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 Post subject: Berdan's type knapsack
PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 7:37 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:24 am
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Location: SE Minnesota
http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showt ... hp?t=17683

heads up for the folks looking for one.

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Co. A 2nd USSS

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:49 pm 
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Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:35 pm
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Location: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
He's selling it for $550 which include the English Mess Tin

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Joseph Edwards
The Deadeye Mess
Company C 2nd United States Sharp Shooters


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:28 am 
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Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:33 pm
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Location: Old Northwest (Michigan)
Fellow Sharpshooters,

I am familiar with the LePierre Sutler knapsacks. The founder of Co. B 2nd USSS, Curtiss Poole, met the leather worker/owner of LePierre at one of the Michigan events in the mid-1990's. Curtiss had wanted to outfit his company with Tiffany-Berdan knapsacks but found the wait time and expense of Frank Packer's products a bit too much. Curt let LePierre borrow his FP pack and LP agreed he could make up some knapsacks for the MI fellows. I don't recall exactly how many he ultimately made, but I don't believe it was much more than 5-10. Those of you who own or handled a Tiffany-Berdan/Packer knapsack know that it takes considerable time and workmanship to produce; and after all is said and done, the manufacturer's profit margin is pretty slim. The LePierre knapsacks that I examined and compared to my Packer-pack was not up to the FP standards. Stitching along the exterior and interior was not as close or well rendered. The leathers and color of the hide were lighter colored than the FP models.

If somebody is collecting 'Berdan reenactor' memoriblia for the 150th anniversary; the LePierre knapsack is an honest contribution by a sutler to meet the demands of the growing Midwest USSS impression from the 1990's. While not up to the standards of the venerable Packer knapsacks, the ones I examined are sturdy and will do good field service.

The "Enlish Mess Tin" that the current owner describes is actually the Berdan Mess Kit produced by Bill Hoover of the Village Tinsmith. I believe Frank posted a photo (somewhere on this website) of me posing with Mr. Hoover, while wearing my Packer knapsack and with Bill's USSS mess kit strapped on.

Hope this helps.

Bill Skillman
Randolph Mess
First recruit, Co. B 2nd USSS 1995-2005


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