WHY A CLASSIC BOY SCOUT CANTEEN
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- WHY A CLASSIC BOY SCOUT CANTEEN.? WELL IT WORKS AS WELL TODAY AS IT DID FOR OUR FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS. i ENJOY TESTING AND TRYING CLASIC GEAR AS A WAY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND TH WOODSMEN OF OLD. HOW WELL DID THIS HOLD WATER , DO THEY LEAK, IS IT BETTER THAN A MODERN MADE ONE. THE CLASSIC LOOKS AND THE WAY IT CARRIES ALL ADD TO THE ENJOYMENT OF KNOWING A PIECE OF HISTORY.
#boyscout , #BOY SCOUT CANTEEN,#bushcraft , #camping , #woods #woodsmen , #secrets ,#solo , #bushcraftkit ,#campfire , #CLASSICCAMPING, #OLDSCHOOL,#KEPHARTDAYS,
First canteen I had was GI with a carrier and cartridge belt , given to me by my uncle just back from Korea .
I treasured a boy scout pocket knife . Most useful tool one could possibly have .
1950s camping with kids in the neighborhood , we did not have a lot of gear . No sleeping bags , only blankets and quilts, but that didn't slow us down . Simple times , but fun times !
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
that was like me i used what i had and what i could make do
1980's amen brother
Glad you treat yourself from time to time,can’t take it with you. Have fun stay safe.
Hey Blackie,
1 British Imperial pint = 20 Oz , 1 US Pint =16 Oz.. WW2 British Army 1937 Pattern Water Bottle carries 2 Pints (1 Imperial Quart). Back in the day, hot Summer of 1976 as a Cadet, I carried an early'58 Pattern, 2 Pint Water Bottle and a 1945 US Water Bottle and Dang I was still hot and thirsty !
Sounds like WW3 in the background Blackie! Great vid as ever brother!
Very cool canteen Blackie. And also a very enjoyable video! Congratulations on the purchase, and thanks for sharing!
Carried one of these as a kid in the early 70s when we went " winter camping ", used to remove it from the carrier , fill it with boiling water , tighten the cap ,
cover it with a stretched out heavy wool sock and put it in the bottom (cap up )
of my goose down bag. It was a nice little bag warmer.
Great Video. Peace , Be Free .
yep keep you warm
I have my Mess Kit from Boy Scouts, that’s 55 years old and I still use !
Bravo BSA🇺🇸. Thanks Blackie. Thanks for serving too🏋️♀️
Thank you too
Love the war zone sound effects 😉
lol
I still have my 2 qt. Boy Scout canteen. I got it in 1968. Just like yours except the stopper is white plastic.
Thanks Blackie, always enjoy.
Thanks for listening
I still i have my old canteen from the marines. I also still have a bunch of m16 mags from those days
“Everything old is new again.” D🤙🇺🇸
I have one it is one of my favorites. I also Have one of their early mess kits that actually has some real metal and weight to it unlike the cheap ones you buy today. Still have my 2 scout pocket knives and use them daily.
I don’t have any of the gear I had in the Boy Scouts in the late 60’s, but I remember all of it. The mess kit was high quality aluminum with an aluminum coffee cup hidden in the center. Thick enough gauge to actually cook on a fire with. I had the canteen as well, the compass, and of course the Boy Scout pocket knife. It was made by Camillus.(spelling?) They also made the military pocket knives and the quality of the blade-steel was some of the very best. Back then, you knew good carbon steel because it rusted. But you also knew, you wouldn’t LET it rust. You took care of it. Took pride in your knife. Nowadays there’s millions of knives with crappy blade-steel. Their selling point is, it’s a variety of stainless steel, so it doesn’t rust. Well let’s see what else it doesn’t do? It’s almost impossible to get an edge on it and if you do, the edge won’t last more than a few cuts. I could whittle wood all damn week before I had to sharpen my old Boy Scout knife.
Same with my old Shrade “Old Timer”. You don’t see blade-steel of that quality anymore.
I have a bunch of knives of the modern variety and they’re neat to look at and play with. Assisted opening, ball bearings, and they’ll never rust. Impossible to work with though. I work on tugboats and barges. Been a sailor my whole life. I need a good knife. Every one of my new knives are almost useless. Unless I resharpen at first break, lunchtime, and second break. Still, not like older knives of great steel.
I went to a pawn shop and looked at the knife selection they had in the display. Nope, nothing here. A kid of 21 years old saw me looking at the knives and asked if I needed help? Well I’m looking for 60 year old blade-steel, not a computer, so no, he can’t help me.
