Club Obi Wan

well fellow gearheads ive taken my first step to having a Indy rig.I got my WPG MkVII bag today.i bought one of the originals and its in amaizing condition.the markings are W&G Ltd. 1942, its a little faded.its the perfect shade of olive green, NO Blackline ,very little rust,no dry rot, it doesnt stink, has a light mildew and dust smell to it.i dont think im going to wash it, what do you guys think should i wash it even though it doesnt smell bad.no pics right now but by the end of this weekend i should have a few up.I finally got around to taking some pics of my bag

front of the bag
the makings on inside of flap
back of bag
pic of bag with T.A.G Raiders strap

Sounds like the same type and condition of the one I got from Jerry. It's really up to you if you want to wash it or not. If you are comfortable with it as is then wear it and enjoy.

did you wash yours? also is there a way of taking the original strap off without simply cutting it off.

well you dont really know where it's been...

if it were me i'd wash it. but if you're fine with it...dont? gonna put any food in there? hehe

Dre wrote:well you dont really know where it's been...

if it were me i'd wash it. but if you're fine with it...dont? gonna put any food in there? hehe

yeah thats true but im so worried that im going to ruin it by washing it.

Indiana_Tone wrote:Jpevh, It's an MkVII bag! It's canvas! Used for carrying stuff around with you. You won't be toting diamonds in it! (Well, then again, I don't really know that, do I?.... ) BUT!.....

Maybe instead of the washing machine just soak it in the tub or something. You won't have the agitation of the machine tugging and squinching the bag if you let it sit in the tub. You'll be in control of how much pressue to put on it. A little soap, some "hang time" for drying....
VIOLA! Cleaner bag.

If that bag can't handle a bit of soaking and some air, it might not be worth carrying around to put the important things in when you need to.

i know but ive heard alot of washing stories gone bad, maybe ill hand wash it in the sink and let it hang outside to dry?

Wash it!! There's 60 years of who-knows-what built up on that thing! If it falls apart, contact WPG and git yer money back!(or a replacement)





have a nice day.

Texas Raider wrote:Wash it!! There's 60 years of who-knows-what built up on that thing! If it falls apart, contact WPG and git yer money back!(or a replacement)





have a nice day.

thats why im going to wash it, but ill do it very carefully and if it falls apart ill get a replacement

Texas Raider wrote:Wash it!! There's 60 years of who-knows-what built up on that thing! If it falls apart, contact WPG and git yer money back!(or a replacement)
have a nice day.

:idea: Excellent idea ... mine looked pretty clean so I never bothered.
The only thing food-related I've carried in it are protein bars ...
However, it gets a wash this weekend.

what about the orig strap how can i carefully remove it?

The easiest way to remove the strap is to take a razor blade or exacto knife (or any super-sharp blade) and carefully slice the stitching that is on the strap by the O-ring of the bag. Pull it through and out of the buckle and out of the other O-ring. If I remember correctly(it's been a while since I've had to do it) you may have to cut the stitching on the buckle side too, depending if the strap comes off or not. Be sure to wash it first, as WPG may not take it back (if need be) with the strap cut off.




have a nice day.

Texas Raider wrote:The easiest way to remove the strap is to take a razor blade or exacto knife (or any super-sharp blade) and carefully slice the stitching that is on the strap by the O-ring of the bag. Pull it through and out of the buckle and out of the other O-ring. If I remember correctly(it's been a while since I've had to do it) you may have to cut the stitching on the buckle side too, depending if the strap comes off or not. Be sure to wash it first, as WPG may not take it back (if need be) with the strap cut off.
have a nice day.

thats how i thought you would do it but i thought i should ask.as far as jerry not taking it back you could just say that when you washed it the strap came off.

Hmmm ,, nope! Better not. Honesty's the best policy.





have a nice day.

i was just kidding but i dont think im going to cut the strap off of my bag, because its a WWII relic. ill just wait till i buy a WPG repro and then put a T.A.G strap on it.

The bags aren't destroyed once you remove the strap. It's easy to just sew it back on. I suppose yes, it's not the 'original' thread anymore, but if you're wanting an Indy bag, his had the leather strap. It's your bag, though, if you want to keep the strap, that's cool too. They have a different look that way. Like the hitman in "The Bourne Supremacy". I have kept the strap on one of mine, too, but I prefer the leather one.

just me



have a nice day.

another side note: a very similar bag to the mkvii was in a surplus store the other day,,,however the strap was *very* small. it would barely fit around my neck n underarm...and im not a tall person.

how long is the mkvii strap? is it anywhere near as long as the leather strap? (about 65 inches i believe)

Nope, it's shorter. I don't have it right here in front of me to measure, but I'd say it's closer to 55 inches(just a guess)



have a nice day.

