US Field Gear Main Page

In 2001, we started manufacturing our own W.W.II US field gear. This required a large investment in webbing, canvas, hardware, sewing machines and silk screening equipment. We are now confident that we make the best gear since W.W.II. Our gear is made in the USA with mostly US materials. Most other repro US gear is made in India, Pakistan, China or Mexico with predictable sacrifices in quality. The material bleeds color, the grommets pull out and the buckles break. We have gone to great lengths to duplicate the quality, color and pattern of original gear.

Patterns: We always start with original, unissued samples both for color and material matching, as well as patterns. In some cases, (suspenders) we opt to make things a little larger than they did 60 years ago, mostly to compensate for the "modern" American figure. Please realize, that most gear was made in the millions or tens of millions, and there are some variations.

Materials: All of our canvas is 100% cotton, and most is made in the USA. Some of the webbing is imported. The reason is accuracy, not treason. We have found a foreign company that still operates the old fashioned shuttle looms. (Modern webbing is made on "needle looms" which leave a distinctly sharper edge on one side. W.W.II webbing is uniformly round on both sides.) The shuttle looms themselves are US made.

Color: Our fabrics are color matched to original W.W.II fabric. Unissued, unfaded material. WWII gear does indeed have a touch of green in it. If you want "dockers tan", go away! That is the color of faded, sun-bleached gear. Our stuff is correct. There is no one and only "correct" shade of od3. We know what shade most collectors crave, and that is the shade we go for. Original gear comes in every shade imaginable, despite the howls to the contrary of the armchair experts. What is Khaki?
We do NOT dye our material in a bucket on top of the stove. We contract 2-5,000 yards of each type of webbing or canvas and it is all professionally finished at the plant. In the case of the US canvas, it is also treated with Teflon for water repellancy.

Hardware: When possible, we use NOS ("new old stock" aka "original") hardware. When that is not available, we usually use Scovil Fastener or the Stimpson Company, both of whom have been in business for over 100 years in the USA.

Markings: Starting in 2003, we purchased a silk screening rig, complete with a 12 foot long conveyor dryer to heat cure the markings on our gear. We use water based ink, just like the real stuff. It does not feel like vinyl or plastic. It soaks into the fabric...like it should.

Assembly: Yes, our gear is made in our own shop, by our employees, in central Kentucky, USA. Click here for pics of the factory. All items are mass produced, which keeps costs down and improves consistency. The canvas is cut up to 80 layers deep with a power knife. The parts are then marked with stencils and heat cured. After that they are sewn, rivets and grommets affixed, then inspected.

Fraud prevention: Most items are marked with some version of "Kirkman MFG." or "Crawford Tent and Awning". As for the whiners who squall that we're trying to make it easier for the fraudulent dealers to anal rape new collectors, here's the deal:
1. If markings alone determined authenticity, then we'll start RB numbering those East German uniforms and make a fortune. If you believe everything you read, then you need to find a new hobby. You'll be screwed out of your money long before you get to us.
2. Kirkman and Crawford are family names (of the owner). Kirkman didn't exist until 1998, and Crawford is fictitious. Gear marked with "Warning! Reproduction" or "BFE 2003" will not sell. It's a fact.
3. Most of our gear sells for a price that is close to that of original gear. If some new guy gets suckered by Acme Collectibles and pays $30 for one of our "original" canteen covers, he either broke even, lost $5 or saved $5. Try that with an SS smock. No comparison.
4. Some jerks have called to bleat about our uniforms because they have tags in them. The first 3 points apply, plus two more. We size our uniforms S, M, L and so on (originals are 38R, 40L, etc.) If you're fooled by that, you probably buy stuff from spammers, believe the "Thermo Carb" commercials and think that pet psychologists can really talk to your stupid cat.

Price/ Quality: There is nothing substandard about our gear. There is at least one other company making gear in the US. It is wholesaled to several other vendors. However, it is usually 30-100% more expensive. Some people logically suspect that our gear is in some way deficient or of lower quality. Likewise crow the sellers of it. I have examined the other repros and that is far from the case. Possibly, their production costs are higher or we are able to sell ours for less simply because we are the manufacturer. The other US made reproductions exhibit excellent workmanship, but I have seen none that compare to our materials in regards to color and material accuracy. As for the most of the Chinese, Pakisatni and Indian made reproductions available from Sportsman's Guide and in Shotgun News, they generally look alright and will hold up just fine; so long as you don't use them. You will get at least a hour or two of use out of them before they fall apart.
Customers at military shows are constantly shocked; they pick up our gear and when we tell them it is repro, they get pale, put it down and shuffle away muttering.
In this business, that's a compliment.

Guarantee: If you don't like the product, just send it back for a refund. If it fails, in most cases we can readily repair it. Just send it back and we'll fix it.