Today I was in Osaka, Japan and I went to the MASH Co. store. Great shop with lots of cool stuff but one item caught my eye in particular.

This light weight rucksack with the stamp 7 SFG (A) which I reasoned meant 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Now I know Vietnam era green beret items are faked in droves but for a ruck in that condition I thought the price was pretty reasonable, stamp or not. MASH Co. is also partnered with Vintage Products which I believe is a reputable dealer and so I wonder if the stamp is legitimate. Either way I’m pretty happy with my purchase but I’d be even happier if this ruck once belonged to a 7th SFG member. The frame was also purchased at MASH separately. (Also if anyone knows how to get shoulder straps for the ruck frame I’d like to know, repro or original )

MASH has made and makes many reproductions of iconic gear. Why would you assume it to be an original?

30 minutes ago, dmar836 said:

MASH has made and makes many reproductions of iconic gear. Why would you assume it to be an original?

The main reason is that MASH does not make Vietnam webgear.

 

MASH makes remake clothing items, not gear.

and yes the ruck is original

3 hours ago, vintageproductions said:

and yes the ruck is original

I don’t think the ruck is fake, I’m just wondering about the stamp. I’ve seen names hand written on rucks but I don’t think I’ve seen unit stamped on rucks. Also a 7th special forces group is kinda an interesting group so it would be easy to stamp on if someone wanted to sell it easier. I don’t think mash would do it but someone might have over the years.

That price is cheap.

That is cheap.

I like MASH and I think they make great stuff.

So we have a pack that could not have been reproduced by them but they might have stamped this with reproduction markings?

This was the reason for my original question. Why would you assume it to be an original? Did they say as much?

Dave

36 minutes ago, dmar836 said:

That is cheap.

I like MASH and I think they make great stuff.

So we have a pack that could not have been reproduced by them but they might have stamped this with reproduction markings?

This was the reason for my original question. Why would you assume it to be an original? Did they say as much?

Dave

Well mash sends people to America and they find items to send back to japan to sell. I don’t think mash would stamp something on an original. That being said it’s fully possible 10+ years ago at some gun show or surplus store, someone wanted to sell rucks faster so they started stamping units onto them. Or it could be original from the unit. What I want to know is if historically units were known to do this.

I shipped this over to MASH in one of my shipments.

 

It came out of a larger Vietnam web gear collection I purchased.

 

As to the price it is reasonable as it is missing some straps.

 

Also, don't you think that if someone is going to put a repro stamp on it they would do 5th group or 10th group? Why put 7th ?

early medics bag marked to the 10th Group. Came out of the estate. 

 

 

21 hours ago, vintageproductions said:

I shipped this over to MASH in one of my shipments.

 

It came out of a larger Vietnam web gear collection I purchased.

 

As to the price it is reasonable as it is missing some straps.

 

Also, don't you think that if someone is going to put a repro stamp on it they would do 5th group or 10th group? Why put 7th ?

This is the info the OP was asking in his original post.

So, Bob, the “main reason” we know it is original is because “MASH doesn’t reproduce web gear.” Fair enough.

Then, Bob, you say you sent this very pack to MASH. Again, fair enough but was not that the first thing to came to mind as to why you think it is original? Why not just say it had been yours? I like a riddle and have no other reason to disagree but that’s a strange progression of answers for what the OP and I asked. 

So, Bob, to attempt to answer eli’s question, this very pack was in your possession and the “7 SFG (A)” was already on this pack when you bought the collection? 

I think assuming only 5th group or 10th group would be reproduced is like asking why would anyone reproduce any helmet markings besides the 506th or 2nd Rangers? It’s a corner no collector, especially a new one, should be encouraged to hang out in.

Hopefully anyone can see I don’t care so much about any one item or story so much as the thought process people use to describe or assess something. It’s far more interesting, sometimes more telling, than the actual military items. It’s also what new members are, maybe unknowingly, begging to know. Teach a man to fish...

Dave