How do you motivate others or improve the hobby?

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

Welcome to reenacting! It certainly sounds like you have the "right" attitude.

Regarding anything in the hobby, a tremendous amount of knowledge is required to truly understand the subject matter. When it comes to material goods, you can read all you want but to "know" just what 8-oz. cotton duck (for example) really means, you have to hold some in your hand and eyeball it--there's no substitution for that first-hand knowledge.

You can't acquire this knowledge in the blink of an eye; many folks take years to acquire it. That said, there's a few good places to start. If you don't have "The Columbia Rifles Research Compendium" 2nd Ed. cosider getting a copy, because it's a decent, basic intro to--among other things--most of the common items of Federal infantry material culture.

Next, plan some visits to local historical societies in your region. Even if you live in a small town, if they have a historical museum (and many do) they probably have some Civil War-era artifacts: uniforms, leather gear, camp equipage, long-arms, swords, headwear, and many other items. Play your cards right with the curator or town historian and you can probably get to handle these relics. That's a good first-place to start in acquiring first-hand knowledge of period materials.

Be conscious that, in many cases, even the "better reproductions" available today are the best available, but not always necessarily accurate to the originals. Makers--even "good" ones--alter their sources of supply and construction methods for various reasons (sometimes merely to be more economically attractive to consumers) and product lines and quality/accuracy can change over time. To summarize, just because it was made by "Reputable Vendor X" doesn't mean it's necessarily correct, but it may be the best that can currently be done given material constraints and economics (who would want a very-accurate repro if it cost $5,000 for, say, a jacket?). There are limits on what the repro market currently produces, and the ground of that market can shift at times without the consumer even knowing it.

[weed]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

Safety trumps authenticity always! Go with a flesh colored ear plug when available but do use something. This goes right along with the "do I take my medication with me to events" discussion. Safety/Health first!

Regarding hearing aids... if you can go with out then go with out. If you can't hear a lick with out them then wear them. Try to get discrete ones if you have the means but again I think that this falls into the safety trumps authenticity argument. It is hard to get someones attention and say "Hey, look out for that falling widget" in sign language. My father is deaf in one ear and since he can hear well from the other, he goes with out a hearing aid at events.

I have worn a hearing aid since 1984. Loss of hearing due to gunfire. Even thu I do not wear one at events. I also "SUFFER" from Tinnitus due to gunfire. Somethings that are taken away from you cannot be replaced. I ALLWAYS have the flesh colored foam ear plugs with me at all times. At the FIRST sign of gun fire (even percussion caps, as they accually cause more damage than the gun powder) I put them in. Everybody excepts that and I do events with some of the most authentic guys in the hobby.

John M. Wedeward

[JeffLawrence]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

For hearing protection, go to a shooting supply store and get the ones that fit in your ear. Then tear the cotton off a Q-Tip and glue it to the part which shows, being careful not to plug the sound-hole with glue. It will merely look like you've stuffed cotton in your ears.

That's a terrific idea! My wife was looking for an appropriate way to protect her hearing while following me around to reenactments, but she balked at cotton itself being ineffective. This is a great solution.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

This thread really hits home. Hearing loss is cumulative. Ironically, it wasn't many years of competitive shooting that caused my hearing loss (we wore protection), but most likely a combination of bird hunting, clays, loud machinery, and working in an industry where we fired upwards of 2,500 rounds per day 5 or 6 days per week. I'm not quite stone deaf yet, but reading lips has become a really handy skill over the past ten years, and foreign films with subtitles are really nice. Telephone? Maybe I hear every fourth or fifth word unless the speaker on the other end is loud and clear.

Note to young folks: protect your hearing now.

[Watchdog]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

I would focus on the word "accurate" rather than "authentic." The last "authentic" CiviL War soldiers died in the 1950s. The connotation "authentic" pertains, in my opinion, to the original item, while a reproduction may be more or less "accurate" than an original. One cannot be authentic in that sense, but one can try to be as accurate a representation as possible. One can strive to be genuine in one's search for an accurate reproduction of an authentic item.

