Gasmaskenbehälter / Cannister with ao Sandtarnung - To strip or not to strip

[Martin3]

Hi all,

Yesterday I was cleaning the attic, what resulted in just sorting and enjoying the stored collection goodies. I stumbled on this canister and wanted to show it to you. I still like it very much, it is from the days I bought everything I liked and could afford, before specializing in Eiserne Kreuze and Dutch collaboration (NSB etc.).

As you can clearly see there is a Sandtarnung underneath a layer of a variant Feldgrau.
Maybe it saw action at the southern theater, maybe it never got there and got the additional layer of paint as a reissue.
I assume all the paint is original. Should you have a different opinion, I am of course interested in your views.

Every time I see it, there is that dilemma: should I carefully remove the upper layer of paint by, for instance, the rather safe copper coin method?
I think it is a rhetoric question, as I myself always advise not to mess with an item because all the rights and wrongs tell their own story.
A canister in full sand color just is a little more attractive than the Feldgau. So every time I leave it the way I found it, and I am very happy with the condition it now is in.

But what would you do?

Enjoy your day,
Martin

Btw Inside of the canister is the standard issue green gray color.

[rbminis]

IMO, leave it the way it is, it is all part of it's history.
Ralph.

[BlackCat1982]

Agree, this is better left alone, removing paint is removing history.

[Martin3]

Thanks! It feels the best way to do so. Glad we think alike!

[Danmark]

I have a multi layer painted one also......they keep one intriqued as to what their story was!

[Martin3]

Yes, these could be brothers! Interesting!
Any marks on yours? Mine has a D on the bottom, that is all I could discover.

[BlackCat1982]

Yes, these could be brothers! Interesting!
Any marks on yours? Mine has a D on the bottom, that is all I could discover.

There may be marks on the spring catch mechanism or on the spare lenses box lid.

[Martin3]

No markings found, just an impressed D at the bottom. I can hardly believe there is not a 3 character code hidden somewhere, but I can not locate it. Not that important, of course. Just a detail!