French MAT Magazine Pouch

It is better than expected, leather is in great shape, sturdy and the finish is mostly intact - it's surplus not new production so a little moldy and stinky is expected.

I ordered two of these with a yugo double pouch and these boys turned out in awesome condition. French gear from this site never fails to amaze me. The leather isn't cracked and none of the seams appear broken.

Good buy. Now looking for something to put in them.

Nice Product and Excellent Value. Bought two. Excellent Condition, but the leather side panels were quite stiff from years of storage. No mold, discoloration, or cracking.

Here's what I did to soften the side panels:
1) Brush out all dirt with a shoe brush
2) Use saddle soap on the side panels, working the soap (which has oil in it) and water into the leather. Do this twice to be sure the leather is fully dampened. Wipe off excess soap.
3) Insert a block of wood into the pouch. Start with a block that lifts the panel about half an inch, and gradually shim by adding another 3/8ths inch or so, each time raising the panel bit by bit (so you don't crack the leather.) Once the leather side panel has been fully extended, let it dry for several hours.
4) When dry, wipe a coat of 100% Pure Mink Oil (not something that says Mink Oil but might have other vegetable oils or Neats Foot oil -- which can harden years later from polymerization). Mink Oil is unique because it contains both fat and oil, each essential to feed leather. After the Mink Oil sinks in, put on another coat. Wipe off any excess an hour or so later. Then wait a day for all the oil to settle into the pores of the leather.
5) Melt Mink Oil into a partially empty can of black shoe polish for a content of about 25% Mink Oil to 75% shoe polish (proportion is not critical). Once cool, apply to external leather just like you are polishing shoes to keep the leather in good condition. The wax in the shoe polish is great to keep the leather resistant to water and junk.

I got mine as a christmas present. It is great if you like french history and mine was in great shape considering its age.