ESB 34 M31 Canteen

[BodhiEtheridge]

Here’s yet another to the pile, all matching and complete ESB 34 canteen with DRP markings to Potsdam. It’s seen better days for sure, still had cobwebs on it when it arrived and the leather is a little dry but not too bad. Still makes for a nice and rare example.

Some smaller details are the initials scratched into the cup and what appears to be “R. 13” written on the leather strap.

Cheers,
Bodhi

[BodhiEtheridge]

To add a little to this thread here’s a very interesting comparison.

Both canteens here are complete and fully matching. Both made in 1934 by ESB, both DRP marked to the same city of Potsdam. Both have the same markings in all the same places.

The only real difference is one has lived a tough life with poor storage and one didn’t see much use and seemingly had good storage.

[Danmark]

You must now realise this 'rabbit hole' has no bottom Bodhi?? .....

[BodhiEtheridge]

I definitely haven’t seen the bottom yet!!!

[JPhilip]

I definitely haven’t seen the bottom yet!!!

Hello,
Some of us will never see it....
I know someone who collects only german canteens from WWI, Weimar and WWII. Useless to develop as you all can imagine what such a collection is made of....simply mind blowing...last time i saw this man he had more than 200 Feldflaschen. One of rarest items canteen/cups related in my collection was bought from him. He accepted to sell one example out of five.
Another early canteen....good catch
Thanks

[BodhiEtheridge]

I would love to see his collection and speak with this person! Is it someone you could put me to contact with?

[JPhilip]

I would love to see his collection and speak with this person! Is it someone you could put me to contact with?

Hello,
It is something that is impossible i'm afraid. This gentlemen does not interact with other collectors, it took me several years to see his collection. I knew him via what was told to me by friends, but he didn't know me, i met him dozens of time at fairs and after six or seven years of gaining his trust, he finally opened his doors. He started collecting in the sixties as a young adult, sorry no english spoken here and barely the Internet. According to what he said to me, he has never bought anything from the Internet or from dealers others than local. The most important part of his collection comes from vets' families.
In fact as i don't have an email address, no phone number (i don't even know if he owns a phone) and didn't see him since before the covid stuff, i don't even know if he's still alive...The fairs are starting again in my area, on the 5th of june i might be able to meet him if he comes to the next fair. If he does, i'll ask him if he accepts new "contacts" or not. Don't expect toom much, i know the guy and in my opinion we've been only three or four to see what he has got, he's of this kind of collectors who can share infos but don't show easily their stuff...he accepted to sell something not because he had five of them but only because it was for me.
We'll see
Thanks

[BodhiEtheridge]

That’s perfectly okay, he sounds like a very respectable and dedicated collector. If he’s willing to get in contact that’s amazing and if not that’s okay.

Let me know if you see him and what he says if you do, thanks for keeping it in mind!

[Danmark]

He sounds like the rest of us ...... a liitle bit "special"

[JPhilip]

That’s perfectly okay, he sounds like a very respectable and dedicated collector. If he’s willing to get in contact that’s amazing and if not that’s okay.

Let me know if you see him and what he says if you do, thanks for keeping it in mind!

Hello,
I'll try to ask this collector if i meet him again at a fair...don't be too excited, he's quite old now (close to 80 yrs old i think)
I hope he survived to covid and has still the energy to go to fairs...
Thanks