Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Hallo!

"And, while I agree with your thoughts behind evolving into this part of the hobby, but what about the guys who have been around for a while and still neglect parts of their kit? This problem is not only specific to new participants."

Not all change is positive, just as all movement is not forward.

IMHO, people do what works.
They serve the master of the their Mental Pictures (defined as what they see themselves doing and where they see themselves fitting in).
Meaning, at any level or segment, there are lads who are perfectly happy at the level/segment, rightfully so, and who are perceiving or actually appreciating a Bang for the Buck spent.

IMHO, trying to lead, teach, mentor, befriend, cojole, threaten, entice, bribe, force, convert, insult, beat-up folks to go where they do not want to go is ultimately a Fool's Errand or a Wild Gose Chase- which seems to be State of Personal Growth and Development we all mostly pass through on our own Journey.

However, I still believe, as I have shared... the Law of Disproportional Returns seems to hold true: the less one asks for, the even less one receives in return.
Or as Dr. Phil would say. "You get what you ask for."

"People" do because they can. When they "do less," and consistently get away it (read as low or poorly enforced publicized standards), they consistently remain the same or get worse. (And that is contagious, for others seeing it, copy it themselves.)

And as some would argue... If one is not moving forward one is not standing still. Rather, one is falling behind.

Others' mileage, and heresies, will vary..

Curt

[Chihuahua]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Friends,
Great post! Thanks for the three-legged stool image, Heinrich.
Do reenactors actually get turned away from events due to poor/inadequate kit? Do inspections actually take place?
I've been to a number of "authentic" events, and I've never been inspected. I take all of this very seriously, and I'd be absolutely embarrassed should my gear be questioned. Yet, I've witnessed some monstrous uniform & equipment farbisims at
authentic events.
Do event planners simply post guidelines and hope for the best?

Mark Warren
Hairy Nation Boys
Bloomfield, Iowa

[AZReenactor]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Unfortunately my stool seems to be wobbling. As my kit and knowledge move towards authenticity, my age and physical condition are steadily moving away from it. Now that I am finally starting to know what I'm doing I find age stalking me and making it more difficult to do it. It seems that as it gets easier for me to get better gear, it gets harder for me to get out and use it. It ain't fair at all...

Improving one's kit is all well and good, but in the long run it is really the easiest and least significant thing we can do. The gear is just our tools, no matter how nice a set you've got, if you don't use it right, you ain't really doing them or yourself any justice. There are an awful lot of people with more money than brains (many in this forum even) who are more than content to pop in here, ask what they need to get and than start strutting around at events because they got hardkewl for Christmas. I don't care how good a person's kit is if they ain't living the life in the field, they ain't living history.

The truth is that there are a lot of flaming farbs out there who can put many an off-the-rack hardcores to shame with their knowledge, experience, and attitudes. For whatever reason they may have gaps in the quality of their gear but they are ever improving and in the long run will often gain a better understanding of history. In this hobby it isn't the clothes that make the man, but the man that makes the clothes. That being said, I suggest folks do some reading and learn to do a little real research, find some good comrades who encourage and challenge you, continue to look for ways to improve your gear while getting out to or organizing some better events where you actually go out and use the gear they way our forbears did. I don't know if we are progressing or declining, but looks to me like there are an awful lot of people who are still trying to figure out how to get beyond the gear.

Ok, I'm getting off my soapbox.

[csabugler]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

In my 17 years in the hobby I have seen a great deal of improvement in the lower end of the hobby. I have also seen the more authentic side go thru some difficult changes as new info came to light. Yesterday's hot item can become tomorrow's bad choice.
The thing that bothers me more than bad impressions is someone with a costume rental shop quality impression presenting himself to the public as "what the civil war soldiers looked like".

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Hallo!

"The gear is just our tools, no matter how nice a set you've got, if you don't use it right, you ain't really doing them or yourself any justice."

To use the old addage, a craftsman is known by his tools. But a poor craftsman blames his tools.

;) :) :)

Curt

[AZReenactor]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

The thing that bothers me more than bad impressions is someone with a costume rental shop quality impression presenting himself to the public as "what the civil war soldiers looked like".

Still going to the wrong events, eh... There is a heck of a lot about the mainstream that bothers folks in this community.

I think we are well beyond the Costume rental shop quality impression in this discussion. The poor quality kits folks are talking about here are more likely from big name mainstream sutlers or bought off a forum without research...

[AZReenactor]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Curt,
Tools are certainly important, but a true craftsman is known by his craftsmanship, not merely the tools he struts around with. ;-)

Hallo!

"The gear is just our tools, no matter how nice a set you've got, if you don't use it right, you ain't really doing them or yourself any justice."

To use the old addage, a craftsman is known by his tools. But a poor craftsman blames his tools.

;) :) :)

Curt

[brown]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Originally Posted by csabugler
The thing that bothers me more than bad impressions is someone with a costume rental shop quality impression presenting himself to the public as "what the civil war soldiers looked like".


I was recently at a LH w/ csabugler where this happened. It was a good group of guys at a site with a good reputation. A gentleman dressed in what could be generously referred to as a rental costume came up as a "visitor" and then started talking to other visitors. B/c he outranked the rest of us and was cleaner and smelled better (I guess), he got the crowds. This was not an event choice problem, but a poorly dressed visitor and a host site with strong LH guidelines but unclear on the line between being nice to visitors and protecting other's learning environment...

[csabugler]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Yeah, I go to all the 'wrong events'
Pickett's Mill, Chickamagua, LBL, Harris Homestead, TAG, Shaker Village, the Out Posts 1 and 2, etc. etc. etc.

[AZReenactor]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Wow, IS it at these events where you are seeing "someone with a costume rental shop quality impression presenting himself to the public as 'what the civil war soldiers looked like'"? Sheesh, things must be worse than I thought back East... ;-)

Yeah, I go to all the 'wrong events'
Pickett's Mill, Chickamagua, LBL, Harris Homestead, TAG, Shaker Village, the Out Posts 1 and 2, etc. etc. etc.

[csabugler]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

No, those events are generally pleasing. We do get into some other less satisfying events tho. It's not always easy to find quality events for cav, this year seems peticularly slow.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

ugh! This degraded pretty quickly. (1) What's wrong with discussing the "stool" one leg at a time? (2) Can we assume we're all talking about events of a certain minimum quality, since the thesis here is that "Our End" of the pool has a problem?

I like Cooper's idea... Start at the top. Make a new thread out of it, if you like.

(In his best Seinfeld voice)
"So, what's with all these hats ya see at events these days?"

[csabugler]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Ok, I stand corrected, this thread was not directed toward the quality in general.

[aetius123]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

This is an interesting thread. I've been in the hobby for about six years. Since that time I've attempted to improve my impression even if it is just a little at a time. I've found at times that the cost of authentic reproductions can be challenge. Small things such as the covering on a canteen, or the length of the strap on my haversack are easily improved.
I've seen very farby impressions at mainstream events, but I've also seen units that have raised the standards at some of these events. Unfortunately, as the quality of my kit increases so does my age.


John Winkler
Co K, 6th TX

[Charles Heath]

Re: Authenticity Levels: Progress or Decline?

Can we assume we're all talking about events of a certain minimum quality, since the thesis here is that "Our End" of the pool has a problem?

Speaking of pools...it's a great idea to pull the plug on discussing the events in the shallow end of the pool, before this thread goes down the drain. Thanks for the timely suggestion, John.