aging a sack coat

[Pazouave114]

hello everyone i just purchased a brand new daley fatigue blouse and i was wondering is there anyway to age the coat so when I hit the event it wont look like im a new recruit

Brandon Sedlmyer

[Jimmayo]

Re: aging a sack coat

That's a qualitity coat made to last. Only thing you can do is get it dirty. Of course you could go out this Sat and play football in the mud. That outa do it.

All kidding aside, Every soldier had a new coat at one time or another. Just wear it and let it age naturally.

[paulcalloway]

Re: aging a sack coat

Jim Mayo has exactly stated my opinion on the matter... there's only one way to age a reproduction item and thats to wear it.

[markj]

Re: aging a sack coat

Hi,

I would agree with the previous post. Just let your coat "age and mellow" on its own. Some other things to consider are:

1. If you do enough reading, you'll quickly note that most troops were inspected on a regular basis (e.g., every Sunday morning) whenever possible. Smart commanders were known to offer incentives to those displaying the best appearance (e.g., passes to town or at least relief from drill or picket duty).

2. Men with any lick of sense kept their uniforms in good repair. This was due to the fact they were given the money from the unused portions of their annual clothing allowances upon mustering out. This could be a relatively hefty sum--often the equivalent of several months' pay.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: aging a sack coat

Remember it is one of the only pieces of clothing you own, you have to wear it 24 hrs a day 7 days a week, and it has to look good on Sundays. Just wear to several LHs and It will be broken in before you know it. If you do this then you will not need to replace it for some time. Im on my 3rd (two lined one unlined) in 15 years.

[RyanBWeddle]

Re: aging a sack coat

"looking like a recruit" - is a mindset you should try to break. Men were
issued clothing, etc. in the field depending on need, annual issuance, etc.

And like others have said, you were inspected regularly so you don't want to stand out like a sore thumb with big splotches of mud down your front just to "look cool". Natural wear and tear is one thing, fabricated aging/patina is another (bad)....

So just wear the sack and you'll be fine.

[Yellowhammer]

Re: aging a sack coat

I agree with all the others who have posted here. Artificially aged anything looks like just that, artificial.

[Kykeydet12]

Re: aging a sack coat

Pard:
they6've pretty much nailed the hammer on the head!I did see our battery cook let his sit out in the sun a little while , to darken the fibers is what he said. I don't know if it works.

Rob

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: aging a sack coat

Hallo Kamerad!

Darken the fibers?

The effect of exposure to UV light is the opposite, it "bleaches" or "fades" dyestuffs by breaking it down, even modern aniline dyes.

;-)

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[orngblsm]

Re: aging a sack coat

I agree with everyone here...Time is the only thing that will age your coat. Remember...soldiers didn't want to be dirty, they were just victims of circumstance. I'm sure that if these boys would grap at a new uniform in a minute or wash up at their will. Your pards may josh you around, but new clothing is just as authentic as older( as long as it's a good make- of course). Just my humble opinion...


Respectfully,

[DougCooper]

Re: aging a sack coat

It was not uncommon in the Army and the Navy to "trade" or otherwise "convince" a new recruit to give up his new uniform in exchange for the honored threads of a veteran. Vets appreciated new uniforms as a glance though any first person account will usually show.

never heard of a vet turning a uniform down because he was afraid folks would think he was a new recruit...

ineptitude at drill, 21st century talk etc are much more likely to lable you a fresh fish than a newly issued sack coat

having said that, if it is a 44 or a 46, I know some pards with worn sack coats that would gladly trade with you :D

put that baby on, shoulder your gun and join the army...won't take long to get the look on your shoulders.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: aging a sack coat

having said that, if it is a 44 or a 46, I know some pards with worn sack coats that would gladly trade with you :D

.

Not a bad idea Doug, maybe he is willing to swap for the coat a burned a hole into the back of sleeping to close to the fire.

[Alamo Guard]

Re: aging a sack coat

I think mismatched uniforms define a vetern better anyways. Having an aged pair of pants and a new jacket blend seems to show the man has seen the elephant.
You could come up with a thousand stories on how you got a new jacket. Stolen from quartermast stores, ripped by a piece of shell, traded your old one to a fresh fish, lost in a bordello during the provost marshall raid, the list is endless.
Too often we see men in muddy ragged uniforms, both shirts and pants. My humple opinion is alot of men who have mismatched clothing, based on the circumstances of campain and battle.