Original German WWII 1941 Dated Tornister 34 Pony Fur Backpack by Franz Brehme with Shoulder Straps Original Items

Original Item. Only One Available. These cowhide-covered rucksacks were known as the Tornister (Knapsack) Model 34 (developed in 1934) and this example comes complete with the correct shoulder straps. It looks to have all of the leather components still present, showing light to moderate wear from service. As the war progressed the design was simplified for economical and practical reasons so the cowhide cover was eliminated making these packs especially scarce on today’s collector market. These are often described as being covered with “pony fur”, however research shows that this was just a nickname, and was never used on these. The German nickname for these packs was Affe, or ape.

This example of a wartime rucksack comes complete with the correct shoulder straps, which are designed to attach to ammunition pouches on the belt in the front, and have side straps that attach to hooks on the bottom of the pack. It retains over 80% of the pony fur hide and the leather is in very good used condition on the pack. It still has an original maker marking, which is clear:

FRANZE BREHME
WALSRODE
1941

The pack does show some wear from use, with a bit of staining to the canvas, but it definitely was well cared for and not abused. The leather does show some wear to the finish, but is still soft and pliable, with no tearing that we can see. It looks to have been stored flat for a long period of time, which has caused the bottom of the pack to become a bit misshapen. Measures approximately 13″H x 12″W x 5″D.

A lovely complete example of a hard to find backpack as used by German soldiers in WW2. Ready to display!