I was polite and explained that I was looking for a knife that wasn’t made in this century. High-carbon steel. Something his grandfather might have showed him once. He looked around confused and then called for the owner to deal with me. I’m 60 years old. This old man approaching me is at least 75. I’m getting excited. He’ll definitely understand me.
“How can I help you sir?”
“I’m looking for a work knife. An older one. High-carbon steel.”
He frowned, “And you don’t see any of those in the display huh?”
Now I frowned. “Not even close.”
Now we understand eachother, and he wanted to talk. I had time, so we talked about the good ol’ days when they made real knives.
I said, “So you don’t have any old knives then. Hard to come by I guess… I’m late for dinner. Nice talking to you sir.”
He gave me a smile, “Wait right there. I have just what you’re looking for. I’ll be right back.”
So this old bastard is hiding his best knives in a safe in the back and won’t even show them to anyone he doesn’t like. I’m glad he liked me.
He came back to the counter with a black leather briefcase. Laid it carefully on the glass counter. His adolescent employees were of course interested what was in the briefcase and the old man sent them away. “Hello? You have other customers to deal with, go do it.”
Apparently I was part of a secret club of old strange men who love old knives and nobody under 60 years old is in the club.
He opened the briefcase and all I saw was knife shapes wrapped in oil cloth and ziplock bags. Just the way you’d store an old carbon steel knife if you want it to last forever. This old man is serious about his knives. And I know he doesn’t want to sell ANY of them. But we’re having fun. The kids are banished to the other side of the shop, probably talking shit about us, like we suck at computers or something, but us old guys are having fun ignoring all that. We know things they never will. Oh well.
Old Bob, (let’s call him “Bob” since we’re friends now), picked up a knife out of the briefcase and carefully unzipped the ziplock bag and as he’s playing with the oil rag, he says, “You ever been a Boy Scout, Sean?”
I said, “Of course! Troop 11! I might still be in it for all I know? I was never discharged, my Tote and Chip card still has all its corners, just my parents moved us to another state.
A Boy Scout is: Courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”
Bob laughed his ass off. “You still remember that?”
“Well I was always good at memorizing things, even if they didn’t apply to me.”
We’re having a good time and he rolled out the old Camillus Boy Scout knife. What a Beauty. Brought back memories of not being cheerful, thrifty or reverent, but what an iconic little knife that carved my childhood. Well oiled, not a spot of rust and I asked what year it was from. He said 65’ and they didn’t change at all through the 70’s. Then stainless and lazy BoyScouts took over. Maybe they bring their phones and GPS navigation. We just had a compass and a map and knew how to use it. I later navigated my sailboat in the 80’s to Hawaii using only celestial navigation and a compass.
Anyway, I didn’t expect this story to go so long but there’s something more and I’m in the mood to write.
Bob put away the Boy Scout knife and showed me a bunch more from his collection before he got to the real thing I was looking for.
Great old man, great salesman. He knows what I want but that’ll be last on the list. I’m no sucker, I’m just enjoying our banter through time.
He had Army, Navy, Marines, Kabar fighting knives, every one of them from WW11. I didn’t even ask what he wanted for those. He wouldn’t put a price on them anyway, they were priceless to him and that’s so cool. That’s why they’re not on the shelves. They’re in a safe and only a certain person like me gets to see them at all. I think I spent about two hours of my life just enjoying this old man and his stories. If I left without a knife, that’s fine, I had a good conversation with a great old man.
I’m looking at my watch, (yes I still wear a watch), and Bob said, “You mentioned you were looking for a rigger’s knife. Any particular brand?”
I said, “A Case rigger’s knife. That’s the one my dad gave me long ago. I lost it overboard while working at sea. It had one blade and a fid for splicing rope on the other side. I don’t remember the model number. That’s the knife I’m looking for again.”
There’s countless knives he’s not showing me, he’s focused on one in particular. Unzipped the Ziplock bag, painfully took his time with unwrapping the oil rag and placed it on the counter. That’s the one and he knew it. Now let’s haggle price. I know a can’t afford it so what’s the use. It was free to me when my dad gave this knife to me.
“How much, Bob. That’s the knife and you knew it soon as I described it. How much Bob?”
Bob thought a few minutes. Shaking his head. Not sure he’d give it up at any price. “Come on Bob, I need it. That’s the knife my dad gave to me. I’ll treasure it forever. How much.”
