COTTON TAPE for making scale webbing

I keep a wide selection of sizes of cotton tape, from various sources around the world, for making sets of scale webbing or for any of those jobs where one needs to replace a strap on a figure with something better.

I also have 1mm and 2mm "lacet" , which is perfect perfect for making lace on 18th and 19th century uniforms. 

All the numbers on this pic are the widths in mm :

These tapes are used in conjuction with Richie Elbourne's wonderful etched brass buckles and strapends,

to create accurate scale British webbing equipment , which I use on all my WW1 and WW2 figures.

He has all the brass items needed to make 1908 and 1937 webbing equipment .

These frets are available from Richie , NOT FROM ME  :~

Please write to him at richard.elbourne@ntlworld.com : note this new address, not the one on the pic below.

Though apparently that one is still  open.

If you want tape , I can do you a bag containing all the sizes for the 1937 webbing, in quantity enough

to make three sets , for £5.

Used together , the frets and tape produce perfect scale webbing sets like these .

1908 webbing :

And the WW2 1937 webbing :~

A NOTE ON THE COLOUR OF BRITISH WEBBING EQUIPMENT :

This causes endless confusion on the rest of the Planet !

All British webbing of the 1908 and 1937  patterns was manufactured in a pale khaki shade, which varied slightly depending on where it was made.

The 1937 pattern was manufactured in Britain , Canada , S.Africa, Australia and India , and there are slight variations both in detail and colour.

Most of the commercial 1/6th items are too pale , as this pic shows : look at the colour of the Officer's valise on which they are displayed :

So , be aware of this colour problem when making your 1/6th Tommies.

However, just to complicate the issue , soldiers were issued with a proprietary cleaner, universally known as " Blanco ".

This was a kind of water-based paste that was applied to all the soldier's personal webbing with a scrubbing brush , and left to dry.

It was available in WW1, but doesn't seem to have been used much at the Front.

By WW2 it was universally used in Barracks, and often in combat.

It was used for smartness on parade , and also to improve camouflage. Which colour was used was the choice of each Regiment.

"Blanco " eventually came in several shades , including khaki ( a match to the webbing ) and several shades of green.

In combat, the webbing was often left its natural colour, or just scrubbed , as in the Mediterranean.

But in N.Europe it was often Blancoed, at least when the regiment arrived at the battlefront, typically when embarked for D-Day or preparing for an Airborne operation.

Two of the commonest colours were Khaki green Light, and Khaki Green 3 :

These figures have had their equipment covered in REAL 1:1 BLANCO , kindly provided by my friend Chris W,

so should give an accurate idea of the colour.

Of course, in combat it quickly got dirty and faded, and any replacement items would have appeared in the unblancoed colour,

as did non-personal items like Bren hoglegs, ammunition bandoliers etc..

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