No S10? A guide on buying an S10
The King of the Gasmasks
The S10 has replaced the S6 to become the fetish community most desired gas mask. The problem is the S10 was stopped being used by the armed forces in 2011, which was great for the army surplus, however now the supplies are becoming more limited.
The problem gets worse as the best place to look is eBay, which is sometimes risky to use. The second issue, is the S10 was a British made mask, which if you live abroad is even harder to get.
So therefore I thought I would write a quick guide on what to look out for when purchasing a gas mask. Some tips on getting masks to use with my items, and a new service which I source the gas mask for you.
What to look out for?
Age
The S10 mask was manufactured from 1986 until present. However it was predominately used by the British armed forces until 2011. Therefore the majority of the masks are very old. I have a few masks and the majority of them were manufactured in the 1980s. For me this is not an issue, however to only thing to bare in mind is the older the mask the higher chance it's dirty/damaged. Also the newer the mask, the more expensive the mask is
Size
S10 masks comes in 4 sizes (most British mask come in 4 sizes) Size 1 is the largest and 4 is the smallest. Most guys are a size 1 or 2. Which means size 1 and 2 are under higher demand and therefore more expensive. The rough size guide:
Label SizeHead Circumference (in cm)
S: 55 - 56
M: 57 - 58
L: 59 - 60
XL: 61 - 61.5
Quality
The majority of the S10 masks are Army surplus, which means they would have been used by the armed forces. Therefore the mask can be fairly dirty. If you are prepared to clean the S10 the dirt should not be a large problem. I would not be afraid to ask the seller for close up images. Sometimes you see the mask is covered in talc. Good clean in soap followed by a shine in some rubber shine, works a treat.
Filters/drink tube
The S10 mask has a pre-installed drinking system and many come with filters. All filters designed for the S10 are out of date (Final date 2014), therefore they may not work as a filter. But they maybe fine for popper based activities. If the filter has been opened I would avoid using it.
The drink tube would have been used by someone in the armed forces, therefore I would also remove it.
KB3D S10 Acquisition Service
Alternative to S10
A common question I get asked is "where can I get a S10 which isn't eBay?" and the short answer to that is you can't, or it is very difficult. The reasons people avoid eBay is that it comes with risks, especially if you are not experience or you are unsure what to look for.
The second common question is "Can you modify the mask for me?" The answer is of course. I am happy to modify anyones mask with my items free of charge. As long as you cover a shipping fees I would be happy.
Therefore I thought it might be a good idea to merge the two. I am willing to search, buy and modify your mask, taking the stress and energy in doing it yourself.
How does it work?
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You first need to contact me. Read the rest of this guide, the click the contact page above. Contact me using one of the methods (Do not use the enquire form).
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I will then ask you, what is your maximum budget for your S10 (See price guide below)(This will include any shipping fees)
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I will then bid on an S10 which looks good (I will check the quality, size age etc) up to your limit. If we are successful, I will then request the money from you. If we are not successful I will then look again.
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Once the gas mask arrives at my location, I will begin printing the items for the mask.
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I will then modify the mask. I will the request the remaining cost for the modifications.
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Shipping
How much does it cost?
The cost is split up into 4 sections:
Cost of the S10
As of August 2022, the S10 mask varies from ~£70 - £150. You set the budget for me to use for finding a mask. I will not go above the budget you set without prior permission. A budget closer to £70 will take much longer to find than a budget of £150.
Shipping the S10 to my location
This cost will be factored in to the budget you set. I will not go above the prearranged budget without permission.
Cost of my modifications
The cost of the modification will be set at the price shown on this website (I can give you a total before you commit to anything)
Cost of shipping to you
Cost are normally set at:
UK: £5
International: £10
The shipping price may vary depending on size of the order.
*If you wish to purchase an S10 through this service without ordering modules from me, I will charge a 20% for "labour". My labour is free if purchased with a module.
If you are wanting a gas mask simply to be used as a flashlight or a funnel, then there are other options available.
FM12
This would be the first mask I would consider. The FM12 is the S10 replacement, and they almost look identical. The expectation is that the S10 modules will work without any issue.
Aug 2022: I have just received a FM12, I will shortly be confirming if this mask is compatible with the S10 modules. If they are not, I will make compatible modules.
GP5/russian
This mask is a classic. These are incredibly popular masks, and very cheap. I have also designed modules to work with this mask. However, due to the angle a flashlight module has not been designed.
See here for GP5 modules
GSR
A recurring pattern is the gas mask picked by the British army will be come the kinksters choice. If this pattern continues, the GSR will be come the favourite in the next couple of decades. This happened for the S6, now the S10.
This mask is still in production and is being used by the British armed forces, therefore supplies are limited, but would be expected to improve as more masks are released onto army surplus.
Modules are currently being designed for this mask. Click here for more GSR modules