Bob thought a typical salesman’s pitch and asked if I’d ever bought something from his store before.
I said, “Yep, I bought a Gibson Les Paul from your store not more than 6 months ago. Great guitar. How much for the knife?”
Old Bob had a lot of heart left in him. Not about money that much, more about humanity. I needed this knife and he knew it would go to a good home. What the hell else is he going to do with it? Pass it down to his grandchildren who don’t even know what it is?
“How much for the knife, Bob.”
He’s trying to keep it, even though he’ll never use it. I get that. But I’ve explained I’ll make the knife work as it was meant to be worked.
My grandkids won’t have the foggiest clue what went on here, but they’re way better at computers than I’ll ever be.
Bob picked up the Case riggers knife and handed it to me. “I wanted 500 dollars for this. I could have gotten that eventually. But I don’t have, ‘eventually’ left. It’s yours. Free. Thanks for spending the time with me.”
Wow. And because I spent most of my life in Hawaii, a handshake won’t do. A hug is required. I walked around the counter where only employees are allowed and gave old Bob the biggest hug. He hugged me back. “Thank you my friend. I got my dad’s knife back and I’ll never let it go again.”
Bob looked at me. “Thank you, Sean. I’ll die with a treasure-trove of knives and I’m bummed my grandkids have no clue. It’s not about money at all. It’s about history.”
“I’m with you there, Bob. God Bless and thank you.”
I had to EARN a Case Rigger’s knife. No amount of money could buy it. That’s how things used to be.
I still have my Boy Scout canteen. Its been on many canoe trips with me. Wet the outside canvas and it will cool your water as it evaporates.
I've got two of these canteens, one I have had since 1960 when I was in the Scouts, the other I actually found in the woods.
Never had one of those but I did have a 2 quart canteen as a kid, plastic walls with a metal band and that red and gray pattern cloth masticed to it, that came from the army navy back when they still existed.
It used to hang on the front door knob and I would grab it and fill it at the hose out front, of course hanging on the door knob proved to be it's downfall, fell off one day when my dad was carrying groceries in....... nice foot print right in the middle of it lol.
I would love to have the one I had when I was a scout. Went missing over the years. Always had a special taste. SS- Stan
That's a great thought, future reenactors. And if Google does their part, future historians will have a rich trove of information thanks to people like you.
I hope so
Good stuff, Blackie. I am sitting in front of a 10 liter swamp cooler in Essex England, you wouldn't believe the crazy heat we had in the last few days. I am ready for rain.
Oh wow! i saw that on the news you getting heat like my home state of alabama ..hope it ends soon
Those are really nice canteens. Never owned one but i have always liked them.
you should try one
@@BLACKIETHOMAS i definitely will. Now i just need to find one.
👍 It is a hot day in Texas as well. Nice video.
Thanks 👍
I wanted a Boy Scout Leader's coffee pot for ages. It took me a few years, but I was finally able to get my hands on one that I paid 10X what others were finding them for; about $50 in trade value for a knife. But I have zero regrets. If I paid $5 for it, I couldn't he any happier than I've been with it over the years.
awesome
Those are great canteens! I used one just like it in the scouts!
I got one of those US Arctic canteens that you showed a while ago.... it's super cool, and the girls sent a brand new case for it!!
Good vid. Water is life. Plan for the area at an extreme and hope for the best. I like to use my vehicle as a base supply point and what I take with me is only a day or two of supplies looping back to resupply and continue on.
Great tip!
Congratulations, Blackie!
thank you
I had an identical boy scout canteen when I was a boy! I don't recall whatever happened to it but I think of it often and wish I still had it!
Great find,Blackie! Don't think I would be able to find one here in Vietnam, but stranger things have happened. ATB Sam Adler from Vietnam
hey they had boy scouts over there as well
Cause new canteens are plastic and u can't boil water in em
Thanks Blackie as usual I enjoyed the information and was entertained
Glad you enjoyed it
Great Video! Thanks for sharing! 🙏🐺
Thanks for watching!
Hi from Syracuse NY brother thank you for sharing your adventures and facts and truth
hello back from alabama stay safe
Thank you my friend
Good video and history lesson Blackie , thanks for sharing , God bless !
my pleasure
Nice canteen I’m glad you got it. Can’t wait to go camping again and see all your new toys! Have an awesome day my friend!
you to brother be safe
Always wondered why the opening was on the side. Now I know, thanks.
glad to help
Thank you Blackie for sharing some military history
glad to do it
I have the same canteen. Bought it new in the late sixties from the scout department at local department store. Still have it but started to use a surplus Vietnam canteen in the early seventies
very cool
Great history lesson ! Thank you very much!
when my Opa in Germany found out I was a NEW Boy Scout, he sent me his old WW2 Army canteen add mess kit !!...the look on some of my older adult Scout leader faces was priceless !! They were really impressed by the real usefulness of the gear...
