A vintage leather carry cover issued for the Swiss trench shovel, commonly produced during the World War I and World War II era.
Crafted from brown leather with metal hardware, these carriers often show the honest patina of service: scuffs, darkening, and wear from decades of field use. The carrying straps to attach to a belts and backpacks.
Features maker marks “H.Feess Gattikon (Zch) 40” which is the name or the craftsman, town and year or production.
And yes… it’s just the carrier. The shovel itself has been AWOL for about 80 years…probably still digging somewhere in the Alps.
The stamp indicates it was crafted by a saddler ("Sattler") named Fraug Madoerin in Tenniken, Switzerland 1940.
Historic Context:
During the 20th century (specifically spanning WWI through WWII), the Swiss military did not rely solely on centralized factories for gear production. Instead, they contracted local, highly skilled regional civilian master saddlers (Sattler) across different Swiss villages to manufacture standardized leather equipment including ammunition pouches, map cases, and horse tack to strict military specifications.
