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Originally Posted by blue_zouave I've been told I have no right to reenact, since I live in the West. Wellll, people in my area have as much need of education as people in the East.... some even more!!
Jumping off the soap box now...
Zou |
Zou; Whoever told you such was full of... crock.
SamGrant; I didn't care for the book and know a lot of people who have gotten into re-enacting only to drop out due to a variety of things to include life changes. I have been in & out of the re-enacting field for most of 10 years and have a current recruited by list behind my name that is longer than the rosters of many re-enacting groups and of that list only two have dropped out.
"Far be it from me's to criticique his impression" are a drain and a probllem for the hobby and the Living Historian. As a simple example when the uneducated or educated public is presented with a
CS Cav man (w/out a horse) who sports five pistols and a Hawkens Plains rifle and then begins to spout Neo
CS claptrap (which in his defence he was simply repeating) and proves to one and all that he knows less about the ACW than those who have read a coloring book on the subject.
THere is a noted lack of interest in imporving... that is what chews up many of the C/P/H movement towards the lower end of the mainstream of the hobby. That said there are many of the mainstream side which are every bit as good in drill & impression as any of the C/P/H crowd but due to the lack of authenticity in their uniforms would not pass muster w/ the C/P/H.
That said there are those who claim to be of the C/P/H crowd who are as bad as the worst of the lower tiers of the hobby but they just have a more expensive kit and higher quality kit.
As an example most of my kit would pass muster at any C/P/H event (I won't take the modern markings off my replica rifles as I see that as counterfit) but my drill is not up to par. Why? I primarily concentrate on small Living Histories for schools (about 4000 kids a year) and I don't do enough drill to stay profecient. Others in my units are the other way around; far more accomplished at drill w/out the research put into impression or proper gear.
THe cost of gear is dramatic. You can pick up a just getting into the hobby uniform for about $250... the quality is almost criminal and IMHO will not consistantly pass the 10 yard test when set next to even the low end C/P/H gear.
As an example $70 will buy you a pair of cheap trousers. $85 will get you a pair from Stony Brook which are the right material weight, cut and construction and made in the US... $15 difference.
$70 will get a cheap Sack Coat; $100 for a nice Authentic Sack from the Campaigner Corner of the Regimental QM. THe difference in quality is instantly noticeable, weight of material, qualityof material & construction etc... $25 dollar difference. And it isn't mass produced in India.
THere are both good and bad aspects of the C/P/H side of the hobby... just like in any other hobby.
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