Russian Equipment c1900

[Mike Blake]

I have sources which show both black and brown leather - can anyone help with whether one or the other was regulation, please?

Many thanks

Mike

[Mike]

Prior to 1912, the regulation revolver holsters were black leather for officers and white leather for soldiers and NCOs. Waist and shoulder belts were of corresponding color or metal braid. However, this was often not observed on the war theater, especially by cossacks, whose service dress traditionally allowed wide variations with regard to the official regulations. Anyway, an officer wearing a brown sword belt, unthinkable of in St. Petersburg, could be a common sight in Manchuria or Turkestan.

[Mike Blake]

Thanks Mike - So whilst white was per regulation, this was not, understandably, adhered to on campaign. In photos the EMs belts and cartridge boxes look dark, presumably brown rather than black [ie if not regulation white, then natural leather]?

Can you supply the date of the relevant regulations, by any chance, please?

Thanks again.

[Mike Blake]

Seems odd to 'reply' to my own post, but I picked up a book on Sunday which covers the area. It is Commandant Emile Lavisse [trans Capt  Edward P Lawton, US Army], Field Equipment of the European Foot Soldier 1900-1914, Nashville; Battery Press, u/d reprint of 1902 original. In the Russian section it gives "B. A waist belt of dark leather, with a plate. C. Two cartridge boxes of yellow [sic] leather, each of which holds 30 cartridges." Seems odd [to me anyway] that it doesn't give an actual colour for the waist belt, just 'dark', so it still doesn't provide the full answer!

[Mike]

This reminds me the dark-green uniform color that was actually black.

As regards the regulations date, it seems to be 1883. During early years of the Alexander III's reign, various uniform changes were introduced almost every month. Some of them were quite short-lived.