Another Fresh Fish Question

[Indyguy]

I may get flamed on for this but........
Okay, can one get a less than top quality uniform and turn it into a more authenic looking garment? Hand sew the button holes etc.? Or is this like a silk purse sows ear story?
I have seen some people get run off the field in their imported uniforms and never come back, I mean harsh stuff was said.But from where I sat I thought they looked okay, So what's it all about
I was told buy one person that my cartidge box strap was wrong because it was bridle leather then I read that most were.
I paid $95.00 for a Forage cap"Museum Quality" it's made of some nice wool then I read that they were made from Jean cloth. so Now I am lost and asking for the community to set me straight and get me going in the right direction. Anyone's ideas will be helpful since everyone here seems to know what's what in the hobby. Thanks

Big Irish Will
35th IVI- 1st Irish

[VaTrooper]

Its the silk purse story. Who made the cap?

[Hondo]

Will,

It all boils down to the impression you are doing and that of your unit. At 50 yds a spectator will be hard pressed to properly identify quailty. If doing a living history where you will direct contact with spectators then by all means try to have the most correct kit you can.




Hondo

[MStuart]

Will:

The A/C website has a list of top drawer sutlers who's work is as close as it gets to the originals. I would start there first when purchasing. That being said, the A/C website also has a search function. There's a plethora of threads on research and findings done by many over there and you're more than likey to find just what you need. One word of caution........use the search function first before asking a million questions.

Mark

[reb64]

You have raised several good points of which I beleive there will be a long list of replies to follow. First off, most of these issues can be avoided if you buy after consulting your unit/comapany/bn NCO's. Meeting their guidlines is what is important, not anyone else's. Even if the group is mainstream, arby whatever, hardcore you will be correct for the unit, you maybe wrong accuracy wise though. Thats the seconfd part, if you are buying according to your likes and visual cues like"museum quality", you are stepping intoa hole. Many kepis wre of wool and other and can be made of museum quality, but does you unit portray wool kepi wearing soldiers or jean, or slouch hats etc.? Too many variables. My first year I bought ny own after research and was called farby. I was correct but my prospective unit was behind the times. I had a jean coat, tape trimmed shirt, sewn soled brogans and some machining sewing visible. I was told by hardcores no sewn soles existed, the shirt was farby (now standard trans miss wear) and no sewing machines existed. I hvaen't cared much for know it all's ever since, rather those with friendly advice. Correct me if I'm wrong, back off if you aren't grounded with research. Chasing someone off for wearing import sounds more like falsato patriotism than anything else. you bought cheaper and they don't like it. Most Confederate items were imported weren't they? Anyhow, ask the guy who doesn't like imported jackets if he buys from walamrt and what does he drive, mostly all imports i bet. Buy american if you can, and if you afford it,but you will notice the overpriced puffed up sutlers out therethe turn 36$of jean wool into a three hundered dollar coat. you get what you pay for, but you can convert a cheaper jacket into a harcore one. Altering sleeves, collars and button holes is fairly easy. I have owned the more expensive brands and they are nice, but one can do it themselves for a lot less and will be very comparable if just for a occational weekend outing. I mean why pay hundreds for it to be torn up. some Hardcores pay alot because they mostly just pose and want to look good but are gone at the sight of rain. I'd rather have a sturdy utilitarian coat and trousers made homespun that I won't cry over if they get torn or ripped. I better quit, cuz I feel the enemy on my heels now. Anyhow, seek out your pards and there advice first.

[VaTrooper]

you get what you pay for, but you can convert a cheaper jacket into a harcore one. Altering sleeves, collars and button holes is fairly easy.

Ive only got one question: How are you going to get the polyester out?

[skamikaze]

touche.

i have often taken farb gear and turned it into something more authentic. your canteen for example, may be of the sutler row variety. you can rip off that wool/polyester blend cover and handstich on a new one of jean cloth. take the extra long strap they give you, rip it off, and put on a new one of correct material and cut to the proper ride. same goes with the cork and its attachement. also, for that little added touch, do some research and find the canteen of the unit of your impression and stencil paint your company letter or whatever they put on there. it may be a farby tin canteen underneath but from the outside it will be nice. same goes for haversacks and knapsacks.

my current project is a union shell jakect with blue piping that is totally farb that i bought for $20. i cut off all the piping and the buttons, took an inch off the closure of the front, and am tapering the bottom to curve like the short zouave jackets of the 95th PA. then im adding red piping and ball buttons as well.

[VaTrooper]

By the time you buy the sling, cover kit, and sew it on you could have gotten a quality one. And stenciling in your units names a nice touch, as long as your unit was at the event. And I dont even wanna talk about the jacket.

[reb64]

Ive only got one question: How are you going to get the polyester out?

Well of course if there is obvious synthetic material scratch that conversion. But then again you would be suprised how incorrect even the best fabrics we use are, the jean plies and counts are incorrect but have been improved of late. In reality we are all farbs in a way.

[reb64]

By the time you buy the sling, cover kit, and sew it on you could have gotten a quality one. And stenciling in your units names a nice touch, as long as your unit was at the event. And I dont even wanna talk about the jacket.

Not true, many squre feet of jean just lies around. I have a ton. You can convert a canteen to jean fairly cheap, no sense paying 10-20 for a small patch of jean.