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Suspenders, Model of 1903 (Russell Mfg.)


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US Victory Museum

I recently acquired this 2nd pair of Model 1903 Suspenders, produced by
Russell.

There were two variants of the Model 1903: Those produced by Mills, and
those produced by Russell. They differ in their method of manufacture,
as well as hardware.

The casual collector will observe that the Model 1903/07 cartridge belts,
whether produced by Mills or Russell, exist in large enough numbers so as
to be called common; however, the Model 1903 suspenders are very much
uncommon. Unlike the cartridge belts, which were replaced by the Model
1910, the Model 1903 suspenders were only made for a few years before
being replaced by the Model 1907.

The model 1903 suspenders are collectable due to their short production
cycle, as well as their consumptive attrition. As uncommon as the Model
1903 suspenders are, the Russell manufactured type are the least common

to observe. In the last ten years, I have only seen three on Ebay. This pair
was sold paired with a cartridge belt, and the seller did not identify them
in the listing. Prospective buyers would likely have missed them without
looking closely at the photos.

 

Front View

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Soldiers at Fort Robinson, Nebraska c. 1908 wearing Russell manufactured
Model 1903 suspenders. The photo bears a watermark to a now defunct web
site. Special thanks to USMForum member World War I Nerd for originally
posting this image.

 

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Contrasting views of the Mills Model 1903 Suspenders as previously displayed
by USMForum member New Romantic (Frankie) from a post of his years ago.

 

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I know that other forum members Keystone, Fausto, et al. have Model 1903 suspenders. Please feel free

to contribute to this thread. Thanks!

 

Msn

 

 

 

 

 

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Wow, Mike, nice take.

 

I have two pair of the Mill's version myself, but having a set made by Russel would be a very nice addition to the family. These appear to be less archaic to use than the Miil's...

Good for you...

 

TR

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world war I nerd

A number of the men involved in this high stakes poker game are wearing 1903 Equipment Suspenders - not sure if they are of Mills or Russell manufacture though.

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