US Ration Spoons

[mreheater72]

Hi guys,

today a new type of „US ration spoons” out of an Accessory Packet

(see here viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2625&start=40 and scroll down)

from the early sixties:

The color of the spoon is more yellow than white as it is by the usual ones, but the shape and size is nearly identic. There is no manufacturer marked at the spoon.







So long mreheater 72

[laughing_man]

I found the spoons of US ration at the Japanese auction.
This looks the same as the MCI spoon of the picture of mreheater72.
http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d114351342

[mreheater72]

I found the spoons of US ration at the Japanese auction.
This looks the same as the MCI spoon of the picture of mreheater72.
http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d114351342

That ones are very interesting . They have the same shape as MCI/old MRE spoons, but the plastic is more white and less transparent. See that kind of spoons for the first time.

So long mreheater72

[mreheater72]

Hi guys,

today I sorted my "US Flatware Collection" and found two funny MCI/MRE spoons (NIB 39083) which were both obviously damaged during packaging. It seems that they were "shortened" as they were fused in their transparent plastic wrappers. See the following photos:







By the way I found the meaning of the abbreviation "NIB" and the number "39083".

"NIB" stands for National Industries for the Blind and "39083" is the zip code of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, location of "Royal Maid Association for The Blind". See the following links:

http://www.nib.org/

http://www.abilityone.com/OA_HTML/xxnib ... 0:22372:US

Here is the "Ration Spoon" in the actual tan color
http://www.abilityone.com/OA_HTML/xxnib ... 0:22372:US

Here the "Flatware Set" in tan color
http://www.abilityone.com/OA_HTML/xxnib ... 0:22372:US

So long mreheater72

[mreheater72]

Hi guys,

I found a new one ! I got it loose, so a "relation" to a ration is not possible, but I guess it is out of a MRE. Date of manufacture: Perhaps the beginning of the nineties See the photos:

"New" dark brown ration spoon still in transparent foil wrapper


The spoon out of wrapper front side


The spoon out of wrapper reverse side


Printing on the spoon "15 R-M"


The "new" spoon in comparison to a usual MRE spoon front side each


The "new" spoon in comparison to a usual MRE spoon reverse side each


So long mreheater72

[Ruleryak]

Cool find! The brown spoon prototype.

[mreheater72]

Cool find! The brown spoon prototype.

Ruleryak, yes, you could be right !

Now some supplement to the "new" brown ration spoon:
A couple of days ago I showed here a white "unusual" ration spoon. At that time norge commented:

yes thats a genuin mre spoon,i have it in brown to+ white as yours in
my collection.

found my spoons in mid 1990s brown bag mres…

Here some comparison photos of the "unusual" white and brown spoon, they look very similar, but in detail they are not the same :

[mreheater72]

Hi,

now I want to show the first type plastic spoon that was issued in US rations ("Ration, Combat, Individual" and very early "Meal, Combat, Individual"). The used material was transparent plastic, the shape was nearly the same as of the familiar white spoons that replaced ("Meal, Combat, Individual" and early MREs) the transparent ones (about 1960?). The following photos show a pack of three spoons out of a "C-Ration", there is no printing except "T7":



























The forerunners of the plastic spoons were wooden spoons that were content of K-Rations. Here a link with a photo of reproductions (in my collection that kind is still missing ):
http://www.wwiirations.com/index.php?pa ... Itemid=120

So long mreheater 72

[Ruleryak]

I've opened three wax-sealed K Rations so far and none of them came with a spoon. I'm wondering if the spoons were in a special accessory pack for the unit or something to that effect.

[Name_not_found]

Have seen in with the cracker and loose, not sure the difference