is little worse than posting a question and being ignored, it has happened to all of us from time to time. Additng to this, if you feel a member is just "using" the forum and the membership, the best way to send a message is to not respond to the post. As several members, including me, have expressed their opposition to giving a valuation, I think that the best manner of providing a market value is through a PM and not on the general forum. This keeps the opinion private and will not be seen as an appraisal but the GMIC as an organization, especially when provided by a moderator. A value serves no purpose when it comes to historic value and if one is collecting for profit, or collecting even as an investmen, it is a business venture. Sending a PM is not like asking for an email to be sent; the sender need not know any further information about the person being reponded to than is offered through the forum. For the most part a little investigation by the owner of the item on the internet should provide the market value information being asked for. Regards Brian

Welcome to the forum and thank you for starting off your membership with a mystery for us. The meaning of "RVP" will be running in my mind, much like the song "It's a Small World After All" has a habbit of doing; however, you "RVP" is a welcomed puzzel. Your suggestion that it might be Indian is an intertesting one and broadens the field of possibilities. It certainly looks old and most interesting...for a fiver you say. Well done. Regards Brian

As Mervyn has stated, and in agreement with my earlier statement, if members are not comfortable in responding to Kevin's posts then the best avenue for them to take is to not simply respond to his posts. "Drumhead courtmarshal", I hope that was a joke as it did make me laugh, good one. I would suggest, Kevin, that if you are posting an item for general interest for the membership that you don't word it as if you are the one in need of infoemation or valuation. A simple, "Thought this might be interesting" would be much better then stating that you need information on the item. I do not see where any level of membership, gold or other wise, obligates any member to respond, however, I do see your point Mervyn. As far as offending anyone, Kevin, I don't believe you have done so and if you did I am confident that it was unintentional. Many members are quite sensitive to dealers using the forum to further their own financial gain, without pointing a finger at you as that is not my intention, this practice is not acceptable in their eyes. We are indeed, as you correctly pointed out, a forum the exists to further the knowledge in military subjects and share our knowledge. Within those parameters and conditions you are more than welcomed to participate in conversations and exchange of knowledge on this forum. Here's looking forward to a clearer understanding between all parties. Regards Brian

A well written and thought out blog, well done Rick. I've reached the age where I now know what is wrong with the youth of today...they are too dammed much like me when I was their age! Collecting is a lot like the people who collect. In the beginning it is all glitter and the collecting of objects, then one starts to slow down and actually appreciate what we have, which for collectors means researching the items. As for 2015, I resolve to spend more, collect more and research and write more...maybe sell a few things to make room for even more. Regards Brian

Kevin, please don't go down that road, or at least until you purchase a dictionary and look up the word "share". The issue some members have with you is that it seems that it is always one sided when it comes to your posts. This, I have it on good account, is a problem you have had on other forums. Two points come to mind in this regard. First, if a member is not happy with you asking for opinons then the solution is simple, just don't respond. Secondly, if you take the last two items you have posted, the smatchet and the drum, as examples, where is one to find out information on such items. If you didn't know the fighting knife was callled a smatchet then where would you turn but to the collectors on forums such as this one. These knives certainly don't grow on trees. In the case of the drum I would think it even harder to find out anything about them; I understand that "Drums R us" closed several years ago. I am sure that if another member, in the future, were to ask what a smatchet was I would hope that you would be quick to respond, since you now have that knowledge. As far as giving valuations, it is no secret that I am against this policy. Why? Members, even Senior Moderators cannot, by law, bind the forum by anything they do. However, giving a valuation can have solcial repercussions if that valuation "kills" a sale of a purchase. My opinion on this is that if a member wants to offer a valuation then do so through either a PM or by email and not on the public forum. I probably stand alone on this issue but I do indeed "stand". Here's my advice to you or any anyone. If you are a dealer then purchse the item at a cost that allows at least a 100% mark up, unless it is jewelry then it is 200+%. Anyone in business knows why this is, overhead and length of time your money will be tied up. If you are a collector/dealer then shoot for a 50 to 60% mark up and if you are a collector then just be content to recover your purchase price. As far as the drum is concerned, if the smatchet were offered and I collected British edged weapons I would consider it, however I would not want the drum in my collection at any price. Is that saying the drum is not authentic? No, it's just that I would not take a risk on purchasing it based on my gut feeling. Regarding "gut feelings" check out the book "Blink". Now, of course, you have a couple of different opinions and must make the discission as to purchase or walk away (walk away, walk away whispered in the back ground). Now, as to listening to experts. I have handled firearms since I was still in grade school, a total of well over 60 years, so some might mistake me for an expert in firearms. I would go as far as to say that I do think I know quite a bit about them. Having said that, I am now in the process of rebuilding a German MP40 that I purchased two months ago as an original. I missed a couple of details and ended up purchasing what amounted to some good original parts with matching serial numbers. I was lucky that I didn't pay a lot more than I should have for the parts I am now working with but still I missed the small points that should have told me it was not 100% original. So I am saying that anyone can make a mistake, however I was actually handling the MP40 and the members here are only going by a small single photo of the drum. If you think that a so called expert is only as good as his last evaluation then I am vindicated because just before Christmas I managed to purchase a Mk 5 Sten Gun that I have wanted for some time and it is 100% genuine. Good luck on the drum Kevin, if you make the purchase I will be most happy to be wrong about it. Regards Brian

Hi Jock, Don't beat yourself up, I've never found your opinion or your mannerisms to be less than welcomed here. An opinion was asked for and given, Kevin is a big boy (meaning mature not necessarily of large stature) and I'm sure he realizes everyone has and is welcomed to an opinion. I tend to be a bit too diplomatic at times, I suppose but as long as I don't give away someone else's country (a Chamberlain comment) Mervyn will forgive me. Regards Brian

Thank you for the kind words and that link, it was an area I had never heard of either. Regards Brian

Hi Stuart, I do hope that the membership can help with this. While my library is "light" on information when it comes to headgear I can find nothing to help in the books I do have . I'll "pin" this in this section for a while to give it as much exposure as possible. Regards Brian

I’m on the “fence” on this one Mervyn. Certainly if it were made as a stage prop it would not have the look of age as they are usually trying to make the item look the same period as the play. The other thing that makes me think it is not a prop is that the detail on the coat of arms is too accurate, yet not as accurate or clear as to have been made for television of the movie industry. The ropes don’t have “age”; however, one would expect that the ropes could have been replaced, though why they would be is a mystery. I’ve seen some good reproductions coming out of India and China lately and this may (note “may”) be one of them. Lately we’ve had a number of powder kegs and wooden water bottles from the Napoleonic and Crimean War periods surface at shows, all reproductions; I think made for the re-enactor enthusiasts. None of these “new” antiques have been made to look old as they need to fit in with the period in which the enactors are portraying. Even the keg rings are correct, being made of wood and not iron which might have cause a spark in the past. Overall I think this is too good to be an original and just antiqued enough to be a decor item. It is my opinion that there has been an effort to make it look like an item of antiquity yet it fails to demonstrate the damage one would expect from something that would have been moved about from time to time and handled over a two hundred plus time span. It would be interesting to be able to touch the drum heads to see if they are pliable or stiff due to drying out over the years. If I were looking at adding this to the collection I would have to really think seriously about laying out any cash. So, Kevin, I’ve written a lot and given you no help what-so-ever. Sorry, but they do pay me by the word. Regards Brian

Thank you for your words of encouragement Mervyn. I never would have guessed that this project would be as involved as it has turned out to be. Then again I should have expected that any story about such a great leader would never be short and simple. Regards Brian