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USMC WW2 Shelter Half Choice


m1a2u2
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Pictured are two USMC shelter halves I picked up my a dealer friend. He is letting my choose which one to keep. The one on the left is a 1944 dated one with a more "cloth-like" feel to the materiel. It also has much darker green splotches compared to the 1945 dated one right.

 

When flipped over to the beach side, the 1944 one also has a light beach side with the shapes spaced further apart.

 

Which one should I choose? I am guessing the earlier one but I wanted the opinions on here, and maybe some additional insight into which is more rare. Thanks!

 

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Depending on price take them both.

 

Tagged examples are hard to find (or use to be) maybe the market is way down but these saw hard use and survivors in that condition use to bring a premium.

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Depending on price take them both.

 

Tagged examples are hard to find (or use to be) maybe the market is way down but these saw hard use and survivors in that condition use to bring a premium.

 

He wants $150 each. They have been sitting around in boxes with other gear for many years. How much more do tagged examples bring?

 

Any idea why the pattern is different? Was the later pattern more associated with the Korean war?

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Make him offer $250 for pair or start where your comfortable.Easier to go up than down.

 

As stated I dont know what the current market is on these but know a guy who paid $350 for a 1943 tagged example in excellent condition....but hes a tag and condition freak.

 

Dont over think it...this stuff isn't made anymore and if you can afford it buy them both.You can always trade or sell one and contrary to what people think not everything matched each other in WW11.So not unlikely to button them together and have a full tent.

 

Also if he has a lot of stuff and the deal goes well you may find more rewards in the future.

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The reason the tan side looks sparser on the '44 Shelter Half is that the 1942 first-production tent poplin print omitted 1 set of spots on the tan side. Sometime in 1943 the process was refined by creating printing rollers with "reversed" spots for the tan side which were applied in alignment with their corresponding "brothers" on the green side, along with improved dyes which were more colorfast for sharper patterns. Some of the Halves made in 1943-44 were made utilizing the early canvas, either wholly or with a mix of the newer stuff, to use up all available material.

I recently was blessed with a '44 Half identical to the one you're looking at, which was produced with the early-print poplin but utilized the "new improved" fabric for the reinforcement on the joining side which affixes to another Half.

post-3226-0-73741400-1503982649_thumb.jpg

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Here is a better comparison shot of "old" (left) and "new" Marine Corps tent canvas.

 

The Half on the left is a '42; at right is a '45.

post-3226-0-80212900-1503982788_thumb.jpeg

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The reason the tan side looks sparser on the '44 Shelter Half is that the 1942 first-production tent poplin print omitted 1 set of spots on the tan side. Sometime in 1943 the process was refined by creating printing rollers with "reversed" spots for the tan side which were applied in alignment with their corresponding "brothers" on the green side, along with improved dyes which were more colorfast for sharper patterns. Some of the Halves made in 1943-44 were made utilizing the early canvas, either wholly or with a mix of the newer stuff, to use up all available material.

I recently was blessed with a '44 Half identical to the one you're looking at, which was produced with the early-print poplin but utilized the "new improved" fabric for the reinforcement on the joining side which affixes to another Half.

 

Thank you, sir. That was very informative. So essentially, my 1944 variant is the "old" style?

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Nice stuff!

 

Market is definitely down big time lately on USMC field gear, I think most of us have noticed it. I don't know what happened. $150 is reasonable all things considered. I certainly wouldn't pay $300-$400 for these anymore.

 

Regards,

-Steve

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Thank you, sir. That was very informative. So essentially, my 1944 variant is the "old" style?

 

Yes, it is! To me, these are highly desirable; very often, the "old print" canvas shows up in a wide range of differing dye lots (occasionally the newer stuff has some variants as well).

Below is a 1942 Half which shows this very well with at least 4 different dye lots used in its fabrication.

 

post-3226-0-42394500-1504027107_thumb.jpeg

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Jim you are the shelter half camo official expert :D

 

-Steve

 

LOL- Nah...I just have acquired a bunch of them through the years, and it's been very educational for me. Glad to share it with other 'Flagists!

 

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The reason the tan side looks sparser on the '44 Shelter Half is that the 1942 first-production tent poplin print omitted 1 set of spots on the tan side. Sometime in 1943 the process was refined by creating printing rollers with "reversed" spots for the tan side which were applied in alignment with their corresponding "brothers" on the green side, along with improved dyes which were more colorfast for sharper patterns. Some of the Halves made in 1943-44 were made utilizing the early canvas, either wholly or with a mix of the newer stuff, to use up all available material.

I recently was blessed with a '44 Half identical to the one you're looking at, which was produced with the early-print poplin but utilized the "new improved" fabric for the reinforcement on the joining side which affixes to another Half.

 

 

And this is why I love this forum. I'm heading down to storage now to look at my '42 and '44 half. Never noticed the difference in spots!

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And this is why I love this forum. I'm heading down to storage now to look at my '42 and '44 half. Never noticed the difference in spots!

 

Cool! Let us know what you come up with!

 

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