Blanco (Again!)

The solution is simple, do the lot with the Shoot n Scoot stuff. Warren's colour is closest to KG3 and is more economical - win-win.

What colour was used and when isn't recorded but it is certainly a reasonable proposition that while historically in the UK (all the way up to, including and beyond WWII) a khaki colour was used (this is what SoF call WW1) and a more green shade was used as an alternative (the pea-green colour) along with a sandy-buff colour (SoF's sand colour) by the time of the Normandy invasion the KG3 colour was universally adopted for soldiers heading for the European campaign.

Since most stuff we do is post D-Day KG3 would be the reasonable and generic way to go, and scrubbed webbing for hotter campaigns. Since we are representing the fighting soldier at the sharp end there isn't a need to maintain pristine blancoed webbing at all times (we aren't at home in barracks and on parade).

If there is ever a Dunkirk game held again then you could slap SoF's "WWI" or 'pea green" onto your scrubbed webbing (if you really feel the need to) and then scrub it off later.

So stick with your two sets, one KG3 the other scrubbed.

As to why SoF have TWO post-pea green colours I have no idea - rather odd.

Thanks for the replies

If there is ever a Dunkirk game held again then you could slap SoF's "WWI" or 'pea green" onto your scrubbed webbing (if you really feel the need to) and then scrub it off later.

Unfortunately I would indeed feel the need, I already have a slight tingling now.

As to why SoF have TWO post-pea green colours I have no idea - rather odd.

Yes this is what prompted my post. The latest one seems very expensive £20 to do Battle Order.

KG3 is universally acceptable as it was used during WWI.

Slightly confused now - so KG3 was used in WWI too? So for say Dunkirk, Pea Green, SoF WWI (not currently available it seems) and KG3 would all be correct?

Yes, you have been confused, as have I. I've not seen any evidence that KG3 existed in WWI or was specified for use by the army. Contemporary advertising aimed at the military doesn't include it.

Yes, KG3 seems to be a much darker colour than any used in WW1.

I've just gone for two sets, unblancoed and KG3 (SnS). Personally I think the unblancoed stuff looks much smarter, but the dark green stuff is right for late war.

Cheers
Martin

Don't know if it's just me, but The SnS stuff seems brown when it's dry after being applied diluted, but green when it's been applied undiluted.

Don't know if it's just me, but The SnS stuff seems brown when it's dry after being applied diluted, but green when it's been applied undiluted.

That's exactly my experience.

I tested first with concentrate and thought it was reasonably close to the SoF stuff that I'd apply it all over but because it was a large pack I decided to dilute it and suddenly it was a completely different colour. Odd.

I applied mine undiluted but over webbing which had been soaked in hot water for half an hour, then a second coat a couple of days later when the webbing was still damp.

The underlying khaki certainly showed through a lot after the first coat which gave it a very brownish tinge.

Cheers
Martin

I've run a test today and the colour is indeed different on dilution - I hadn't noticed this before.

1 part SnS diluted 2 parts water and applied four times (allowing drying in between) gives a browner final result than two coats of neat SnS which looks green/grey in comparison. The diluted version looks much more like KG3 and is also very matt and covers the hollows as well as the peaks of the weave texture. The neat stuff tends to cover the peaks less well - I think because it is thick and slippery the colour gets wiped off by the brush as much as it gets put on (if you get what I mean) where as diluted stuff get soaked in by the fibres rather than sit on top.

Anyway, I'll post up the comparison photo soon...

OK, KG3 test results time

I applied Shoot 'n Scoot (diluted 1:2 and undiluted), Soldier of Fortune, 'shoe cream' and two patches of original Joseph Pickering's Blanco (not the tinned stuff) to the inside flap of an unwashed and dry 1944 dated '37 pattern large pack.
The results were photographed under controlled conditions and the RAW image data converted to a Lab Tiff file, grey patch adjusted to 48*0*0.

It has to be said that photography accentuates the worst, in particular shows coverage to be uneven and canvas colour showing through in the highlights, whereas to the eye it looks perfectly even. I has to borne in mind that we normally see blancoed webbing from a distance and so everything evens out to a much more uniform appearance. For this reason I am showing a second image that shows averaged out colour of each patch (100x100 pixel sample taken from each patch - this gives a more representative impression of colour variance.

It will be immediately seen that SnS liquid blanco does indeed produce a different colour when diluted - exactly what that difference is is hard to quantify. To my eye the diluted SnS looks much more agreeable yet on the photo it doesn't (indeed, to the eye the undiluted/diluted look the other way around). It has to be said, all of the products give an OK approximation of Blanco but none look or feel like the real thing which unmistakable.

Anyhoo, here are the averaged out colour patches that even out the canvas texture and the variation of colour between the peaks and the troughs of the weave and unevenness of coverage.

From this it can be seen that all give an acceptable approximation of Blanco colour from a distance, the difference not being nearly so marked as might be assumed from the first photo.

Thanks CW.
It looks like it could almost be a variation of different batches.

Once again, its shown that the Tarrago mix is the closest. The cream and model paint both are available from stores country-wide or online, you can guarantee colour consistence because you mix it up yourself and it is one of the cheaper options to choose too.

Actually, the Tarrago mix was a tad green to the eye (I think this lies in the small quantities mixed - small variation in the quantity of green addition is relatively large to the final volume). All three imitations are all there or thereabouts colour-wise.
The shoe cream smells the nicest and is easy to apply but requires a bit of effort to source (two suppliers) and mix but the cost isn't massive.
SoF product is easy to source but ain't great to apply and is relatively expensive.
The SnS product is easy to apply, easy to source and very economical.

Therefore my recommendation would be SnS as the best package overall as an alternative to real Blanco but the others are not a poor choice, just a matter of choice.

how much webbing would a 250ml bottle of SnS do? if used diluted?

I've done a complete set (belt, anklets, cross belts, envelope water bottle carrier, e-tool cover, bayonet frog, front pouches, webley holster, small pack and straps) and still have a quarter of a bottle left. Two coats applied neat over soaked webbing (so, diluted by the wetness of the underlying fabric).

Cheers
Martin

cheers