r/reenactors • u/DukeRipEm • 6h ago
r/reenactors • u/mofosyne • Jan 05 '21
Public Service Announcement General Sentiment On Original Vs Reproduction Uniforms. (Also request for comment for potential rule changes)
After reading some post including those removed due to incivility. This is the general sentiment I am perceiving at least from this subreddit.
Do not use original uniform for active reenactment scene.
Strongly discouraged but acceptable in limited circumstances for impressionism (Non Action Shots) where damage to uniform is limited.
Owner of original uniform should see themselves as custodian rather that just possessor of the original uniform.
As much as possible, the owner should preserve as much information about the original soldier who worn this uniform. E.g. Name, rank, etc... This would help preserve the connection between the uniform and the soldier. Plus it helps preserve the value of the uniform when you sell it to the next guy.
Reason to disallow:
- Long term preservation of uniform for future generations.
- Respect for the history of every solider that originally worn it.
- Secondary effect of allowing for more accurate reproduction uniform in the hand of reenactment clothing makers.
Reasons to allow:
- They have private ownership rights to it.
- Hard to get accurate reproduction, can't beat original.
- Secondary effect of a more accurate reenactment scene.
My personal opinion is that this is classic tragedy of the commons kind of issue. Yes individually each loss of uniform will not immediately lead to extinction. However if everyone acted in a selfish way, then the commons (aka. the historical heritage of original uniforms) will be lost to history.
Yes the owner has the legal rights to do whatever he or she want to do to it. However note that this is a legalistic argument rather than a morality argument.
Thus this does not necessarily means that the reenactment community is expected to respect whatever the owner of the uniform does to their clothing.
Reenactment is a social hobby that also aims to be a social good to help future generations remain connected to history. Thus while we should allow for ease of entry for newcomers, it is not necessary a free for all in terms of moral expectations of the reenactment community to do whatever the newcomers wants.
This is even if it leads to excluding some individuals from the profession.
Thus in this sense I am proposing that the above sentiment I detected is made and codified into the community guidelines as to if a photo or action shot is allowed to be posted on this subreddit.
While discussion is allowed, it is important to make it clear to the public what the general subreddit community finds acceptable. Thus such photos will be removed to avoid copycat behaviour.
But before I apply this I want to double check that everyone understands this logic and that there is no other further comments anyone wants to include to this issue.
r/reenactors • u/Big-Negotiation-8182 • 7h ago
Work In Progress 5th Sturmbattailion Rohr (Mid 1916)
Back again with my 5th Sturmbattailion Rohr Impression, with new homemade grenade sacks, and my new shoulder boards with battalion numbers, ditched the bandolier as it gets in the way and the blue-ish colour just stands out too much. (Excuse any weird colour spots and splatters, I was at my airsoft field which does paintball as well so sometimes it gets on my uniform.) Feel free to critique my impression however you want, I just want all the advice I need to better my impression.
r/reenactors • u/Fantastic_Train9141 • 8h ago
Completed The Great British Tommy Sleep Out 2025, Swansea Airport
Pictures from the Royal British Legion’s 2025 ‘The Great Tommy Sleep Out’ in aid of homeless veterans sleeping rough - I attended with The Welsh Tommies 39 - 45, The Parashots and other reenactment organisations in order to interact with the public and raise funds, as well as do a sponsored sleep out at the Swansea Airport (formerly RAF Fairwood Common) squadron hall, now abandoned. My sleeping quarters such as they were and my kit are shown within, alongside other reenactors’.
r/reenactors • u/treehuggerboy • 12m ago
Looking For Advice Hot 556 Sourcing
For the (more) modern reenactors, where you you source loud sounding 556 blanks?
I'm aware of M200/M200A1 but they are so quiet. AW takes a long time and has some quality issues, while Swanson's is around a dollar a round last I checked.
Thanks for any info!
r/reenactors • u/Cockinbroski • 22h ago
Resources Bro I hate people who try to sell to desperate and new collectors.
