Older Bag, Valve near top?

[Speedbag]

Here is something you don't see everyday. A speed bag with the air valve near the top. A visitor to speedbagcentral was looking for a bladder for one of these bad boys, and I can't help him out.I've never seen one like this, let alone hit one.

What about it Dutchman. Ever seen on like this?? Anyone?? Fill us in on the history if you can.

[Dutchman]

The valve in the neck was the next step in the evolution of the modern striking bag, following the inflation tube, also located in the neck. Initially this location was to faciliate the inflation of the bladder. With the pinch valve you would think that wouldn't be an issue. Perhaps there was some concern about stressing the valve assembly. It seems to have come into use in the 1920's, and was in use up through WWII. By the end lof the war it had been more or less supplanted by the bottom located valve. I've seen military bags from that era that either one, depending upon the maker.

I've seen a number of these bags over the years. Most of them were wanting a new bladder, which hasn't been available since probably the late 1940's. Some of them had been converted to bottom valves by having a suitable sized hole punched into the bottom circle in the bag. To the best of my knowledge there is no one making the neck valve bladder. Heck it's getting hard to find large sized bottom valve ones now.

[Speedbag]

I never knew that. They say you learn something everyday, so now I'm good for today....

I'll pass that information on to it's owner.

Thanks Dutchman.

[SpeedBagSkunk]

very informative!

Speed Bag Dutchman great knowings on the bag. Now i have a question why has no one made a speedbag with the Needle hole in the top? like directly on the top. A lot of my popped bags that i looked at there popped on the top. Just wondering. Thanks in advance bag brothers

[Dutchman]

Zach, do they fail at the seam, or on the "side"? The top of the bladder tends to have the least amount of support, due to the top being essentially open. The "cap" that is held in positon by the laces can move just enough with use to cause a weak spot in the bladder. Usually this is where it will fail. Most of the bladders I've had fail have been from either the valves going bad or blowing a seam (especially with the plastic bladders), but I have seen ones that have developed a bubble (like what we used to get on innner tubes) from the movement inside the bag.