Afghan belt for comment
 

Although John Powell's legendary kukri collection has long been dispersed to lucky collectors around the globe, he occasionally comes across a forgotten tidbit stashed away in some drawer or closet. This Afghan belt is one such. The composite photos of the overall belt and accessories were taken by John. When the set arrived I discovered an unusual item in one of the larger pouches, which is shown in my less professional photo. The scans show this item in closeup. It is a thin pouch with a heavy blunt iron blade across the bottom, and contains a dry powdery substance - perhaps old tinder? Is it a flint knapping tool, or what purpose does it serve?

A very nice and complete weapon accessary belt, does not look governmental to me but one someone took some time to make, mostlikely for a snider or a martini rifle...

Hi Berkley and Happy New Year. Nice old belt. As far as the mystery item is concerned.....and assuming that it is L shaped??? Not on my opinion a flint knapping tool but COULD be a container for holding flints and with a steel/iron surface to knap them on. Any knapping tools I have seen are T shaped as per atached pic from an earlier post on Afghan belts.
Regards Stuart

Fire Starter
 

Hi Berkley,
Definitely a rather unique fire starting kit. Indian Ebayers often have metal starters mostly like steel brass knuckles. I've taken a photo from Oriental-Arms site that shows a similar Tibetan one. and a small index finger length one I have.

Yours, as Stuart says may well have carried flints. The powder may be mushroom punk, used to hold a spark, or a poppy resin. The striking blade on yours could even be used to shred dry bark for tinder. I like your all in one kit. Steve

The picture from the book is one for old flintlock muskets, the one OP has is for rifles much newer than flintlocks. The little puoch with the blunt metal peice at the bottom of it, I honestly don't know what it is. Flintlock belts had all the little peices as shown in the picture with the multi tool for sizing and shaping flints and untighting or tighting the flint holder peice of the lock.

AJ, you are right - the apparent care lavished on these items was what attracted me to them, and the cartridge box easily accommodates Snider or M-H rounds.
Stuart, a slightly belated Happy New Year to you too!
And my thanks, archer, for posting the pic from Artzi's site - it certainly answers the question.