Bill Skillman wrote:
I bought my Berdan Mess Kit from the Village Tinsmith back in 1996(they took photos of me in my USSS kit wearing my Packer knapsack/their messkit for their files). The mess kit is very good and serves the functions well.....
Bill Skillman
Randolf Mess-USSS
Hudson Squad-USSS (150th's)
And now.... due to the magic of the InterWeb...
I've always thought the tin tray inside should fit much more snug into the top of the boiler to eliminate rattling/clockwork sounds(!), but having done little research with originals I will defer to the work of others in the field. Village Tinsmiths always made a first-rate product for other tinware, so they do get the benefit of the doubt from me in this regard.
For the curious... early 19th century Prussian mess kit, believed to match the first (1809) specifications:
I believe the Prussian mess kit of the 1850s is documented in McClellan's pre-war
Armies of Europe if anyone wants to compare.
[Edit: Found it! From 1861 edition, page 305, although McClellan shows an oval mess kit not at all like the Berdan set...
I know this is about the cavalry, but earlier on in the Prussian infantry section he states that the infantry carried the same mess kits. Sooooo........
]
My own opinion is that, much like the knapsack itself, it's a hybrid which Berdan formed from several concepts running through the military literature and different armies at the time.
Say Bill, have you changed any since then?!?
FWIW
Frank