Canadian Battle Dress Uniform and other bits

[Armyissue]

Mind tricks don't work here - YouTube

if any one with a mustache approaches and sounds like that dude run.

[shiftsup]

P37 BDU that's wearable is out there. You just have to look and be patient. Finally picked up a pair of Canadian P37 Trousers last week that fit my 6'3" 215 lbs frame perfectly.

P49 works ok if you make the alterations to make it look P37. Unaltered P49's only look WW2 to those that haven't the foggiest. Fairly certain that making P37's out of P49's is very common with Canadian Reenactors.

The Chinese Repro Canadian BDU is passable until you put it side by side with original(s). Then the differences are very obvious (Colour, wool type, fit, buttons-overall appearance). A close but no cigar repro IMHO.

[Smartass]

Here the Battle Order layout.

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/equi...ttleorder2.gif

[Smartass]

I went to Nick's on Yonge st. on Saturday. They have a lot of Pattern 37, especially the cross and L straps. Definitely talk to the old fellow at the back. He knows his shit.

[Yankee]

You can check on this site; http://www.militaria.qc.ca/

This guy have some original battledress at fair price.

I ordered from him a couple of years ago, everything wetn well.

[Pockets]

Any military collector/historian would know 49 pattern is not 37… but most people are not. This is airsoft, not some documentary movie. Post war stuff is cheap, and it ‘works.’ I am more content with the 300$ I spent on post war stuff then spending 700$ just to make sure everything said 1943 on it!

Was all of your 1943 dated German gear made in a factory in Germany, in 1943? Or was it made in china in 2012? Who cares what date it says, as long as it is the same look, its fine. If it makes you feel better I shall take my black sharpie marker and write 1943 on my webbing!

[Karsten Heidt]

It's not just a date, there are actual detail differences between the models that those who know what they're looking at can see right away.

If "good enough for airsoft" is your speed, that's fine. Me, I'm not an airsofter, I'm a reenactor. Not going to feel bad about wanting things to be correct.

[baronsass]

Worse comes to worst, there are a few decent repro vendors out there: What Price Glory comes to mind. More locally, you might luck out at Military Tour. Gun shows are excellent but you could also try Marstar and P&S military in Canada. They have bits and bobs of original gear. Collectors Source and Collectors Guild are other resources - the former I can be reasonably priced; the latter, well... FYI - you can luck out from time to time and find post-war brass hardware P37 gear identical to WWII. The black hardware really stands out as incorrect.

[Karsten Heidt]

No one needs to ruin original battledress running around in the woods playing pretend war. There are all sorts of repro Brit BD out there, from standard (WPG) to outstanding quality (Panther Store in the Czech Republic). If you need the Canadian greener shade of wool, pretty sure one of the China vendors makes it (Hiki? Don't expect quality, but it'll be cheap), and postwar Greek BD is almost identical. There are options if you make the effort to be accurate.

[T.Smith]

I've just picked up a Repro set from Spearhead Militaria on eBay (http://stores.ebay.ca/Spearhead-Militaria). The material is a little thinner and the buttons are incorrect. I have yet to lay it down next to an original, but I'm happy with the fit.

My WPG British tunic is all right and quite durable, but the shade, oooh how I wanted the correct shade. I tried dying it, but it didn't take as much as I'd like.

[P47HFIND3R]

Surprised no one has mentioned Top Pots, as that is where I obtained my Canadian uniform for reenacting/Airsofting....and from what my research has told me, the repels are quite spot on.

I got all my webbing gear from WPG though, minus the entrenching tool and small pack, which I got from Supply Sergeant in West Ed and a thrift store, respectively.

[Karsten Heidt]

Top Pots is bullshit. They sell on Spearhead Militaria stuff (check the latter's ebay pages against the former, the product images are exactly alike), at a considerable markup. If you're going that route cheaper to just get from Spearhead directly.

[P47HFIND3R]

Well I also have to add in that they had excellent customer service. The guy I talked to on the phone when ordering helped me choose an appropriate sizing, and I changed my mind which confused him and he sent the wrong tunic size...shipped the correct one to me and the wrong back free of charge.

Also! Just searches up and down Spearhead, and found no CANADIAN BDU, which is the point of the topic. So I do not know what you are trying to accomplish with your post, since Top Pots is still the only place I have found to get a good quality Canadian repro uniform.

[Karsten Heidt]

http://stores.ebay.ca/Spearhead-Mili...=p4634.c0.m322

Seems to be BD blouses only in the Canadian shade at this point, so they're either in between runs, or phasing out. But it's the same stuff, with a ~70 dollar price difference. I'm sure they're "very nice", just letting potential future buyers be aware of their business model.

[T.Smith]

I spoke to the owner pretty recently at Spearhead Militaria. They are just waiting to get more inventory.

Also, here is a quick comparison of my What Price Glory P37 BD and Spearhead Militaria M37 BD

Spearhead (SHM) on the Left. What Price Glory (WPG) on the Right.

Colour:
WPG is obviously not Canadian, so and it does not dye well. I've tried. It's still brown...
SHM is very close to some originals I've handed. Good enough for me, as there'll always be variation in dying wool.

Build Quality:
WPG is meh. Buttons need re-inforcing, buttonhole stiching sucks, and look at that SLEEVE! It looks like an Axe wound. Having said that, this tunic is a few years old and still going strong.
SHM seems good. There are obvious shortcuts though.

Apparent Authenticity (NOTE: I don't have an original to go side by side right now. I'll be comparing shortly and will update):
WPG seem to fit well, be of a good weight, and seems very passable for a British P37 BD.
SPH seems to be cut well, but of thinner material and the epaulette (or whatever they are called) are not dimensioned properly (uniform width, rather than tapering from the shoulder). The buttons are wrong as well (I will be replacing them).