There are several styles of canteens to be had. Any of these are acceptable. The styles of the canteens are, but not limited to, bull’s eye, smooth side, drum, wood, or flask style. If you use a stainless steel canteen, the spout must be of correct material, (i.e. pewter, tin) and the canteen must be covered--stainless steel did not exist in the mid 19th century. The Federal bulls eye canteen is of late war production. The canteen strap or sling, regardless of the style, should either be of leather, cotton, or linen materials. With the exception of drum canteens (tin or wood), they should be covered. The covering could be one of several different types of materials. Above are several examples of canteens. One has a jeancloth cover and leather strap, one a wool cover and cotton strap, a wooden one with ticking strap, and two styles of drum canteens, one with leather strap and one with cotton webbing.