What colors do any of you use for the ammo pouches? They seem just plain black (or a lighter brown color for late war issues), but my black seems to plain.

Any suggestions would be great

-Conor

I usually use Vallejo Black Grey for things that are supposed to be 'black' like those pouches. Then I give it a wash of Black and finally a little highlight using Black Grey and just a little white added to it. Andrea actually do a pack of paints that is intended to produce realistic black tones- its like five paints for base color, highlights and shades but I reckon for something as small as a 1/35 K98K pouch (if that is the scale you are concerned with here) it would be overkill.

Ola Conor

I usually paint them in a basecoat of Humbrol 70 Brickred. Allow that to dry thoroughly and when dry I follow up with a heavy wash of Humbrol 33 Black. Often changing the thickness from pouch to pouch. The edges of the Pouches I rework with a bit of Humbrol 61 Fleshcolor. To show scuffing and other damages.

The above is actually my standard recipe for most leathers.
It works great for carseats.


Spend shell bags


Old leather tankers helmets


I hope this gives you some ideas.

Well this is a lot more feedback than I thought I'd get, thanks guys

Conor;

Black leather is/was of course painted and/or stained to get that color. One needs to think of the circumstances involved in your coloring choice... It's like those black leather combat boots I wore back in the 70's... in barracks, black shoe-polish (and sergeants) were wholly in effect - shiny black finish, etc. etc. Get out into the field and the polish wore off and those boots became "non-black".

Pre-WWII leather finishes and stains were not all as durable as are those used in auto seats, where black may remain black for many years of use. (Of course, we don't usually bring sand and grit onto our nice leather seats, do we?) Most of the old German (and other Mauser-user countries mostly used the same things) K98 pouches I've seen over the years have been worn and used, and while often still pretty shiny, many appear more a dark chestnut in many places. My approach has been to paint them first satin black, and then use varied amounts of vanDycke brown oil washes to add a hint of brown, with maybe a tiny amount of drybrushing thinned "leather brown" onto high points for wear.

Bob