My favorite gear alice and bsa
Glad you found one. I got one a while back. They hold a lot of water. I think it would be nice to be able to get replacement covers for the canteen and the cook kit. The cotton tends to rot with age. Something to retrofit.
That would be cool i wonder if anyone makes replica covers
Outstanding as usual brother.. 🤠
🤙
Great video
thank you
Now ya mention it. it's funny started out in the 80s playing with "assault" weapons ,now I'm back into single shots & lever actions. Old we get Classics are still classics.
me too ! i did all the survival stuff.. but kept coming back to tried and true old school
Blackie , Great Video and Outstanding Information. I had a two quart Boy Scout canteen like the one you picked up, mine had red cover. The only thing I have left is my three Boy Scout knives. Thanks for sharing. I Greatly Appreciate you sharing your time and knowledge and wisdom and passing on the craft. Yes You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Still looking for the German Tree Brand Boker Barlow for you . Keep Cool and be safe. Yes it is a good though about the Bushcrafter . Tim L.
Thanks 👍
I had a 2 qt BSA canteen, still got it, someplace. I remember that the water always tasted metallic. Wetting the sheath was remarkably effective at keeping the canteen's water cool. Loved the camping in scouts. We used to use the canvas army pup tent halves that buttoned together. Some were in better shape than others, they were always missing buttons. Cheers, and stay out of the hot sun, it got hot and sticky early here in MA.
thanks for commenting
You could try a mixture of boiling water with lemon juice and sodium bicarbonate to cure the aluminum.
Had one of those so many years ago, loved it and wore it out…..
nice!
Love hearing about the history of the gear ! Stay cool !
Thanks, you too!
I have a couple of WWII mess kits I still use
they last forever
@@BLACKIETHOMAS yes they do. A "secret" to cooking in the pan, LOW leat cooking
I have a WWI mess kit that my Grandfather used in the war.
Thank you for the good information
My pleasure
Spring water out of an aluminum dipper tastes really good but stainless might be a better choice for storage, especially if it gets warm. So on that the design with the canted neck would make it more efficient for boiling water. If you covered that part and I missed it, my bad. Blackie, if you made a variation of that in stainless I'd be in. Yes it has been warm and the bugs are alive and well.
It’s a hot one in Kentucky to
yep 8 weeks to go just hold on
Thanks Blackie
glad to help
My wife recently helped her uncle clear out his house and she brought some things home with her. One of them was a Palco Boy Scout canteen. It would have been her cousin's who was born in 1964 and it and the carrier is in excellent to new condition. Just placed it next to my Blackie haversack. They go well together. It is approaching 87 here in Northern PA but when the sun sets that cool air will come in and chill things down just nicely.
thanks for watching
Nice canteen Blackie. Didn't know they held 2 qts. of water, thought it was only 1 qt. I wouldn't mind finding one of those too. I ended up finding a Boy Scout mess kit on Ebay. I got an aluminum one. Would like to find a metal one. 👍
Good stuff
There was also 1 qt. canteen sold by the BSA as well.
A friend of mine just picked up this 2qt round canteen for me from an up north antique store. The canteen is in good working order, but the fabric hit that point of dry rot that it tears apart under pressure. I'll be building a fish net style bag to replace the old carry bag, and perhaps there's a video topic for the future of the Old School Boy Scout Gear videos: replacement canteen covers?
good idea
Blackie I just picked me up a 2 quart canteen boy scout pay a little more than what I wanted but I got it
nice
I purchased the yucca pack cook kit and canteen a year or 2 ago all the pieces had the same name the cook kit was complete with the cup it looked like it had never been used
very cool
Love your videos Blackie. Keep it up. I would like to see some more percussion revolver videos. You helped me with two different problems I was having with a couple of BP revolvers that I have and I will never forget that. You even messaged me personally to help me out to fix the problem.👍
i got one posting today
Doesn't that narrow strap dig into your neck? I got a BSA canteen cover that fits the one qt USGI 1910 canteen with cup. It has a real narrow strap that almost hurts my neck and shoulder. For my shoulder bags I use a sheepskin seat belt cover to keep strap from rubbing on me.
