Weird.......... I have been eyeballin a Year One car parts catalog. I can BUY a new 60’s era muscle car parts pile including frame, body, trim, wiring harness, interior, drive train etc from reproduction parts. I had no idea that industry was in place for web gear as well......LOL !
Who is paying for this stuff ? Gamers, wannabes , collectors or re-enacttors (sp?) of events like the CW, WW1, WW2, Korean and VN era wars ??
I know of a certain gun dealer on Central in ABQ NM that used to stamp new Henry and uberti clone Winchester rifles and reproduction colts with real factory markings and then do the patina refinish etc and put the guns out for sale as originals........I think he quit that when word was put out as to how many times this occurred. But it is OK IMHO to advertise ya did such and want extra money for the “art work” but never for the forgery deceit crime.
I have a few U2 camera cases (they are size of small dorm refrigerators) here full of old deuce gear to go thru now and see what I have.....
All of the above, and also collectors who realize how nice it would be to have a genuine pistol belt, ammo pouch, canteen, etc. from the same era as their weapon. The problem is this stuff is pretty ephemeral compared to the weapons themselves. It was easier and cheaper to find M1956 and M1967 gear in the middle 1970s than it is now. Hence a lot of unmarked repros, and repros with fraudulent markings.
Some items, like carbine-related canvas, were made in such huge numbers that genuine un-issued items were still available at decent prices until a few years ago. To correctly finish my Stevens trenchgun, I spent $20 for a genuine WW2-still-in-the-wrapper web sling, when it would probably have cost $1 ten years ago.
One source, with waaaay too much to absorb at one time, is olive-drab.com. I notice a lot of European interest in this stuff. Probably because they can't have the weapons, but would like some genuine accessories to go with their state-approved non-guns.