Original Item: Only One Available. We have only had a few of these rare canteens, and this really is a great marked and dated example! The U.S. model 1917 Mounted Cavalry Canteen, as the name implies, was designed for use by Cavalry. As WWI spelled the end of any major use of mounted cavalry, the Canteens were not produced in any large numbers.

The design used the standard M1910 canteen water bottle, and paired it with a different style carrier. Instead of having belt clips on the back, the carrier has a leather strap that goes around the outside of the canteen, with a steel spring clip on top. 5 canvas retaining loops hold the strap to the canteen, and it would be attached to whatever part of the horse's tack that the soldier desired.

This example is in good condition, and looks to have seen moderate use during its service life. The canteen is fully non magnetic, made totally of aluminum, even the chain for the top. It is marked and dated U.S. / A.G.M. Co. / 1918, for the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Co of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This company manufactured various aluminum goods for the military. Unfortunately there was no cup included with the canteen.

The canteen is in good shape, with the expected dents from use and age. The cap is present, with the original cork inside, and the securing chain intact.

The carrier is in good shape, and is maker marked LONG 12-17 on the underside of the left side flap. The interior felt lining is retained very well, with no mothing or other insect damage. The snaps still have almost all of their original blacked brass finish, and the outer shell shows light wear but heavy fading. The leather strap is also in good shape, though it has degraded somewhat, being over a century old. There is some cracking and surface dry rot, but nothing what is expected for an item of this age.

A great example of a rare canteen, ready to display!

The U.S. military M1910-type one quart canteen was issued in a set with a nesting cup and, originally, a cotton duck carrier. As the canteen evolved from the original M1910 aluminum canteen model, the cover also was changed. The materials of which the cover was made, the flap fasteners, the attachment hardware and other features all went through multiple upgrades and revisions.

Although not originally issued for the purpose, canteen covers were sometimes used by the troops as general carriers for ammunition, grenades, rations or many other uses. Canteens other than the one quart model, such as the Arctic Canteen or two quart Jungle Canteen, had covers designed specifically for them and did not use the standard M1910 cover.

In 1917, a mounted version of the cotton canteen cover was introduced. The body of the cover was similar to the M1910 dismounted pattern, but with a russet leather strap secured by loops on the side and bottom. The leather strap ended with a spring clip hook at the top that attached to the saddle of a mounted cavalry soldier.

The 1941 edition of the Soldier's Handbook (FM 21-100) describes the proper means of attachment:

The canteen and cup, in their cover, are snapped to the right cantle ring. The cover is fastened tight to the saddlebag by buckling the two rear saddlebag cover straps over the canteen cover strap where it passes under the bottom of the canteen cover.

In 1941 the mounted canteen cover was changed to a new design that eliminated the leather strap. Stitched to the rear of the new cover was a full length strip of webbing looped over at the top to hold an M1910 belt hook. The webbing strip was further reinforced at top and bottom by cross strips, sewn to the canteen cover in a way that left open loops for the saddlebag straps to thread through.