Bite-Size History With Ivan

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Hopefully everyone knows the tragic tale of the Chernobyl disaster or at least watched the excellent show about it from HBO. Russia already had an awful track record with nuclear energy during the cold war. It wasn't only because they...

The US and USSR going "Band for Band"

We talk about the Cold War on our store so often, it's become one of our defining aesthetics. But the grand armies and weapons are arguably less than half of the story. Many of the battles from the 50s through...

Operation Wandering Soul: A Bone-Chilling Tale

One of the most active and fascinating periods of time with notable use of psychological warfare tactics was the Vietnam War. We could go on for hours about the conflict's affinity for producing stories stranger than fiction, but we want...

How DPM Ended Up On P83

Over the years we've collected a lot of images and samples of rare and one-off kit from the Border War. Like the forbidden "Oops! ALL 40mm grenade!" P83 Chest Rig, or rare high-speed-low-drag versions of the Battle Jacket designed just...

The Story of "Versengtarn"

The "Hows & Whys" of our most poplular small-batch dyed surplus garments, called "Versengtarn". Learn the difference between traditional DIY dyeing and our not-so-secret formula.

Enter The 'Green Zone': The Lore Behind The Dye

How "Green Zone" DPM got it's name, and the story of the pattern from WW2 to GWOT...

SS-Leto: You Did Nazi It Coming...

Russian "Partizan" is a camo with a backstory shared with the likes of flecktarn, US m81/ERDL, Swedish splinter, Czech "rain" pattern, and a plethora of others from around the world. But how? Well, let's backtrack to Partizan for one moment....

Exotic Gas Masks: How an Italian Scuba Company Made a Breakthrough in Respirators

How "Mestel Safety", a subsidiary of celebrated Scuba Company "Ocean Reef" Got its start with one badass military scuba diver...

Memorial Day: A Decorated History

Being in the business of selling military surplus for over a decade, we have a close connection to military holidays.

Memorial Day is certainly special here in the states — it marks the beginning of summer, spending time outdoors with family, and for some, just a well-deserved day off.

We talk about the origin of Memorial Day, its traditional meanings, and what it means to remember all of those who died to protect our way of life.

Red Dawn: A Legacy

Red Dawn is an incredibly enduring film from the 1980s that still holds relevance for its Second Amendment advocacy with context that sways even non-gun owners. We think the film is misunderstood, but with a dash of historical context, can give new viewers a very valuable insight on America's founding values.

Obsession With Adidas: An Olympian Story

In talking about remaking the "Mockba", a soviet replica of the beloved "Gazelle" shoe design, we had to look into what they were cloning: Adidas. What makes a fashion brand so beloved, it becomes part of a nation's identity? It...

Stealth Unveiled

In 1990, a mysterious and strikingly beautiful aircraft touched down on a dusty airfield in the Nevada desert. The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. Every year, we celebrate the public debut of it, it's our favorite airframe by a country mile. And the...

Choose Your Fighter

While Europe and the west were busy playing a game of "who has the most nukes wins", the cold war was heating up in Africa. The communist opposition slowly crept its lines closer and closer to South Africa, a guerilla...

A Different Kind Of "Stars" & "Stripes"

So you want to learn abnout some staple Russian garments да comrade? this blog talks about the Ushanka and Telenyashka...

A Tale Of Two Tees

The economy is looking rough, a Hollywood personality becomes president & almost gets assassinated... We should clarify, we're talking about the 1980s today. The coincidences line up quite a bit — we couldn't resist. A new weapon bursts onto the...

Veteran's Day: The Story Of The Armistice & Our Troops

Behind the we share today are the stories of a real person who decided for one reason or another to serve in the US military. Someone who deeply cares for their country, someone who might've had nowhere else to go,...

Rhodesia Leading Up To The Bush War: An Overview

What we now know as Zimbabwe was Southern Rhodesia was one of three states merged in 1953 to form the British-administered Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (also known as the Central African Federation). This union was largely a marriage of...

Into The Jaws Of Death: Normandy Invasion 80th Anniversary

The story of the Invasion of Normandy, Its troubles, and its history-defining triumph.