mine is very tatty and looks like the second one, the third looks very home made, just my 2p worth andrew

email (option): warbikesAT GEE male. com , think about this

The version that Henk has shown seems to be more of a bag than a tool roll, I wonder what material they were made from?

The "roll" type I have shown I have always assumed to be a standard type used on all motorcycles starting sometime during the war, it would be easy to make assumptions about the ones with more leather fittings being early and the webbing being later, but of coarse this type may still have been in use with the Triumph TRW and possibly BSA B40 long after the war.

Does anyone have a dated example?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Here's one of my '44 dated tool rolls. I have two-they came in a big box of M20 tools that accompanied a lot of six m20s acquired by British Only in the 1980s. Most of the tools were still in the original wrapping with depot tags on them.




here's a wartime shot of this type in use:



another shot of my tool rolls:

email (option): m20wc51@yahoo.com

Thanks Doug, that fixes this type as wartime and 1944, does anyone have an earlier dated one that can take the story further back?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

I have something very similar to the first illustration (with a leather strap) and it has a post-war NATO stock number on it.

The style with the webbing retaining strap was clearly a WD issue at least later in the war...

The Norton spare parts list refers to a leather tool roll which was a description taken over from the pre-war civilian list and it has no pocket. The illustration doesn't make it clear where the grease gun should be carried. Later WD lists refer to a belt-carried tool pouch and also quote 'leather' but I have one of these and it is Rexine !

I suspect that most manufacturers supplied their standard kit initially but that any instance of a lost or damaged roll was replaced by the standard tool roll :- LV6.MT2/6704

I'm intending to have a copy Norton roll scaled up in leather but it is unlikely that it would be the same as the BSA item.

Was the OE BSA item simply an 'ISDT-style' tool bag which is what the illustration seems to show ? The retaining strap type are a blasted nuisance to remove tools from, especially if they're wet.

This is what I have for my 16h. It appears very similar to the one the Norton rider is using, but I wouldn't leave my head gasket in the dirt like that!

Hi Rik

I will send a photo of my wartime roll to you - if of use - you can post it

I can't do so with the pad I'm using

Currently moving all mototorcycle stuff from my spar bedroom to my new garage

😱😱

Job

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

take care john lifting the spanners. lol. seriously some one must be able to make a replica tool roll , Frank you reading this

email (option): warbikesAt gee male dot com

I'm sure that replica tool-rolls could be made reasonably easily. The problem seems to be in deciding exactly what was correct for each type. The WM20 toolbox and tool roll illustrations show something with two straps, as mentioned, perhaps more of a bag, and probably leather or 'Rexine'.

The canvas roll with webbing straps seems to be a wartime WD standard replacement, and those with leather retaining straps probably post-war.

Until fairly recently, these NATO-stock marked rolls could be found reasonably easily but once eBay sellers realised that a random assortment of tools, including one or two manufacturer-marked could be sold in a roll for a lot more than the price of single tools, the price rocketed and supply dried up.

If replicas with the integral pouch could be sold for £25 or so then I suspect that they would find a market, but if they were much dearer than that, then they'd probably be slow sellers after the initial rush.

I am going to make a replica tool roll myself, for my BSA WM20 ‘42 dated.
Some dimensions should be very helpful. For example length and width for unfolded flat roll.
More dimensions are appreciated.
Thanks in advance, Lammert de Vries