FRock

[JerseySkilletLicker]

Re: FRock

There are two and only two for the past few years. Chris Daley and NJ ************. Chris is a member of this forum and also an approved vendor. ************ sells his wares through EJ Thomas (also an approved vendor) as well as direct and a few other agents as well.
Pat Brown, who makes coats for me, is currently in Iraq so there won't be any hitting my site any time soon.

Joe

[coastaltrash]

Re: FRock

Frank,
Daley, ************ and Joe Hill are about the only people I would trust with that project that I know of right now.

I had Hill put together a really nice field altered frock coat copied from an original he has access to and I had the chance to view at the Nashville Show in 05.

[BrianHicks]

Re: FRock

You might want to contact Joe Blunt as well.

[toptimlrd]

Re: FRock

You might want to contact Joe Blunt as well.

Absolutely Brian, I have one of Joe's frocks (as well as several other items of his) and it is fantastic.

[CJDaley]

Re: FRock

Absolutely Brian, I have one of Joe's frocks (as well as several other items of his) and it is fantastic.

Thanks for the compliments guys, please don't forget our other AC Approved Vendors like Dan Wambaugh. I saw one his coats recently and was very impressed.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: FRock

I'm going to echo the good Mr. Daley and say that I too recently looked at one of Mr. Wambaugh's coats, and I would indeed put it out there for the AC masses. Having been in the market for about a year for a good Federal frock, I began a rating system based upon actually examining several vendors coats with some exacting points from originals that I examined (unfortunately only through some detailed photographs rather than up close and personal), and I must say that the order went:
1. Joe Blunt (his attention to detail and color were incredible), 2. Chris Daley (only slightly less handfinishing than Joe's, but still right up there, 3. Nick Sekala, and 4. Wambaugh, White, and Co. I say this with the caveat that I looked at only about 8 vendors, AC approved or not, and there are a couple of other vendors that I would have loved to examine (Fred Baker being one). I have now ventured out of the dark ages and acquired the Sekala coat last weekend, as I got lucky and EJ Thomas had one in stock at Olustee, and have no regrets thus far. We are indeed in a better age of doing business for upper-tier goods with the likes of Joe Hofman, Chris Daley, and EJ Thomas and the like maintaining "in stock" status as opposed to "the good old days" of waiting months.

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: FRock

Thanks for the kind words Chris and Ross. While I have made a handful of federal frocks these have been mostly for close messmates or very good customers. These garments are one thing that I never plan to offer as part of my standard line, and honestly if I never made another one again I would be very happy.

It seems with federal frocks that designers decided to incorporate every one of the most difficult features used in period garment construction just to make things difficult, and what is more hid most of these things on the inside so you couldn't see them when the coat is being worn!

I've talked about this before but it may have been lost in the crash. Federal frocks are one of those items that should always be priced above $500. I estimate that they take approximately 30-35 hours to produce, have around $125.00 into materials, leaving around $375.00 to actually be made for their production. This figures to between $10.71-$12.50 per hour for constructing the most difficult standard issue item used in the war!

The bottom line is treasure those vendors willing to make an accurate reproduction of this garment, it is truly a labor of love!


Best Regards,