I just recieved my CS uniform and had a few questions....
Its a gray shell jacket w\red trim, and sky blue trousers. I puchased it from C&C Sutlery.
What kind of care? (washing, dry cleaning, etc.....)
How do you get the stiffness out of it?
Were the cuffs always that big? (they come down on my hand can you tighten them up a bit without hurting the authenticty...)
How do you get the hat pins on? (crossed cannons and letters...)
Should the trousers be hemed shorter then we wear jeans today?
It came with a white shirt, can you wear different colors or patterns?
Do you wear a belt with a shell jacket?
Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated. I am releying on the vast knowlege that is displayed throughout this reenacting community.
HC
__________________ " WAR IS HELL" LG Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
THe trousers should be worn so that the top is at about the level of your belly button.
As for care... Unless you absolutely have to wash them don't and then only in cold water w/ a minimal amount of woolite or they will shrink rather significantly.
As to the stiffness I can only assume that will disapear w/ time and wear.
As to the brass... don't worry about it; generally such things were not worn on active campaign especially after the first year or so. In ACW reenacting less is often better... especially for CS troops. If you are set on wearing the brass take a sewing needle and poke a guide hole for the pins themselves.
Trousers & shell jackets were generally issued in traditional military sizes... way too small, too small, too big and WAY too big... Ill fitting is not in any way unauthentic.
Civilian patters for shirts were quite common.
As to belt use... I don't know CS practice. I'm sure Steve Cone can probably answer that particular question far better than I.
Hope that helps some. Good Luck
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
And i think John answered most all your questions except one- I dont wash my Jacket just I leave it out for the air to blow through it but thats all it kind of adds to the time
Now since your jacket has red trim I am going to assume your doing artilary? If you are then you likely won't want to wear a belt when working on the gun. Depending on what position you do it would be a hinderance.
Like the others said don't wash them, just wear them, around the house, cutting the grass, and at events. They will soon break in and lose the stiffness.
Hat pins: figure out where you want them, mark the holes, drive a pin or small nail through the hat and then slide the pin attachments through the hole and bend them over.
If you think the pants look too long you can always roll them up a bit.
With all that said, if you plan on reenacting then you should find a Unit in your area. Check them out and make sure your comfortable with them and they are comfortable with you. Then go by their uniform standards. If you keep aquiring stuff and then join a Unit they may not let you wear/carry some of it and then you ahve wasted your money.
HC:
I'm envious of the good times you and the missus are going to have re-enacting, with your new uniform, her dress(es) and all. You have received good advice and I'm certain you will get all you ask for. Take care of your uniform as they would have done then -- get your servant or missus to brush it, shake it and hang it in the sun (not on a hanger!). The sun will get most of the lice if you hang it long enough (and the smell after you've worn it long enough -- if you can, shed it when you're sweaty).
I'm sure you could have found other uses for the money, but the togetherness in front of a big plasma TV is not the same or as lasting as what you'll get reenacting -- that's forever!
Happy trails,
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Its a gray shell jacket w\red trim, and sky blue trousers. I puchased it from C&C Sutlery.
What kind of care? (washing, dry cleaning, etc.....)
Many people in our unit choose to have them drycleaned but..... washing in cold water with just a little woolite or the equivalent works as well. I've never had anything shrink on me.
How do you get the stiffness out of it?
Wearing it is the only way to really get the stiffness out.
Were the cuffs always that big? (they come down on my hand can you tighten them up a bit without hurting the authenticty...)
as someone said earlier... they were always too lang or too short (trousers also apply here)
How do you get the hat pins on? (crossed cannons and letters...)
poke the holes previous of insertion. there is no way they will poke through without bending the insignia
Should the trousers be hemed shorter then we wear jeans today?
i believe this has been answered earlier in here
It came with a white shirt, can you wear different colors or patterns?
yes....... i recommend {since you're obviously portraying artillery} to get a red shirt..... a flannel one for the colder months
Do you wear a belt with a shell jacket?
depending on where you read it, shell jackets in the artillery{which had pillows on the back to keep their belt from slipping down while riding} were primarily worn by mounted artillery. if there arent pillows on the back i wouldnt wear one.. but it's your choice.
Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated. I am releying on the vast knowlege that is displayed throughout this reenacting community.
HC
__________________ Cpl Lewis 4th US Light artillery/ Alexander's 4th
*When men take up arms to set other men free, there is something sacred and holy in the warfare.*
~Woodrow Wilson
HC, Chuck Lox (owner of C&C) is a friend of mine and he puts out a nice newbie product... if you stay in the hobby you might eventually want to upgrade, depending on the "authenticity standards" of your unit.
If the stiffness of the jacket bothers you, put it in the dryer on AIR, no heat, and let it tumble for awhile. Some of what bothers you may just be the natural feel of wool. It softens with wear, as others have said.
My former reenacting companion was rather obsessed with washing his uniform, and it shrunk after awhile. The one I wear, I just hang outside in the shade and let it air. I hang it right side out for a day and then wrong side out for a day. I brush the dirt spots out. I haven't washed it in years. What's important is that you do air it and hang it up or fold it neatly and put it on a closet shelf, and not just take it off, stuff it into a tote/box/suitcase and leave it.
Cuffs on coats, cuffs on trousers, just roll them up to fit you.
White shirts were issued, but a lot of soldiers had civilian shirts, either from the sutlers or sent from home. Just make sure that the shirt is authentically styled, not your standard Wally World plastic button variety! Gingham checks and period print calico work fine.
My first piece of advice when it comes to what they wore and how they wore it is to go and look at photographs. Go right to the source and see for your own eyes the mannerisms of the soldiers. A great resource for how trousers should fit (federal at least) is here http://www.cwreenactors.com/~sykes/equipment/LOC_company_tailor.php Also take a look at the Library of congress dept. of Prints http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/mdbquery.html
As stated before me C&C sutlery produces a more "entry" level uniform, so the shirt you have may not be as period correct as you might want. This includes the size of the cuffs, machine sewn button holes, lack of internal seam treatment and even the overall pattern itself.
Another tip, DO NOT WEAR HAT BRASS! Unless you have specific period proof of your regiment wearing the stuff, don’t use it. Once again if you look at period photos you will see very little of the stuff, especially on CS soldiers.
If you want to upgrade the look of your uniform i would recommend sewing all the button holes by hand, and researching the correct seam treatment for your shirt, and following through with that (the seams should generally be overcast felled by hand in Civilian shirts). Or if you want to upgrade to a whole new level I would also recommend getting a higher quality uniform from such vendors as CJ Daley, Skillet Licker, Or The Company Tailor, just to name a few. Remember, getting a really good CS impression going can take many different uniform pieces and a lot of time and monetary commitment, but in the end it is usually worth it!!!
__________________ Your most humble servant, Chase A. Pinkham
[quote=Chase_P]. Remember, getting a really good CS impression going can take many different uniform pieces and a lot of time and monetary commitment, but in the end it is usually worth it!!![quote]
Yeah, seems like the more hardcore/authentic you get, the more money you have to lay out for worse-looking stuff!!
Some people are purists, and they will find their circle. Some people prefer to do the "camping with a musket" thing, and they find their circle too. When you're new, it's better not to put a huge investment in until you know where you are going to be... whether it's going to be your second religion or whether you're going go go out a couple times a year with the family.
Personally, if somebody is close enough to see my shirt seams and fly buttons, they are TOO DANGED CLOSE.
Zou, not as hardcore as some think I should be!
Last edited by blue_zouave; 06-05-2006 at 01:04 PM.
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