Jpevh,

Don't be too afraid to wash your bag. Just hand wash it in the sink with some light laundry detergent, rinse well, stuff it with newspaper (to keep the original shape) and hang it out to dry. The problem I had with mine was due to a good bit of rust off of the disc on the side. It had corrupted the fabric. Jerry sent my replacement out this week and it looks super. I will be washing it tomorrow. Enjoy your newest piece of Indy gear!

Have a great day!

When I washed my bag, I used short pieces of wood (2X4s) instead of newspaper. I was afraid that the ink from the newspaper would come off on the inside of the wet canvas.

thanks everyone for your advice.ill probably wash it this weekend, and as for the strap, im still deciding on changing it or not.and by monday i should have pics up.BTW-when you guys washed your bags did the markings on the inside of the flap fade?

My markings came out fine, no lightening at all.

Good luck!

Bufflehead Jones wrote:When I washed my bag, I used short pieces of wood (2X4s) instead of newspaper. I was afraid that the ink from the newspaper would come off on the inside of the wet canvas.

Me too! Game pieces from the ancient Viking sport "Kubb" as it were.

Regards,
Swindiana

All of my markings came out fine after soaking in Oxyclean.

I added some pics incase anyone was interested.

I am!

It doesn't get any better than that. Simply be-a-utifu-l. Big congrats mate!

Regards,
Swindiana

Congrats on a great bag!! Enjoy.

What have I done?????????
I liked so much,that have just ordered one from Jerry.......
Now I own three bags.
I guess someone is sleeping in the bath tub tonight........

thanks all for your praise, i was extremly suprised about the condition it was in when i got it in the mail.i still havent washed it yet cause its in such great shape.now all i gotta do is buy a T.A.G strap for it.

I collect WWII US GI field gear and the best and safest way to clean your MKVII bag is to take a warm bucket of water and add a small amount of dish soap/detergent, stir the whole thing up and then place your bag in the bucket. Dont stir it, dont scrub it, just let it sit for about 2-4 hours. When you remove the bag let it air dry, never put it in the dryer and place something in it so that the bag will retain its original shape. I personally dont think you should scrub the item or do anything like that, but hey, its your bag. Just letting you know how us reenactors do it. Later!

JrZyBud wrote:I collect WWII US GI field gear and the best and safest way to clean your MKVII bag is to take a warm bucket of water and add a small amount of dish soap/detergent, stir the whole thing up and then place your bag in the bucket. Dont stir it, dont scrub it, just let it sit for about 2-4 hours. When you remove the bag let it air dry, never put it in the dryer and place something in it so that the bag will retain its original shape. I personally dont think you should scrub the item or do anything like that, but hey, its your bag. Just letting you know how us reenactors do it. Later!

shouldnt i rinse it off after letting it sit in the bucket of water with soap?

i didnt wash it, i sprayed it with Febreze and im going to let it dry all night hanging in the shower.

im going to order it tonight should i go with or with out the grooves, which is screen accurate for raiders? also i had a question for for original bag owners, whats the best way to remove the original strap?, with out just cutting it off.

Groove or no grooves, that is a veritable can of worms you're opening there.

I'd say go with grooves, they add a more finished look to the strap IMO

Zach R. wrote:Groove or no grooves, that is a veritable can of worms you're opening there.

I'd say go with grooves, they add a more finished look to the strap IMO

thats what i was thinking, what about removing the strap?Edit: Ive decided to take the bag to a tailor to have the stitches removed, and im getting a TAG Raiders srap with no grooves.

I don't understand the "fragile as an egg" treatment of these bags! They were flippin' made for WAR for crickey sakes! Just wash the things and let 'em dry! No 2x4's, no newspaper-the canvas gets stiff as a board when you wash and rinse 'em anyway. Especially if after you wash it in hot, you rinse it in COLD water! Just shape it back into shape with your hands, stand it up on a towell and let it dry! The dang thing will stand up by itself when shaped back to shape while it's wet.

geeeezzz!



have a nice day.

you know something your right, even though its a 60 year old bag, it was made for combat.im just going to wash it in the sink with some Tide, let it soak for a couple hours, rinse it good, and then set it out to dry.

Texas Raider wrote:I don't understand the "fragile as an egg" treatment of these bags! They were flippin' made for WAR for crickey sakes! Just wash the things and let 'em dry! No 2x4's, no newspaper-the canvas gets stiff as a board when you wash and rinse 'em anyway. Especially if after you wash it in hot, you rinse it in COLD water! Just shape it back into shape with your hands, stand it up on a towell and let it dry! The dang thing will stand up by itself when shaped back to shape while it's wet.

geeeezzz!



have a nice day.

Well, perhaps because some of them haven't been stored very well over the years and aren't as sturdy now as when they were just manufactured. Even when they were new, hot water was never to be used, and in some instances (the cases for the mid war "light" respirators, for example) soap was forbidden as it would remove a special coating that had been applied to the canvas.