When I was a scout in the 1960s, I had one exactly like it.
i always wanted one like this
@@BLACKIETHOMAS My late father was in the service during WW2 and had to drink from plastic canteens. He said he hated the taste of plastic in the canteen water. He would never drink from plastic cups and glasses at home. As I recall, the water from the scout canteen was fine and its screw cap never leaked.
🤯 ol Blackies got it now!! 😆
Man this is a great channel
There are a number of Boy scout trade shows where much of this old year is up for sale. It would be worthwhile to investing your time and attention to them.
I recently picked up one of those with the large bsa pack I found. Its in great shape. What do you recommend for cleaning it real good?
I can’t quite explain it but I would like to get a canteen that was designed for the Antarctic. To me it’s a interesting design.
You mean the USGI artic canteen?
I had one of those but lost track of it when I was about 10 years old, wish I had it back....Thanks
thank for watching
Can you boil water in one of these if you take the lid off? It is a two piece body but I don't know why you couldn't. Any thoughts?
yes it can do that
thats a really nice survivor, I would need another foot or so on that strap though, its not going around this XXX+ and reaching the hip as it is.. lol...
I think the shape of the 1 and 2 quart canteens are very handy for hip carry or backpack. I don’t know why we don’t see more of these in use.
Never had one of those but I had a military surplus arctic canteen, which is a similar shape and includes a cup. Robust but too heavy for me.
they can be
Those Arctic canteens did what they were supposed to do. Not freeze.... Most of the time. :)
Mr. Thomas, I just had to light a cigar to watch this video!
Since I walk everywhere including grocery shopping I am taking close notice of weight and water consumption in readiness for the coming global *reset*. Your videos are so valuable yet am being unable to catch up with them at this time, for there is too much going on. I do have a 2 qt US military bladder, NOS. My town has a tiny-tiny Army store, El Militar, but it carries no surplus. It's mainly a security guard uniform & shoes store! The owner showed me a few months ago a cowboy style aluminum canteen which must have been hanging there for more than 10 years. I refused it but as of last week my thoughts have been on just getting it. Would you?
if it is of good repair and quality the cowboy type with the blanket covers work well
Just found one of these a couple weeks ago at a second hand store.
good score
Really nice canteen! I had a 2 qt galvinized that was felt covered for cooling. I sold it before I moved. Stupid of me for sure. Sigh.
i have done that as well sold gear that for years i wanted to replace
how do you clean one
I had a combo of alice and bsa....
Still use that combo today
But
Hey Thomas name is Jared and I live in Adamsville al. What part of Alabama are you in
I already feel like woodcraft is reenacting what with the mediated use of the woodlands.
true
you're off on the ammo count for nam Blackie according the manual the standard load out for the M 14 was 200 rounds in 10 mags and 4 hand grenades (2 frags 1 smoke and 1 willy pete!!) same the for the M 16 although guys i know who carried a M14 generally considered 600 rounds and 10 grenades the absolute minimum and the M16 1,200 to 2,000 rounds was their standard walk around load! most said they carried 2 one quarts on their harness and at least 2 two quarts in their packs sometimes four 2 quarts depending on the op they were on!
a close friend was in the marines in 1958 and told me how they had 1 mag in weapon and 2 single mag pouches on the utility belt..he also said they would fill up a gas mask pouch with loaded mags lol
@@BLACKIETHOMAS that loadout was in an army manual i used to have printed in 63-64! and the guys i know, for a combat load they'd preferred to have an entire ammo dump with them if they could have carried it!!
I’m old school most all my gear is vintage military or scout gear
awesome
In English money a two quart canteen would be a lot bigger than that. I have a USGI "two quart" canteen which is disappointingly lacking in volume, not even 2 litres let alone half a gallon.
I found a red one still in the box for like 5 bucks at a Fleamarket in Ohio about 2 months ago
awesome find
Do you know anyone selling a Flint lock muzzleloader?
not at the moment
Man I wish I knew you wanted one I really just threw two out nobody wanted them .
oh no
@@BLACKIETHOMAS ya oneetal cap and ome plastic
Water in this heat wave is an absolute nessity
yes it is
Be nice to have one like that in ss to put in coals to heat up.jmo.
good idea
I like the way it hugs your side or hip and it would have more surface area in the coals for a fast boil.
Look at people today even around the office cell phone in one hand water bottle in the other. Take the water bottle away they probably only go 10'. Take their cell phone they'd be running around in circles.