Thank you! This is exactly the kind of information I was hoping someone might have. Very interesting and very informative.
Do you happen to know why they decided to move away from the double flap?
Ryan,
I want to make it clear that I don't have the historic documentation to answer your question unequivocally. Actually, I doubt there is still such documentation extant. This, because if it did indeed exist, it was most likely internal Tower documents and the fire in Tower of London in the mid 19th century probably wiped out such records. So, my answer is from
informed speculation only, which means it's my best guess both from using the different time periods gear and from knowledge I've gained from researching these things and from leather working experience/design.
First of all, British Ordnance in the 18th century spent money like it was going out of style on some things, but was notoriously cheap on other things. They usually erred on the CHEAP side, though. They also did try to improve weapons and gear as time went on. Occasionally they came up with something that was actually CHEAPER and BETTER at the same time and I think this is one of the areas they successfully accomplished both.
To begin with, the main purpose of the interior cover/flap on double cover/flap pouches was to give more protection against loss of cartridges and to inhibit rain/snow/mud from getting into the pouch and ruining the cartridges.
OK, now let's look at the following example of a converted Pre 1768 Cartouche Pouch. Though the double buckles LOOK flashy, the fact most were made from BRASS caused a real increase in the cost of the pouch. Brass was NOT cheap in the 18th century (this is one of my personal "stand on a soap box and scream about" items), so getting rid of them with the AWI period cartouche pouches significantly decreased the cost.
Now look at the sides of the leather pouch near the top of the wooden block inside. It looks like the sides are equal to the top of the wood block. SOME FIW boxes had rudimentary "ears" or tops of the side flaps that went above the surface of the block in a half circle design that helped keep cartridges inside the pouch and rain/snow/mud from getting in on the sides. However, these "ears" tops of the side flaps were not present on all pouches. Honestly, I'm not sure if the "ears" are present or not on the pouch below.
OK, the following pic of the AWI pouch does away with the large double brass buckles and DEFINATELY has the "ears" at the tops of the sides and in this case, they are a double thickness of leather sewn together to add strength.
The below picture really shows the top of the double leather thickness "ears" and you can really see how the single flap fits over it well to keep cartridges inside and protect them from the elements. This does away with the need and expense of the interior cover/flap of the double cover/flap pouches. Normally, they had small "japanned" or black painted Iron buckles on the bottom of the pouch to attach the straps, but you won't see that on some to many American pouches, where they just sewed the strap ends to the pouch.
To sum up, doing away with the expensive double brass buckles plus the improved "ears" on the sides of the pouch meant they did not have to use the more expensive double flap/covers of the FIW cartouche pouches and made the AWI period pouches better and cheaper.
Gus