They may not be as "fragile as eggs," but they are over 60 years old and should be treated with a bit more care than you would if they were newly made.

Jpevh, I'd stay away from the Tide and use something much gentler, like Ivory or liguid dish soap. Some modern detergents can be a bit harsher than what was available back in the 30s and 40s and you don't want to weaken the fabric by "burning" it with some modern stain removing "wonder chemical." That also goes for soaking it for too long. No more than 20-30 minutes should be all it needs, especially since it's as clean as it is to begin with. JrZyBud's advice, coming from a reenactor, is actually spot on except that I still think 2 hours is too long to soak it unless it's really filthy to start with.

Cheers!

Jpevh wrote:im going to order it tonight should i go with or with out the grooves, which is screen accurate for raiders? also i had a question for for original bag owners, whats the best way to remove the original strap?, with out just cutting it off.

I got "light" grooves on my TAG strap. In between none and some. If the original has groves I think they are well warn or fairly light as it is VERY hard to see them on DVD.

As for taking off the strap, maybe you can find a stich puller/cutter in the house (wife's or mom's depending on your age) or the local fabric store. Even with that it took me a good 30 min. to get them all out, they were well stiched. The stich cutter is nice as it is meant for that specific job unlike just a Xacto knife or sharp blade as if you're not careful with those you'll nick the cloth, or strap in this case.

See this thread on how I washed my bag and demilldewed it. Ignor the blanco talk at the bottom.

I ordered the Raiders strap without grooves, when i get a WPG repro ill get one with grooves, so i can swap the straps on the bags if i want to.Im not going to wash it, last night i sprayed Febreze on it and let it hang in the show and today i hung it outside and now theres virtually no smell, which was the only problem with the bag.Ill probably will use a stitch remover later tonight on it to take the strap off and then ill post a pic with the new strap after i recieve it.
Joe

TR;
Every working method is as god as the other, I guess. This is how I avoided stretch/wrinkle marks on mine though, and prevented shrinking while hot air drying it. Like you said, 'no need', but could come in handy if you don't want to let it sit on a towel until dry -nothing wrong with that I think.

Regards,
Swindiana

I washed my old MkVII by hand just with water and Marsilia Soap. From this experience i could post these good and bad things of it:

Pro: no smells, canvas become very soft and clean

Cons: canvas could loose a bit his shape (expecially the bottom of the bag), you will loose a bit of colour, if you have any little holes they could become larger!

SOME MORE SUGGESTIONS.

Wash it by hand with not too HOT water, dont rub against the marks or they could disappear but just water on them wont hurt so much. Let it dry with sun and finish it with the drier (just a bit).

MY TWO CENTS

Swindiana wrote:TR;
Every working method is as god as the other, I guess. This is how I avoided stretch/wrinkle marks on mine though, and prevented shrinking while hot air drying it. Like you said, 'no need', but could come in handy if you don't want to let it sit on a towel until dry -nothing wrong with that I think.

Regards,
Swindiana

Yeah, everyone does it different. I just know I've had several of these bags and NEVER had any washing problems(except for Oxy-Clean bleaching one or two.) I've used the washer method(inside a pillow case), bucket method with Oxy(trash your bag)Clean, and I've just found it's easiest to wash it in the shower(handy spray hose helps). I DO always use a mild soap(actually 'Caress' lately)never a powder or bleach or even 'Oxy- Clean'(the color right out of your bag) anymore. Normally Ivory, as mentioned or similar. Jpevh said his was an unissued bag, so to me that doesn't warrant absolute delicacy in washing it. I wouldn't use any kind of dryer on it. It dries overnight anyway just letting it air dry. I suppose if you're in some kind of a hurry, a hair dryer is your answer. I just wouldn't do it. Sometimes I just question peoples eccentric way of washing and drying an ordinary canvas bag. . Everyone tries to make things more than they are.
"When I wash my socks, I first dob a little soap on the toe seam, than I gently rub it with warm NOT HOT water. I rinse with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and Aunt Jemima's syrup. Then I place a 20 pound steel plate on it to prevent wrinkling. I dry it with the exhaust of an F-18 set at a distance of approx. 20 meters. After that, my socks are fresh and ready to go"


have a nice day.

I might try that, just to spice up the thrilling action of doing laundry just a nudge more than it already is.

Regards,
Swindiana

LOL



have a nice day

My TAG strap arrived today after a week of waiting.let me first say i was amaized at how nice they are and how comfortable they are too.I look forward to future purchases from the T.A.G and i just wanted to thank Richard for sending me an awesome piece of Indy Gear.
Joe
PS I added a pic of the strap on the bag, in case anyone is still interested.