Special Op's Kit Bag

    I've got a complete including leaflet Special Op's Kit, it has all the metal eyelets. It's missing the clip though. Should it have a metal or plastic one and does anyone have one I could buy?

Cheers

Mark

-sparkys6887

I've got a complete including leaflet Special Op's Kit, it has all the metal eyelets. It's missing the clip though. Should it have a metal or plastic one and does anyone have one I could buy?

Cheers

Mark

-sparkys6887

Both metal and plastic clips were used (older ones with metal).

Late issue Operations Kit have the plastic clip. The ealier ones had a metal clip and there is a slight difference in the contents. 

Late issue Operations Kit have the plastic clip. The ealier ones had a metal clip and there is a slight difference in the contents. 

-action-johnny

Tell me more about the difference in contents please.

My childhood set was a very early one with a metal clip that passed through the eyelets and a wire connector attached to the shoulder strap to hold it in place.  I could never work out how to close it properly, which annoyed me quite a bit at the time.  If you passed the clip through all the eyelets, the end of the clip ended up inside the bag instead of outside.  I always reckoned Palitoy had missed out one eyelet.

It was one of the best bits of VAM play value for my pocket money, though.  It was absolutely stuffed full - so much so that I could never manage to get all the bits back in the bag properly.  Later ones cut back on the contents!

Tell me more about the difference in contents please.

-simpson

I've seen quite a few variations in packaged examples, but you can see an early one on page 112 of Alan Hall Vol. 2 and a late one on page 103.

The main differences are:

The omission of the radio and the sticks of TNT in the later one
Jungle knife (gold hand on early ones, plain grey and a rounded tip on later ones)
Tommy helmet with elastic strap in early ones, plastic helmet with rubber strap on later ones
Elastic strap on SMG in early ones, plastic strap later
Elastic strap on early binos, plastic strap late
Metal clip on early bag, plastic clip late

I'm sure there were other changes over the years as it was in production for quite a long time.  I imagine it sold well!

So much knowledge on this forum.  That's why I like it.

Now, here are pics of some kitbags I have.

First pic : old ones have thicker material and the strap ends with a loop.  The strap is stitched twice which gives the bag a "handle".
Second pic : thinner material and strap ends with a metal eye and without the second stitch ("handle").

Question / remarks :
1. Old bags :  inside the bag, there is some kind of square loop (in which I have put the piece of wood to indicate).  What is it for?  This loop is not present at the later version.

2. How shal I close the kitbag as I don't know how to use the long piece of metal (see pic 1 on bag three)

3. I don't have the Hall book that is referred to ?  Are pics online ?

1. Old bags :  inside the bag, there is some kind of square loop (in which I have put the piece of wood to indicate).  What is it for?  This loop is not present at the later version.

The loop in the old bag is for the metal clip. There should be a wire clip that sits inside it, with a long bit that pokes through the eyelets.

2. How shal I close the kitbag as I don't know how to use the long piece of metal (see pic 1 on bag three)

The long piece of metal should be "L" shaped.  The short part of the "L" sits inside the cloth loop, the long bit passes through the eyelets and you then close it with the short metal clip attached to the end of the handle.

3. I don't have the Hall book that is referred to ?  Are pics online ?

Not that I know of.  You can find carded examples of the later kit bag easily enough on eBay, e.g.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SPECIAL-OPERATIONS-KIT-Original-Vintage-Issue-1975-Release-GI-Joe-Action-Man-/120854895794?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item1c23835cb2

Looking at that example, I'm not even sure if the sleeping bag was still included.  I assumed it was folded up behind the bag, but it isn't mentioned so maybe even the sleeping bag was omitted from the late issue ones.

Early carded examples are much harder to find.

I don't know if this helps, but I've taken a series of pics of my childhood kit bag to try and show how I think it fits together.  The larger clip needs to be attached to the bag to work.

Here's a couple of later ones with their plastic clips.....
 
As you can see, look how deflated they are compared to the earlier ones, half the stuff!!!

mraction : you seem to have perforated the cloth loop halfway to put the long metal piece through it.  My cloth loops are not perforated at all.

But it seems to be impossible to close the bag that way : the eye of the bag near cloth loop (side where the clip goes over the edge of the bag), is too close to the cloth loop to make it pass over the long metal clip.  One should have to bend the long metal clip in order to put it throug the last eye.

I managed to close the bag by putting the long metal clip through the cloth loop, going trough all eyes and afterwards I have put the end of the metal clip over the edge.  That is the only way to do it.

The metal clip on the end of the straps seems to have changed in time as well : yours is not the same as mine ??

Re the carded bags : I alway bought the quartermaster prefilled special operation bag.

The ones on the card that you refer to, are close to the ones from Action Team.   I happen to have several of these cards and the contents is close to the prefilled bags.  The difference I notice : no tin english helmet, no dynamite sticks and no sleeping bag.

I assume there is a parallel with the Action Team cards, so the sleeping bag is more than likely not included on the card.

Here's a couple of later ones with their plastic clips.....
 [image]
As you can see, look how deflated they are compared to the earlier ones, half the stuff!!!

-action-johnny

Unfortunately, I have no plastic clip. 

PS John, look at your post in the wanted section about the cannister you're missing

mraction : you seem to have perforated the cloth loop halfway to put the long metal piece through it.  My cloth loops are not perforated at all.
But it seems to be impossible to close the bag that way : the eye of the bag near cloth loop (side where the clip goes over the edge of the bag), is too close to the cloth loop to make it pass over the long metal clip.  One should have to bend the long metal clip in order to put it throug the last eye.
I managed to close the bag by putting the long metal clip through the cloth loop, going trough all eyes and afterwards I have put the end of the metal clip over the edge.  That is the only way to do it.
The metal clip on the end of the straps seems to have changed in time as well : yours is not the same as mine ??

-simpson

I'm all wrong about it : logic that the metal clip starts halfway the cloth loop because of the eye that is there.  And the bag closes perfectly.  Where were my thoughts ?

PS John, look at your post in the wanted section about the cannister you're missing

 
Sorry Geert, I don't think it's me???? 

PS John, look at your post in the wanted section about the cannister you're missing

 
Sorry Geert, I don't think it's me???? 

-action-johnny

http://vame.lefora.com/2012/01/11/australian-jungle-fighter-bits/#post1

Oh yeah! Just noticed your reply mate!! Sorry I didn't answer you Geert but I probably never bothered looking at that post anymore as I did get all the bits. Thanks anyway mate.