Hey everyone, just got this canteen and I was wondering if its a civilian made one to be used for the military or what? Thanks for any info.

 

 

 

 

I am NOT an expert, nor do I profess to be one.

 

This looks like a WW1 or earlier canteen, with unusual civilian markings. That being said, I believe it may be WW1 era civilian surplus.

 

Again I am NOT an expert.

I just got a canteen in a group of field gear with the same marking and it has obvious signs (to me) of service use. I'll post photos tomorrow.

I would say it's military, just a different way they marked it. I've also seen mess kits with this diamond A mark.

 

Craig

Here's a "diamond" stamp, but it has an "I" in it instead of an "A".

Here's a "diamond" stamp, but it has an "I" in it instead of an "A".

 

 

That has been identified as Owens-Illinois.

 

The mark in the first post eludes me.

Ah-hah!! That explains the "O", then...thanks!

 

I thought I had a Canteen like Agate's...gonna have to dig around.

Here is mine.

Top front:

Neck detail:

Marking on rear:

I'm no expert either, but my guess is that these canteens were made for the civilian market immediately following the war(s). Making new inventory on the old military patterns would presumably give the workers something to do pending the reintroduction of civilian goods. I also don't think the military would care enough to take the time to press a trademark and a "Made in USA" stamp. The fact that US canteens and mess kits were consistently stamped with the manufacturer and the year from 1918 to the Vietnam War would also argue in favor of civilian origin.

 

That being said, there's no reason why such canteens wouldn't have been used in combat. Soldiers then, but more so now, took plenty of private-purchase gear to war.

 

And in any case, you've got a great canteen!

I'm pretty sure the TRADE <A> MARK is a wartime marking - I just don't know whose. I do wonder why there isn't a date on it though.

anymore info on the trademark "A" canteens??? Wondering if they are USGI or civilian or is the jury still out on this issue?

I don't know why a company would crank out civilian canteens after the/a war considering the surplus, unless they had excess inventory not yet stamped/marked for military use

I have one but it is marked OSCO in the triangle. Other markings are very similar.

Any new data on this canteen marking?

I recently purchased an eagle snap cover dated 1915 that had this exact same canteen in it with an unmarked cup. Never saw one before either until this post popped up.

Could they be produced for state national guards? I seem to recall reading that prior to WW2 the states purchased some of the equipment for their troops from the same manufacturers who were making it for the US Army. I agree that it's a period canteen and I would have bought it in a heartbeat!

My attempts to search the US Patent Office files for this logo/trademark have proven fruitless; perhaps someone else might try. The closest I could come was a trademark used by a silverware and food utensil manufacturer during the latter half of the 19th century in the UK, but the "diamond A" was only half of the logo.

I found a document somewhere that Australia produced items in reverse lend-lease, and one item was marked as an 'A' in a diamond, and it was undated.

So I got all excited until I remembered the "Made in the USA" stamp.

 

Maybe, though, it was made by Australians IN the US.... hmmm.

Just for reference here is the one I picked up with some other military gear. The box had some WWI and WWII equipment.

These are indeed WW1 vintage canteens. Under us army data depot, it is a contracted co. that manufactured both canteens and cups likely before 1918 hence the lack of date stamped on it. However ccyooper, you have a unique canteen with markings I never seen.

Thank you for the feedback. I had not seen the osco label before this one. I had seen the other label as posted but as well as the others was not sure if it was a government contract. Regards

I found this on a knife site, and see that one of the AmForge (AmForge, Inc. A subsidiary of North American Rockwell Corp. (Damen Ave, Plant)) has a similar trademark to the OP. I can't find whether it's the one or not. 

 

 

 

Mine. Same markings.