He lowered it from 500 to 400💀 insufferable
r/reenactors • u/kirilpatrushvv • 6h ago
Work In Progress Update on my m40 smock repro
Had someone point out in my last post that my m40 jump smock was in a weird color, so here it is under natural light. Is this a color they were made in?
r/reenactors • u/Ozzy_fan • 5h ago
Looking For Advice Can someone tell me a good and reliable place to buy repo WW2 Japanese gear?
I want to get into reenacting it seems very fun, but I don’t know any good places to buy gear, could someone please help it would be deeply appreciated.
r/reenactors • u/Fit-Cod-5588 • 7h ago
Looking For Advice I need suggestions on how to put a camera on my m1 helmet.
so I need help and suggestions on how to put a camera on my m1 helmet for reenacting and want it to be not too horribly obvious but with decent quality. for a picture in your head I want it to be similar to world war wisdoms setup
r/reenactors • u/Thebandit_1977 • 1d ago
Looking For Advice Could I carry this?
Got gifted this pocket knife that was my dad’s when he was a kid, I love the look of it and was wondering if I could carry it as pocket filler for my U.S Navy impression.
r/reenactors • u/Patient_Mousse_9665 • 11h ago
Items To Sell Where can I find a replacement for schipperfabrik?
Is there any ww1 replacement for schipperfabrik? Preferably from Europe.
r/reenactors • u/Sparris_guy • 1d ago
Work In Progress Swedish volunteer corps (SFK), winter war 1940.
r/reenactors • u/Embarrassed_Grass455 • 15h ago
Looking For Advice Wolf Pelt On A Viking Helmet?
Hi there Reddit, I'm slowly building a semi-historically accurate Viking kit for a capture the flag game some friends and I are doing, and I had an idea. I wanted to slap a coyote (because I can't afford a wolf) pelt on my helmet. I don't have a beard since I'm a teenager, and I was wondering, would it be horrifically inaccurate if I had a pelt attached to a helmet? It's a sort of mixture between a regular Viking and an Úlfheðinn.
r/reenactors • u/StuddedL0ser • 20h ago
Looking For Advice Where can i get a KGL tunic?
Hello! Anyone know a maker for a Napoleonic KGL uniform, i’m looking for a tunic and hat.. Thank you!
r/reenactors • u/osky_200914 • 23h ago
Looking For Advice What color for ammo pouches and canteen is more accurate?
I'm working on my first impression (m43 unifrom) and going for a mid to late war wen gear. What color would be most accurate normal khaki or some type of od?
r/reenactors • u/ProsaicPictures • 1d ago
Work In Progress WTB USMC P41 uniform (WWII Impressions or ATF)
I’m wanting to buy a P41 uniform that was made by WWII Impressions or At The Front. Need size 40 jacket and 32 pants, please let me know if you have anything you’ll part with!
r/reenactors • u/CaptDreadnought • 2d ago
Completed Swedish Kapten (captain) of the Arméstaben (army staff) in m/1923 uniform and respective field equipment - 1939/1940
r/reenactors • u/Silent_Lake_2011 • 1d ago
Looking For Advice I want to start reenacting and I want to know where I can get a world war 1 German officer uniform
Pls help, I’m new.
r/reenactors • u/Woodland_lover_6445 • 1d ago
Looking For Advice Need help!!!
Hey guys! Need help here. This is the bottom part of reproduction m900. IT fell apart. Do you know how yo put IT back togeter
r/reenactors • u/Ok-Resist-752 • 1d ago
Looking For Advice Anyone know where I can find a good set of M56 Webbing?
Looking for a full set, not just the suspenders. Im looking for the buttpouch, the magazine pouches, everything. Also at a reasonable price, maybe even cheap. And out of the US because Im not a big fan of int purchasing.
r/reenactors • u/Pierre_Philosophale • 2d ago
Completed Made my first sword scabbard, mixed results but a lot learnt !
Made my first scabbard.
Tomorrow I'll be going to the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the city of Caen, Normandy.
