Author Topic: Question about an item...  (Read 7257 times)

dianecaudle

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Question about an item...
« on: March 15, 2010, 07:57:16 pm »
Hi everyone,

I've done searches all over the internet and also on Ebay, I haven't found anything like this.  I believe it's a rectangular antique canteen.  The item is made of heavy metal and the outside material is leather.

There are several marks on the side, one of them looks like the peace symbol, but of course, it isn't.  The other is an upside down triangle with something in it. There is also a 1920 on it.

All of the old canteens I've seen on the internet are usually round or flatter than the one in the pic.

Thanks,

Diane
http://www.dianecaudle.com


KC

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2010, 10:02:22 pm »
I remember my family had a real old canteen with a chain and connector to hold on to it just like this!  However, ours wasn't square.

Could yours possibly be a flask?  They were made in metal.  Could possibly be a saddle flask or canteen!

Can you please post a pic of the markings you describe?  Can you also post the dimensions?
« Last Edit: March 15, 2010, 10:25:26 pm by KC »
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ironlord1963

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2010, 10:19:56 pm »
    What is the size of it, Looks kind of too big to be a flask for water, maybe a early gas can, just poking at a guess.  1920's would be the age of the beginning of the Auto craze.   Just think it looks a bit heavy duty for just water or a quick snip  ;D

regularjoe2

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2010, 12:08:48 am »
I'm guessin' a kerosene item .

serycurtis10

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2010, 12:22:36 am »
I'm guessin' a kerosene item .

It could be, based from its shape. It seems like a rare item, most canteens I have seen in shops have round shapes.
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cogar

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2010, 07:40:31 am »
How about a picture of and describe the part the end of the chain is connected to, it looks like a hand pump.

KC

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #6 on: March 16, 2010, 10:03:22 am »
Can't say as I have ever seen a kerosene carrier made so ornately.

The connector that ours had on it (just like this) wasn't a pump so would be curious to know if this one is. It was actually a family item that had been handed down form great grandparents - from their first automobile days.  Enough water was carried to have water for the radiator!
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OLDZ06

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #7 on: March 16, 2010, 01:28:51 pm »
It looks to heavy for something you would carry around. Interesting to find out more info .

dianecaudle

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2010, 03:18:55 pm »
From top to bottom the body is about six inches, including the screw-off top in the middle it's close to seven inches.  The width is 5 1/4" and the depth is almost four inches. 

There was one thing I noticed about it, there is what looks to be a belt loop on one side and a belt loop on the other side but the buckle would prevent anything from going around it completely.

I looked up kerosene cans on the internet and all of the ones I saw had funnels and were larger.  This one appears to me to be too small for a kerosene carrier plus the fact that it is surrounded by leather is another reason why I would think that nobody would want to put kerosene in it--i'd think that if anything spilled out of it the leather would soak up and hold any gas.  I took a whiff of it and there was no residue odor in the interior.

What appears to you to be a pump or spring is where the chain is attached to the item.  The chain is attached to the screw-on cap on the top middle of the can and  the chain breaks into two and attaches to the top and bottom of the little pole on the top corner of the can.  It can only unscrew from the top and does nothing else.

The letters on the side look like O. S. M. Co and my husband and his father were Marines so I thought that maybe it might be some kind of Marine canteen but the initials would have  started out with U. S.  Surprisingly enough, I was able to get a very clear picture of the engraving in the leather on the side.

I had tried to post two pictures yesterday but only one of them was posted.  i'll try to send two more this time.  Thanks for your help.

Diane

dianecaudle

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letters on back of can
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2010, 04:08:53 pm »
Change those letters on the side to look like they read "O. C. M. Co and not O. S.  I think the last one looks like it might be a o with a line underneath it but it's hard to tell.

Diane

KC

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dianecaudle

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2010, 05:54:47 pm »
Couple?  There is no seam in the top of it.  It is one piece.

Diane

ironlord1963

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2010, 07:53:24 pm »
   So am I to assume that the rod that holds the chain has no movement.  i.e.  Like a movement up and down to keep pressure in the Tank per say.  Just had a vision of it being a early flame thrower tank.  :o.  Proabably not.  Judging at the size sounds like it would hold a gallon of Liquid, that seems like a lot for something like water, That would weigh alot to carry around for any length of time.

dianecaudle

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canteen quandary
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2010, 08:19:51 pm »
I just tried the rod again, it doesn't move, I couldn't get the chain at the bottom to move either, if I had tried to unscrew it with more force I might have gotten the bottom chain to unscrew but so far only the top chain unscrews off and the rod is immobile.

Diane

KC

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Re: Question about an item...
« Reply #14 on: March 16, 2010, 09:25:54 pm »
Interesting, canteens produced after 1918 were required to have the manufacturers identification and date on it!
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