1914 Spec Blanket ID

[THAT GUY]

Hey all,

 

I bought this blanket a few months ago at a collectibles shop. It was $35 and I recognized it as a pre-WW1 style blanket with band. Now, looking at the spec threads here on the forum this one seems to be closest to the 1914 model. Here is the spec, borrowed from user world war 1 nerd. 

 

Specification No. 1204, adopted March 11, 1914:

“To be an olive drab mixture as shown by the sealed standard sample”; wool to be of three-eighths blood grade and free of substitute and reworked wools; size to be not less than 84 inches, or more than 87 inches, by not less than 66 inches, or more than 69 inches; weight to be not less than 2 pounds 14 ounces, and not more than 3 pounds 3 ounces; 3 inch wide olive brown border placed 8 inches from the edge; no U. S.; label cloth in corner

 

The only issue is that the band on mine is only 6 inches away from the edge. Aside from that it seems to match with the weight being exactly 3 pounds. No U.S, but no evidence of a QM tag being present, (typical). Measurements of my blanket are: 51" wide by 79" long. 

 

Any ideas? Thanks! 

 

Sam

 

 

 

 

 

 

[VMI88]

I wouldn't worry about it. These blankets shrank with washing so the dimensions won't be exact. Your overall length seems to have shortened too, perfectly consistent with use. 

[THAT GUY]

Thank you VMI. So it is fair to say this is the 1914 pattern? 

 

Sam

[CAC1901]

It does not look like a QM pattern to me. The stripe is flat the wrong color and pattern.  Over the years I used to run into blankets that came close to QM patterns like the slate blue pre-1904 as well as these OD colored ones. Veterans facilities, invalid homes, Indian reservations, and even state national guards and other state as well as US government agency's etc. seemed to be a source for quasi military looking items including these close but quite striped wool blankets. Its a field thats not well covered  by studies or at least they werent back when I was dong that in the pre-internet days. 

[THAT GUY]

22 hours ago, CAC1901 said:

It does not look like a QM pattern to me. The stripe is flat the wrong color and pattern.  Over the years I used to run into blankets that came close to QM patterns like the slate blue pre-1904 as well as these OD colored ones. Veterans facilities, invalid homes, Indian reservations, and even state national guards and other state as well as US government agency's etc. seemed to be a source for quasi military looking items including these close but quite striped wool blankets. Its a field thats not well covered  by studies or at least they werent back when I was dong that in the pre-internet days. 

 

I appreciate your input. I agree that there needs to be a better pictorial reference on these. I did find this USMF post from 2015 with what appears to be the same blanket as mine with same colored stripe. Many members agreed it was the 1914 pattern and original. Not saying you are wrong, as I came here asking for opinions, but something interesting to consider imo. 

 

 

[CAC1901]

2 hours ago, THAT GUY said:

 

I appreciate your input. I agree that there needs to be a better pictorial reference on these. I did find this USMF post from 2015 with what appears to be the same blanket as mine with same colored stripe. Many members agreed it was the 1914 pattern and original. Not saying you are wrong, as I came here asking for opinions, but something interesting to consider imo. 

 

 

The biggest reason I'm pretty certain this is not an army QM blanket is the stripe color. Up until the stripes were deleted in 1917 the color is olive brown. That color is distinct and unmistakeable when you look at a bonafide example. I've owned/sold/examined/handled a good number of these over the decades. There are quite a few 'close but not quite' existing blankets that turn up. The stripe is usually the obvious giveaway, typically a charcoal or dark blue or gray based shade, not olive brown.  Then there are dimension differences etc. The mills that turned out army blankets also made blankets for other entities. I've found ones exactly like the one you pictured here with unknown initials in the center.  

[eaglerunner88]

On 12/11/2022 at 10:13 AM, THAT GUY said:

 

I appreciate your input. I agree that there needs to be a better pictorial reference on these. I did find this USMF post from 2015 with what appears to be the same blanket as mine with same colored stripe. Many members agreed it was the 1914 pattern and original. Not saying you are wrong, as I came here asking for opinions, but something interesting to consider imo. 

 

 

Yes, this blanket is indeed identical to mine from that post. In my eyes, you have a genuine 1914 spec 1204 blanket contracted for the US Army.  Quoting from that same source, "One notable aspect with this specification was that card and thread waste were permitted to be used in the blanket for the first time since the issuance of specifications for the olive drab blanket." http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/80th/ww1-blankets.html

 

This is very apparent in its construction. And as for the stripe, if that's not "olive brown" I don't know what is.

[CAC1901]

https://i.postimg.cc/wB6yf4gR/Blanket-USA-Ord-WW1.png

 

I've attached a picture of the US saddle blanket that uses the olive brown stripe. Neither of the blankets shown in this thread thus far have this olive brown stripe.  When you see an example -- its unmistakeable. Bedding blankets and saddle blankets up until 1917 had the olive brown stripes although the pattern differs a bit between them. The problem with the 1914 bedding blanket being queried about here is that the new specs got rid of the US, leaving just the olive brown stripes. A true 1914 blanket will match the pre-14 blankets but simply lack the US. Again - the olive brown stripe is the key identifier. (or better, a QM tag but good luck seeing one intact.)  Unfortunately an authentic example of the 1914-17 blanket, depending on how it ages, also gets billed as the civil war blanket. Typically the olive dyes oxidize towards brown, the stripes go from olive brown to an olive hued brown stripe. Voila - all thats need is some elastic word play and the value escalates. There are even a few unfortunate examples of this misidentification in the forum and in catalogs and so on. Another issue with the '1914' bedding blanket is that without the US, any olive blanket with stripes gets assumed to be a 1914 pattern. But there was a civilan or non-military market for these. And i you take look at USMC blankets up to WW2, that 'charcoal' stripe shown on the blankets pictured in the posts here is nearly identical. They just lack the USMC.  To quote the cited online reference on WW1 army blankets:

 

"according to curator Steve McGeorge, “review of catalogs from military clothiers and suppliers of the period selling officer uniform and equipment include blankets alleged to be made to government specification. In the case of these and later commercially manufactured ‘Camp Blankets’ it may very well be impossible to distinguish these from Government Issue blankets if there is no legible tag present, especially after some 80+ years of wear and tear.” 

 

This is why one is more apt to run into old period OD wool blankets that look similar to, but do not fit the QM descriptions. As I mentioned, I've not only found these but also some with odd initials in the center.  I use to sell these to reenactors since they visually approximate the QM blankets and lack the issues involved in using a bonafide original.