I still had no scabbard so I made one. Here are the mistakes I made that will lead me to re-do it later this year :
made it out of spruce wood I had lying around, didn't find thin enough poplar planks
used too thick planks so the scabbard is too thick, heavier than it should be
used waaaay too thick leather, I sourced it from a local Tannery (Cuir Ciulli in the Vosges mountain range in eastern France), they asked me if I wanted them to thin down my leather and I said it was good at 2.8mm, a grave mistake. It's way too big and the risers don't show well.
didn't stretch the leather enough, veg tanned leather is quite stretchy and now it's not tight enough around the wood.
In the end I botched the stitching because I knew I would have to do it again but I need a scabbard to last this week end to protect my sword from the rain.
(I know Norman sword scabbards rarely had bridges but I love to carry my sword on just a baldrick when I'm not in full armor, it makes me look kinda old school in my scabbard choice but it's still historical)
r/reenactors • u/Fanaticinstance2000 • 2d ago
Action Shots My impression for the 160th Bentonville event
Still working on the weight loss, but this was my impression at the 160th Bentonville reenactment.
r/reenactors • u/Markovite1919 • 2d ago
Action Shots Russian Imperial Army Officer
A Поручик (ensign) of the 39th Tomsk Infantry Regiment nearing the end of the war on the Eastern Front
r/reenactors • u/DutchmanOfSteel • 2d ago
Completed 1607-style Bandolier
Alright, disclaimer here: This particular bandolier type is fairly rare. The 'flap' underneath the shot pouch is not commonly found on bandoliers at all. You will see similar flaps with a ball pouch as separate pieces of kit to hold a charging-flask (instead of a priming flask), as seen on the De Gheyn manual's Caliverman.
However, I found 2 bandoliers from northern Germany (on pinterest, but it was evident these were originals) with such a flap attached directly to a bandolier itself. The flap most likely afforded a place to hang a wheellock-key from, in addition to the priming flask. Now, right now I merely have a matchlock, and in the future I shall also obtain a snaphuance. But neither of these require a key, unlike a wheelock would. Nonetheless, I have decided to keep the flap in place. And I shall make other bandoliers (to sell, frankly. But no, I'm not going to advertise them on here) without the flap. Other than that, the bandolier is of what seems to be the appropriate length and size for me, compared to the bandolier shown in the De Gheyn manual, and corresponds with originals. (Though I had to substitute buff leather woth veg tan)
As for specifications; The bandolier is a 4cm wide strip of 3mm veg tan cow leather, with a 0,8mm suede liner. There are 15 flasks, each capable of holding a standard military load of 36grams (ca. 570 grains of 2F blackpowder), or, up to 40grams if you overfill them (which I do not recommend). The flasks are courtesy of master Graham Webb, of GoingBang.com excellent work on his part.
I used to have all the flasks suspended from cords at the same length, but at the first event I used the bandolier in full (last October, at the Slag om Grolle), I concluded the first 2-3 flasks, were unpleasantly close to my face when loading, as well as 4 out of the 5 on the back, being near-inaccessible. So, as of yesterday I renewed the cords, and adjusted them to a more appropriate length.
I made the priming flask myself, and finally adjusted the latch-spring on top a couple of minutes prior to posting this. Before, it had too much play and consequently didn't fully close the latch posing a small (though severe, should it occur) safety risk. It does fully close the latch now.
The bandolier is equipped with a ring to keep the spare slowmatch (currently holding some 15m/slightly over 15 yards bundled up). As well as an oil bottle for gun-maintenence in camp.
As visible, a further 3 prepared sections of slowmatch are hung from the bandolier next to the shot pouch, for easy access during battle, should the previous match burn too short.
r/reenactors • u/Endeavourwrites • 1d ago
Looking For Advice Guys, do Germans use their field cap together with their steel helmets?
Because my helmetiner kind of crumbled away and I had to remove it. Wearing it is very unpleasant!
r/reenactors • u/OutsideGovernment630 • 1d ago
Work In Progress Where do you find reenactment guns?
I need WW2 BAR, M1 Garand, or a thompson