The level of material accuaracy depends on several factors. Can the original raw materials and manufacturing processes be used to make the reproduction. If not, how important is the variation from the original? A well done handsewn buttonhole may look like it was machine-made. At fifteen feet, is a machine-made button hole important when the uniform coat is otherwise constructed and manufactured accurately? It is all a matter of personal judgment, desire and need--with the highlest level of material accuracy being the rule of many, the goal of most and ignored by some. The attainment of this goal is limited by a number of factors, which are, of course, discussed and debated throughout the Civil War role-playing community in person and on forums such as this one. This also holds true with the social elements of portraying a person of another time period.

So, the best place to start is with the original--whether it be an artifact or a photograph or a firsthand account.

[Gallo de Cielo]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

I am of the school of thought that the man makes the gear, and not vice-versa. The right mindset and the willingness to attempt to capture the spirit of soldiering- ie, working with your comrades and messmates, living from your pack and haversack, sharing misery with those around you, and acting like a soldier and not a modern slob are the best traits to sieze hold of first. Yes, the jacket and blanket and so forth are important but they are the least important of all things, in my opinion. There are many posers and uber-kewl internet reenactors who talk a big game, buy the expensive kits, lay about and the "kewl" events and fancy themselves as dandies of sorts, who pass judgement on others. With a days worth of mud, sweat, dusty, and slab bacon grease, the $200 cartridge box tends to look much like the $100 version. I personally do attempt to wear and carry the most accurate reproductions I can find and I would hope that others do too but to rotate back to my first statement- the attitude and mindset of the man is the most critical element.

Per your statement that you are far from other reliable folks with which to compare your gear in person, side-by-side, I would offer this- trust those who are "approved" or who enjoy a solid reputation as quality vendors. The approved vendors list and the many posts in the other vendors section of the buy, sell, trade forum will give you a very solid list of who folks prefer and why. Theoretically these folks are held in high regard (particularly the approved vendors) because their reproductions compare favorably with the originals one finds in museums and private collections.

Step one, buying the gear. Step two, actually getting it dirty in real conditions, not sit-around feel-good type events.

My thoughts on the matter.

[rbruno]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

Jeff,
If you are just starting out, don't put so much pressure on yourself to be able to recognize certain details right off the bat. I have been reeacting for 14 years and have only scratched the surface of accurate and authentic items. And, I have mainly focused on clothing and uniforms. I too, did as much reading as I could, looked at as many photos, and looked at as many vendors and unit websites as I could. But, untill I was able to look and feel a few original garments, my knowledge was very limited. I thought I had a good understanding, but looking at originals gives you so much more information and the ability to see what is accurate. I would encourage what has already been suggested, try to see a few original items. I would also suggest to try and narrow your area of study to start. If you are really interested in the uniforms, than focus on that. You didn't mention if you are in a unit yet, but hopefully you will find or have found a unit that shares your commitment to authenticty. One of the members of my unit is really into leather and construction tech. for leather, so I talk with him and listen to him when looking at different vendor's leather. Another member has a very good understanding of weapons. When we all get together we discuss and "compare notes" on what we have research to the benefit of the entire group. And because of these discussions, our entire unit has improved in these areas.
So, I would suggest to try and examine a few originals and keep the discussions going with your unit.
Rob Bruno
1st MD Cav

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

To add to all these other great suggestions... I recomend if you don't already have one to get a mentor into the hobby. I did when I first started and he took me around to sutler row and showed me the difference between a quality garment and a crappy one. Seeing the difference side by side makes you really appreciate the "authentic" stuff.

Good luck!

