Description

These wool blankets are made as the emergency type, low cost, blankets of the period. They are made of 75% wool and 25% shoddy. (shoddy being the period term for inferior material made of any number of sources woven together) In this case the shoddy is cotton and wool rag. They will hold up under campaign use just fine, unlike the many documented inferior blankets provided to soldiers during the war by nefarious suppliers. They provide economical and much needed additional warmth on winter campaign and also make great horse blankets.  They are a good example of the result of more restricted resource materials necessitated by the circumstance of the war. Much has been written about a good blanket and the virtues of the best when needed. However, the war period was rife with “shoddy” and less quality goods sold to the government and directly to soldiers and should be more represented in the hobby. In this case the item is still sufficient quality for rigorous use and adequate for the intended purpose, yet at least a third of the price. The color scheme on this blanket is the same as the US federal issue blanket authorized to deal with the early war blanket shortage crisis, gray with a black woven stripe, in this case down each side and on each end. This pattern is a well documented period style as seen in period photos. Weighing in at 3.5 lbs  and measuring appr. 62″ x 80″ with raw cut ends as seen on original examples – ready for the owner to blanket stitch and further personalize or simply leave as is. A little lighter blanket than the regulation, great as an economic second blanket in winter camp, and easier to carry for milder cool transitional temps, southern climate campaigning, and even that warmer weather campaign when a blanket is still desired.