Jigsaw assault vest

Hello

I finally found a e-shop in Belgium that sells jigsaw vests, in new condition (ammo pouches are not provided). I don't know the period because there is no label !

Nice find! These were easily available for a short period of time and then I stopped seeing them.

These were issued from the very early 2000s (late 1990s?) through the early 2010s, from what I can tell. I have pictures from 2003 of soldiers in Kosovo wearing them and later pictures being worn at demonstration events in Belgium. I bought mine in 2004.

This time period was when many nations experimented with this sort of LBV.

Before this the Belgians had the common body armor with loops for securing pouches. Nobody really liked this because it was difficult to get in/out of vehicles as well as not being useful for operations that didn't require body armor (there was a time body armor was optional!). The fixed pouches was "a thing" that many militaries tried and abandoned. What I don't understand is that Belgium already had detachable pouches, so why not just make a vest that accepted them?

Sometime around 2010? Belgium switched over to lighter body armor and a lighter vest (Bear II by NFM). I don't know what they use these days.

Steve

CollectinSteve wrote:  I don't know what they use these days.

Steve

Today they use a system from SIOEN.

https://iacmc.forumotion.com/t12804-belgian-army-load-bearing-vest-sioen-atlas

Thanks!  Yeah, I would have mistaken it for a Bear 2.

The desert pouches are absolutely impossible to find and the temperate ones not much easier.  At least I've not found any to purchase.

Steve

CollectinSteve wrote:Nice find!  These were easily available for a short period of time and then I stopped seeing them.  

Maybe they're all in several crates I saw at Sietsma Army Goods here in Holland, all cut into pieces.

michelwijnand wrote:

CollectinSteve wrote:Nice find!  These were easily available for a short period of time and then I stopped seeing them.  

Maybe they're all in several crates I saw at Sietsma Army Goods here in Holland, all cut into pieces.

I forgot about the demilled examples! I saw a few for sale many years ago, probably on eBay.

I was fortunate to get an unissued vest for my collection. Very well made, very impractical

Steve

I just found this one. It has different pouches. Do you know this version?

Hello
I added the ammunition pockets and crossed the back straps as I saw in photos of Belgian soldiers

Hello
I foun an used one "Seyntex 2001" , complete with the two ammo pouch and the belt

Hey!
Sorry to drop in on an old topic but do yiu remember what the name of the shop was? I'm looking to get some jigsaw stuff and I'm having a really hard time finding vests/body armour

Hello

https://amerikaantje.be/fr/product/abl-tactical-vest-deluxe/

belgium_one wrote:Hello
amerikaantje be/fr/product/abl-tactical-vest-deluxe/

Thanks!!!

Try Facebook Marketplace, its another option. This is over 12 months old but shows the gear is out there.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/542483010623992/?ref=saved&referral_code=null
Regards, Kevin.

Hello
Several times, there have been some for sale on the Vinted website, at different prices and conditions. For the moment there is only one

https://www.vinted.fr/items/1598896767-gilet-tactique-abl?referrer=catalog

belgium_one wrote:Hello

https://amerikaantje.be/fr/product/abl-tactical-vest-deluxe/

I have visited both of their stores in Belgium a few times over the years. There were always some interesting items to dig out of the bins...