Canteen Help

[lukegilly13]

Re: Canteen Help

Who is making the correct twisted cork retainer string? I've tried getting in touch with Ropesmith but have had no luck. Needle and Thread don't seem to carry anything that small. I'm looking for something resembling the twine on the canteen in the picture that Jim posted earlier.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Canteen Help

If you are talking about the string on the uncovered canteen, I made it myself. Got tired of all the crappy string that was being passed off as authentic looking string. It's easy. Find some white, cotton string about the right size. Most of the time the small rolls in the hardware store look good. Cut string to about 22 inches in length and tie a knot on each end to keep the string from unraveling. Dip the length of string in some tea to add that nice tan color. You can darken or lighten the color of the string by stronger tea or leaving it in longer. Now here is the trickey part. I have a little beeswax dispenser used for something in the sewing world. It has beeswax inside and a slot to pull thread through. Run the string across the beeswax while twisting the string to tighten up the twist and make it smaller. Do this about a million times until the string looks right. . Here are some strings I have used on my canteens and one comparison with an original. Mine are not perfect but are closer than any I have seen on the market. Some originals are darker or lighter than the one shown here. I also have to trim the fraying behind the knot on the middle pic.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Canteen Help

Those look good! I saw something you posted about that in another thread and have been trying it throughout the day. Mine don't look near as good as yours though. However, I've got something that looks much closer than I started but I think I can still do better. When I get the string to my satisfaction I'm going to post pictures of the canteen.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Canteen Help

Whoa! Looks good, Jim. Nice cork wire. Like you, I make my own but did not
know about the tea staining trick which does improve the color/appearance.

[Illinois Rebel]

Re: Canteen Help

Alright. So on the advice of many and my own thinking I returned the CD canteen. I called customer service at the Regimental Quartermaster and told them that I purchased the canteen from their Campaigner site and I told them what I was not happy with. They told me that they would tell management and get back with me. Later that day, someone called me back and told me that management said that they had already ordered a replacement and would be at their office in two days. They told me to mail my canteen back and they would make it right. Boy...did they ever. I got a CD canteen, again from Axel Ulrich with an original tin spout attached. The sling retainers are slimmer than the first. This one, is a dead ringer folks. A fantastic product from the maker and one could not expect a better result from contacting a vendor's customer service dept.
Now, what i got from the experience...there are some folks out there making a correct canteen. Axel is one of them. If you cannot look at a canteen that you are considering purchasing before you buy....call the vendor and ask about the details. My experience has been that they are VERY happy to share them with you. I will post pics of the canteen once I get the camera figured out.

Hello Luke,

Any luck with the Photos? Also, who did you speak with at RQ? Is it safe to say that the ones they are selling now are no good? That is, would they all need modifications?

I look forward to your reply.

Respectfully,

Michael Collins

[lukegilly13]

Re: Canteen Help

Well it depends on which canteen you are looking for. The tin spout I originally recieved from them was not very accurate but after several conversations with different vendors it seems to be what a lot of people are carrying. The pewter spout from them is the typical Ulrich canteen and spout and looks very good. When I called them back about returning the canteen, I told them the problems I had with it and they just told me that they would make it right. So, I would recommend that if you wanted to order from them that you call them and tell them what you are looking for (rolled tin pout, pewters pout, CD canteen, etc). They do have the capability of selling you a fantastic copy of the CD canteen. Had I ordered one of the other depots and a pewter spout I don't think there would have been any complains the 1st go around. I will post pictures as soon as I get home. I forgot to do it.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Canteen Help

Here are some pictures of the Ulrich Cincinnati Depot Canteen sold by Regimental Quartermaster from their Campaigner Page. As stated above, to fix my complaint of the spout, they put an original tin spout on. The sling retainers are much smaller on this canteen than the one I sent back. Also, after a large handful of tries...let me know what you think about my cork retainer string.

[Illinois Rebel]

Re: Canteen Help

Luke,

Thanks for the reply. I called them today and the price was $48.50. How much extra did it cost for the modifications? (I take it is dipped, so corrosion is minimized) Also, was this the Smoothside Canteen? And does he add original part to Canteens regularly? Stroke of luck for you!

The Rope looks good! I have an original I can post photos so you can compare.

Thanks for answering the questions.

Respectfully,

Michael Collins

[lukegilly13]

Re: Canteen Help

Luke,

Thanks for the reply. I called them today and the price was $48.50. How much extra did it cost for the modifications? (I take it is dipped, so corrosion is minimized) Also, was this the Smoothside Canteen? And does he add original part to Canteens regularly? Stroke of luck for you!

The Rope looks good! I have an original I can post photos so you can compare.

Thanks for answering the questions.

Respectfully,

Michael Collins

It didn't cost me any extra. However, I got the canteen that I wasn't happy with and sent it back. What I would do if I were you is call them and tell them the depot canteen you are looking for. Make sure and tell them that you are wanting a canteen made by Ulrich. There is a picture of the pewter spout type earlier in this thread....they look fantastic. If you are wanting the Cincinnati type...make sure and ask them if they have one with the correct rolled tin spout and the smaller sling keepers. I know that there are several vendors (I think WW & Co. and others) that carry Ulrich canteens. You might be able to call a handful of them and see if any of them have one of his canteens with the correct rolled spout. Good luck in your quest. Let me know how it works out.

[CSchneider]

Re: Canteen Help

Gentlemen,

I was able to get a canteen with a rolled tin spout that matches the original Cincinnati canteens very nicely from George MacGillis. The folded tin spouts on the Ulrich "Cincinnati" canteens are not correct, but serendipitously do match the spouts several surviving captured, refurbished, and reissued canteens with Confederate provenance (including the one on page 208 of the C.S. volume of EOG). While I don't have the book in front of me, I do believe I read somewhere in O'Donnell's new canteen book about the spouts on many early Federal canteens being quite fragile, which might possibly have led to this aspect of the refurbishing process being common enough to allow for a few examples to survive today.

Now on to getting some decent stoppers as opposed to the ca. 1864 New York stoppers that are used on nearly every reproduction canteen today! With the help of a machinist who was willing to measure some original canteens and steal some time at work I was able to get some one-offs made of the various "early" and "late" Philadelphia stoppers, the New York stopper with domed cap used throughout much of the war, and the Cincinnati stopper. Wasn't a certain fellow from New Jersey making the proper nuts for these various stoppers at one point too? Maybe a project for somebody who wants something new to market...

-Craig Schneider

[lukegilly13]

Re: Canteen Help

Craig,
I e-mailed back and forth with MacGillis and he sent pictures of his reproduction CD canteen and they look great. However, he then told me that he doesn't have anymore and he can no longer make anymore (at least for now) because his supplier of "stamped parts" is no longer in business with him. But you raise an excellent point...if MacGillis has a correct spout, then that means that it IS POSSIBLE to make although it may be difficult and raise the price of the canteen somewhat.

I'd love to see the stoppers!

[Ulrich's Tin Shop]

Re: Canteen Help

For your information, I was at S & S Sutler this weekend and we got into a discussion about folded lip hemmed canteens. Tim pulled one out of his personal collection with the folded lip
hemmed spout. The keepers were 3/8" strap bands. Anybody at their interested in getting a canteen custom made spout, hangers and hot dipped tin inside, can easily order it from Tim
Sheads, S & S Sutler. If you desire a certain dimension from O'Donnel Book and I will be happy to supply it. Drum & convex canteens are 100% made by me. They can be made out of hot
dipped tin or regular tin.
Axel Ulrich
Ulrich's Tin Shop
Riverside Lodge # 503 WM