Blue Enamel Canteen

[thorin6]

I understand the Blue Enamel Canteen is harder to find than the Black Enamel Canteen. I've had one of each for several years, and my first one was one of the Blue Enamel ones I got from a friend of mine about 8-9 years ago. I picked the Black Enamel one at an antique shop complete with cup and cover for $20 4-5 years ago. Here is a picture of them together to contrast the colors, with the Black on the left and the Blue on the right.

[thorin6]

Here are the bottoms, with markings on the Black Enamel canteen, but no markings on the Blue Enamel canteen.

 

[McDermut99]

Twenty bucks for the set? You're killing me thorin!

[thorin6]

Twenty bucks for the set? You're killing me thorin!

 

I actually told the guy that the canteen was worth more, but he said he put the tag on it and the price was fine with him.

[Bodes]

Twenty bucks for the set? You're killing me thorin!

 

He said that was $20 for the black one.....I paid $12 for one at an estate sale....Bodes

[thorin6]

I'd like to see what people think of the Blue Enamel canteen; I don't think I've seen one for sale on ebay in the past year.

[BagmanL6]

thorin6 - I really like the Blue Enamel. Don't know much about them but now know I need to add one to the collection. Any idea on production numbers?

[thorin6]

thorin6 - I really like the Blue Enamel. Don't know much about them but now know I need to add one to the collection. Any idea on production numbers?

 

No idea on production numbers and I don't even know who made them.

 

[oldabewla]

I under stand that the blue enamel canteens were done up for the Army.

 

The markers who made the black enamel canteens would had made the blue enamel canteens in my opinion the under the Army QMC orders.

[Reaper]

Possibly, the blue ones were just shade variations of the black coloring of the enamel as the mixture got used and thinned out, or mixed differently pigment-wise, or something of the sort. Being so rare, one would think that they were not blue intentionally(...?). Just a thought.

 

I own 1 very blue one,which is unmarked. I recently acquired another which is so dark blue that it looks black under any light but direct sunlight or a very bright flashlight; it is actually a purplish-blue color and made by U.S.S. Co. Got it for right at $30.

 

BTW, you did a great job capturing the color, thorin6: that is usually quite difficult to do. They usually come out black in the pictures. Well done!

[thorin6]

I was surprised at how well the blue contrasted to the black in the photos. It took a couple of tries but it was worth it.

As for the idea that the blue ones were just a variation of the black I had one that looked brown in the photos, but was clearly black in person. The thing is, I've not seen a blue one with markings and I would think that if they were issued by makers of the Black Enamel canteens, they would have the same markings. Maybe the blue ones are rejects that were dumped on the civilian market when the military wouldn't accept them?

I've also heard the story that the blue ones went to one service and the black one to another, although that story changes over time. At one point the story was the blue ones were for the Marines and the black ones were Army, but at a later time they switched so that the Army had the blue ones and the Marines the black. The Black Enamel canteen I bought was in an Army cover but that really doesn't explain things.

It would sure be nice to have some written or pictorial confirmation on these canteens, which I understand were primarily a test case that didn't work out so they didn't see a lot of distribution.

[pararaftanr2]

I don't know the reasoning behind the blue enamel, rather than black, on some M-1942 canteens, but blue was a popular color for enamelware of that vintage, so I'm sure it was not a "mistake". As hard as the blue canteens are to find, even more difficult are the blue cups. Wish I still had mine, which was made by L.F.&C. and dated 1942 with the markings on the handle.

Regards, Paul

[oldabewla]

I read in book that the blues were order and issued to the Army that's kinda explains why they are unmarked because of the Army Quartermaster Corps order and purchased them that way.

The Army didn't like them so we're sold off the USMC?

 

All black enamels I've seen are marked on the bottom with white enamel date and maker mark as believed and requested by the USMC Quartermaster depot?

[Reaper]

I have 1 black enamel made by U.S.S. Co. that has the maker and date stamp in yellow; it is the only time that I have ever seen a yellow stamp. I'll try to post a pic.

[pararaftanr2]

I have read they were an attempt to conserve aluminum in 1942. In service use, the enamel coating the steel, both inside and out, chipped off very easily, thereby leaving the steel to rust, not to mention the unpleasant side effect of possibly ingesting the enamel flakes when drinking. For this reason, issue for overseas use was soon stopped, although vintage photos do show them in use in the various war theaters.

Regards, Paul

[Reaper]

I have 1 black enamel made by U.S.S. Co. that has the maker and date stamp in yellow; it is the only time that I have ever seen a yellow stamp. I'll try to post a pic.

 

[Reaper]

. The thing is, I've not seen a blue one with markings and I would think that if they were issued by makers of the Black Enamel canteens, they would have the same markings.

 

 

[thorin6]

That is the first time I've seen a marking on a Blue Enamel canteen; but of course I haven't seen all that many anyway. Good to know.

[Reaper]

Enamel canteens seem to be alot like WWI and WWII Enfield rifles: just when you think you can nail down a generalization for them an exception pops up. But that is exactly what keeps you collecting. I said that I was through spending money on canteens when I had all 7 manufacturers ... should have known better.

 

From earlier reporting by US Canteen Guru (IIRC) and another source, Geuder, Paschke & Fray did not mark any of their canteens; I do not remember if that was exclusive to the black ones, blue ones, or included both colors. The truly blue one in my collection is unmarked, but then so are a couple of the black ones.

[Username]

About two years ago I saw a blue enamel canteen with a strange cap, it looked like it was the exact same shape as standard ww1 aluminum caps, but it was bakelite. It's almost as if the old molds for the aluminum caps where used with bakelite. I have only ever seen two with this style of cap, and both where cracked because the ww1 style cap has very thin edges. It seems they where too fragile and where replaced by the flat cap version with thicker sides?

 

Would love to hear some insight on this, I have never heard it discussed before. I'm searching for a pic for reference.

 

I think I just found one on ebay completed listings. It's kind of hard to see, but it looks bakelite. It also has tape around the edge because it probably cracked.

 

ebay item number > 371523759367

 

[Username]

...

[Username]

It also looks unmarked.

[pararaftanr2]

Username,

Due to the extreme orange-peal finish, I'd hazard a guess that the example you found on ebay has been altered for reenacting from an M-1910 canteen?

Regards, Paul

[Reaper]

Several of my enamels have this same "orange peel" in the finish; it seems to be quite usual. Vollrath appears to be the only manufacturer to use the M-1910 vertical seam on their enamels.

[oldabewla]

Cool canteens, some I've never seen? I know they made the seams both ways.