[Todd Watts]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

I don't use hearing protection except when I am actually on a cannon. I find it too hard to hear the already overlapping confusing voice commands in infantry as it is without adding plugs to my ears. It is a wise thing to do however so I won't disparage anyone from putting plugs in. I don't think the rest of us care if the man next to us has "farbby" plugs in his ears or not. Spectators however may not want bright orange dots in our ears when they develop pictures, so maybe if spectators are close enough to notice and firing is not severe we can pull plugs out. There are some nicely made molded plastic plugs that are flesh-toned and even clear that gun stores sell. The Blockade Runner carries them as well. I have not tried them myself, but some guys I know that use them swear by them and they are hardly noticeable even up close unless you actually focus on their ears. Also, they "fit" the ear so you can pop them in and out instantly without having to roll them like foam plugs. Pop them out and store them in your pocket, and as soon as it looks like the order to fire is near, pop them back in. Sorry, but off hand I don't recall their name, but you can find it at The Blockade Runner's website.

[jchristiansen]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

I use wax. It's clear and not terribly noticeable. You just grab a piece and mold into your ear canal. Most drugstores sell packs of this stuff right next to the big foam plugs. Makes for all sorts of conversation along the lines of "hey, you got wax in your ears?"

[ElizabethClark]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

And, keep in mind that there are other aspects to read on... such as, everyday life in the 1850s and 1860s, so you know where you came from before the military, what you're missing back home, and what you expect to go back to after. Having known a fair few military men, it's a rara avis who only talks about military strategy.

[JeffLawrence]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

Very good advice, all. I appreciate your candor and willingness to lend your ear and experience.

A few questions that were raised in the process of responding to me were interesting ones. rbruno noted that I hadn't mentioned if I was in a unit yet, nothing that they may well be a good source should they share my interest in authenticity. I have, and I believe that they do, but frankly, I'm not certain, given my own inexperience. One thing that I can say for sure that I've noticed is that no unit comes out and says "Well, hells and damnations! Of course we're farbs!" Rather, I see and hear "We strive for authenticity" all over the place. That level of authenicity clearly varies, and while I think the unit I've hooked up with is of the same rough vein as myself, I'm just not sure; hence my looking around here, personal research, and asking questions like some pest. Of course, this also complicates finding a reasonable mentor as cprljohnivey wisely suggests. With no certainty on my part, I'm floundering as to where to find one of those as well.

Those concerns aside, I have gotten some very good advice here from all, and I would like to thank you for your input. I will be seeing about getting my hands on "The Columbia Rifles Research Compendium", checking around with our local historical societies about getting a look-see at any period examples of goods and equipment they may have kicking around (actually, the fact that I'm just across the Connecticut River from the Springfield Armory was a fact I'd not considered, despite the obviousness of the fact), and will be seeing about tending to my antebellum knowledge to beef up my personal impression.

So, thanks again!
If anyone has any further ideas (or lives nearby and wants to mentor a poor sop), I'd love to keep hearing from you.

YOS,

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

Hallo!

Herr Jeff...

I do not live close to you, but...
But if you can stand my particular and peculiar heresies- my e-mail and PM boxes are always open for questions and discussion.

Regards,

Curt
Heretic Mess

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Authenticity: How to Tell?

One thing that I can say for sure that I've noticed is that no unit comes out and says "Well, hells and damnations! Of course we're farbs!" Rather, I see and hear "We strive for authenticity" all over the place.

Jeff,

You are fortunate indeed if you've not encountered a unit that advertises that they are farbs. The term farb may be encoded -- look for markers like "family oriented" and "fun experience", but it's there all the same. Google "reenacting group family friendly" and see what kicks out. There, in living color (or fake sepia), on the web for the whole world to see, are the unit's galtroops, coolers, checkered tablecloths, prom dresses, plastic cups, modern chairs, etc.

If you have not encountered any such groups in person, you are more the blessed for it -- you are hitting the better events!

Welcome to the hobby!

Ron Myzie

[cwdoc45]

Re: Reenactor w/Health Problems......Fitting in..

Try your friendly surgeon, we are always looking for new surgeons & the knees are good enough to be an asst surgeon & administer chloroform to a patient or operate on a limb.

cwdoc45
Dr. Trevor Steinbach
45th Illinois Vols