Tag Archives: military

swiss army backpack salt and pepper small vs. big

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As promised I took some images of the smaller or lighter Swiss army salt and pepper backpack from 1963 made by A. Mosimann. As you can see it lacks the stronger and reinforced carrying system and the closing flap with the leather buckles. This makes it about 2 kg lighter and a lot slimmer when not filled. The materials have the same strength and the reinforcements of the stitches are pretty much the same. Absolute superb craftsmanship I have to say, not one single weakness I could find on the construction of the backpack. All buckles or leather parts have got reinforcements on the other side of the canvas. The canvas itself is very strong but does not tend to break. I guess if you treat it with some wax it will be waterproof like a barbour jacket.

Speaking of the comfort I have to admit the bigger and heavier rucksack feels a bit more comfortable esp. when you plan to carry a lot of weight. But at the same also quite heavy and bulky even when empty. The closing method of the lighter one is quite strange at the beginning but quick to access and if you fold it it should be keep most rain away. So I would say a quite clever design. So if you need a stylish vintage backpack with rugged leather I would say there is no better one on this planet for around 30 Euro / 40 USD. Grab one as long as they are available.

For an earlier review of the bigger and heavier backpack have a look here:

Swiss Army backpack from 1973 – salt and pepper camoflage

Swedish brown boots from 1946

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This week I saw an auction with a fixed price about this boots and it was instantly sold, luckily the seller had another one and I was quicker this time.

The seller got this boots right out of an barn from a friend in Sweden.

Amazing craftsmanship and I guess after some wear and break in he will look awesome. The only thing which troubles me is the leather sole and the iron  parts on it. See the image of the heel, it has a iron rim like a horseshoe. I think about putting a rubber sole onto them, what do you think?

I managed to get some more of this boots, a model from 1943 a bit different design,  leather and I modified it now with a rubber sole.

The only reference I could find about a similar boot is:
Swedish army boot from 1943 on Fedora Lounge. 

If you are interested in this boot, check this seller on ebay.

Swiss Army backpack from 1973 – salt and pepper

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First of all thanks a lot for the hint of Chris from Damn Yak, via his website in Canada I discovered this great vintage backpack from the Swiss Army. The toughness and the design is outstanding – I did not find one faulty attachment point or seam. Everything is done in a Swiss “perfectionistic” way. It was really designed for lasting a lifetime. Regarding that this rucksack sells for less than 40 Euros on Ebay I would say there is no backpack with a better value/style factor. The stamp on the pack says “L MAUERHOFER SELLERE GOLLION 73“. I would rate this backpack with a capacity of around 50 Liters and I´m sure without any problems It can handle easy 20 kg of stuff. Due to the canvas belt which acts as a suspender or a distance holder of the lower back it feels quite comfortable.

If you are searching for a daybag, I would go for the smaller version of this backpack.