A standard issue NCB toolbag made between 1947 and 1985 at Whitwick saddlery.
The toolbag is made from a strip of reject conveyor belting. It has a two buckle fastening and shoulder strap for carrying it into the mine.
The selection of tools carried by miners to the coalface changed considerably during the 20th century. In the early 1900s, men would go down the pit with a safety lamp, pick and shovel. Towards the end of the 20th century, it was more common to find miners carrying toolbags full of maintenance equipment to keep the coal cutters and loading machines at the coalface working smoothly.
