Romanian breadbag, blue, surplus

Let's kick the wannabe-retro stuff off the stage! This old Romanian deep lagoon blue army bread bag was already obsolete when introduced in the 70s. Bombproofly made of Genuine Materials: canvas, metal, and leather! We give you permission to carry also other things in this in addition to bread.

In short, this is the wet dream of a vintage fanatic except it's not a dream! Previously we got these in green but now you can also have them in deep blue like the summer evenings in the Carpathians. The Romanian bread bag is not only unbelievably pretty but also made like all things should be, damn well. Volume-wise this bag is like a small rucksack and the outside has options to attach even more stuff.

Features

Comprises of a divided main space, adjustable with the closure straps of the lid. Dimensions about 32 x 28 x 12 cm (12" x 11" x 5"). There's an extra fastening strap at the mouth. You can use these e.g. to carry some books, a compactly-sized iPad, or beer.

Carried with an adjustable shoulder strap that is something that will probably never break. It looks a bit like an old karate belt, except it gets narrower at the ends.

If the inside space isn't enough, there are three general-purpose leather straps on the outside. If you want to replace the old ones, you will fit most straps up to 25 mm (1") wide, but anything over 20 mm (0.8") will require some shoving though. The D-ring on the front is also a nice way to carry your enamel or alu mug!

Buckle modification guide

Are the slide buckles too slow for you? Consider swapping them for other buckles, the easiest choice being the GT Split-Bar, but if you want the best go for G-hooks. Neither option requires sewing!

First, do away with the old buckles with some side cutters. The steel is mild so it takes no time. Installing the Split-Bar is pretty straight-forward, just note that the steel end of the strap only goes through the male buckle sideways.

Installing the G-hook is a bit complicated but more rewarding. The steel end of the strap doesn't fit through at all, but you can fold the strap into a bight and feed it through as two layers. Put a short 20 mm (7/8") piece of Paracord into the strap loop and capture it by pulling tight. Just look at the pictures and you'll get it.

If you want to modify the inner security strap as well, you'll need three (3) G-hooks.

Materials

Made entirely of thick blue cotton duck. Some of the bags are made of a darker and stiffer fabric. Most are sewn with black, some with white thread. Strap points and the general-purpose straps are made of leather and buckles and strap ends of the closure straps steel. They have really made these from proper strong materials and the sewing thread seems pretty solid too. Unlike the faith in humanity, this bag will not fail.

Condition

These surplus bags have been used with more or less vigor, but they are all still perfectly usable. Some are in very nice condition for their age. The fabric can have some small stains and warehouse dust. The metal parts might have some scratches or a bit of surface rust. The canvas straps that close the bag have been replaced with straps of a different color on some bags. Most have the original straps but don't be astonished if you happen to get one of these rare collector’s items.

The thickness of the leather straps varies a bit, and the leather has gone somewhat stiff with age. We strongly recommend wiping the bag clean with a moist rag and treating the leather with generous amounts of grease. The lovely warehouse smell will, unfortunately, vanish with use. However, some seem to consider it a good thing.