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Originally Posted by kahnjar1
Just received this interesting old belt/bandolier, holding tubes for measured charges of black powder. Origin was stated as Afghani but the brass buckle suggests Omani. Anyway a very hard to find item IMHO.
The 9 tubes are of bamboo??? with woolfibre stoppers capped with leather. The tubes measure 4 1/2" (115mm) and are approx. 30mm diam. The tops are decorated with inset white metal of some sort.
The leather pouch attached to the belt has a very hard to decipher stamp on the back which looks like: Middlemore & Lambert
1909
Birmingham
together with the large stamped letters M.R/O This is obviously an old British Military pouch of some sort.
Comments welcome.
Stu
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Salaams Khanjar1 ... I last handled a similar set of charge, wadd, ball and belt about a year ago in Muttrah Souk... exactly the same material and I thought at the time ...bamboo...The buckle is indeed Omani and I remember writing something to library about the old cuttle fish bone moldings the master craftsmen used... Reading on I see the very uniform looking pouches are discussed successfully . The style of leather stitch on the rear of the broad belt section using a thick flat lace of leather curiously interwoven also appears to be the Omani style.
I definitely ought to have collected that old gunbelt as I'm sure it will have gone by now...However, next week I will take a look.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.