Vendor Feedback

[ButterNut53]

Well since this excellent thread has had life breathed back into it, I'll throw in a vendor review:

Dixie Gun Works

Before anyone gets bent out of shape, here me out.

Their uniforms, I wouldn't recommend if my life depended on it, leathers, eh, only if your a newbie. My recommendation is the guns and supplies.

They've got NIB box reproductions, and one I can't believe I don't see more of is their Chiappa defarbed M1855 repro. Its still too heavy, and I'm sure has the "Chiappa Curse" with blanks, but at $895 I'm surprised I've never seen one at an event. I aim to try for one soon.

Stopping by their store in Union City, TN is a TREAT!!! One section of a wall filled with original Richmond's and Fayetteville's, a car museum and great folks to deal with. They're prices are a little high, but I ended up buy a slew of Waterbury buttons, (something getting hard to find nowadays with all the Indian made buttons floating around), which are priced online for $12.95 for four, but them having packs of six on their sales floor marked at the same price I stocked up. Funny part is those on the sales floor were actually supposed to be $14.95, but they just charged me the incorrectly marked $12.95 apiece.

Also I've noticed Hardee's and other manuals have either become hard to find, or outrageously expensive around $20 bucks. Dixie still has excellent reprints for a little under $8 bucks.

They also have antique ordnance blueprints for CW guns that are very well done. I picked up the ever so hard to find blueprints for a Tredegar 2.25in Mountain Rifle, (my non-history minded blacksmith younger brother was salivating at the idea of using them for fun, thankfully I got a close friend with decades of experience building cannons to supervise us).

Can be a little pricy, not everything they sale CW wise is usable in proper reenacting, but excellent people to deal with online or in person.

Bought my Pedersoli 1861 Enfield from them, great service.

 

[rli]

L.D. Hanning & Co. - Home

Tim Welch at L D Haning. Outstanding quality and authenticity. Ordered and got these in about 10 days. The box and belt came with the plates attached

 

[rli]

my 2 cents...

I have been in the hobby for 31 years. It is very interesting to see the many different goods available. In the old days, it was only a few vendors supplying, so everything was "mainstream", and there was truly only one level of "authentic". Now, of course, there is so much to choose from, I can only suggest to "shop smart". Avoid the imported junk. Decent goods can be had for not much more, and will last much longer. One does not have to go all out to start. Get the best gear that you can afford, that fits YOUR impression, and do not overly concern yourself with other fellows' kits. I have found that my kit has been improved over the years simply by upgrading items as they wore out. I have always tried to keep a generic look in general, and only added "special" items when necessary. That way, one can fit in most anywhere. As for vendors, I think that there is excellent information on this site, but I can say that living near Gettysburg, I see quite a variety of product quality variations from the vendors there. Everything from "sutler row" quality to very good products. My personal kit is mostly items from S&S in Gettysburg. Tim Sheads is a good man to do business with and has excellent items at competetive prices. I tend to replace items as I need them from his shop. The only two items I have not replaced is my Jarnagin cartridge box (a very decent quality item) and my Navy Arms Springfield.
I also suggest learning as much as you can, and be wary of so called "experts", who think they know everything, and are all too willing to share their "expertise". You will learn much by doing! Remember "the only thing UNIFORM about the UNIFORM is that it isn't UNIFORM". I neither do or do not advocate "hyper authenticity". Try to make as good an impression as you can afford and get out there! I have a VERY good kit that I have built at reasonable cost and can show up well enough. It is also worn and soiled, but certainly not like the real soldiers' kits. Wear and use the items as long as safely possible. No matter what you kit contains, THAT is the most authentic thing of all!
I certainly am still learning after all these years, and have certainly learned a lot, but there is always more information out there to find.
I hope this helps...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Descendant of
Pvt Jacob Welsh 107th PV WIA-POW
Sgt Daniel Welsh 87th PV KIA
Pvt Joseph Kauffman 10th VA KIA

+1 for S&S good people,good quality and fast service.

 

[MackCW]

I've been away from Living History since 2001. Are Chris Daley and Nick Sekela still active?

 

[captaindrew]

I've been away from Living History since 2001. Are Chris Daley and Nick Sekela still active?

Nick still is, not sure about Daley, haven't heard much mention of him in a while.

 

[MackCW]

Got it. I still have a ton of Federal Sekela stuff stored away in containers, was just curious.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I've been away from Living History since 2001. Are Chris Daley and Nick Sekela still active?

Daley's site is still up, but ain't been updated in a decade. Daley seems to be active on ebay with uniform accessories.

Nick Sekela has become "Public Enemy Number One" among a lot of reenactors, (getting an ordered item from him was a real problem for a while), but he seems to be making a comeback. Even if the backlog of stuff not in stock takes a LONG time to get I'm told. A whole thread could be made regarding that interesting happening.

 

[MackCW]

Daley's site is still up, but ain't been updated in a decade. Daley seems to be active on ebay with uniform accessories.

Nick Sekela has become "Public Enemy Number One" among a lot of reenactors, (getting an ordered item from him was a real problem for a while), but he seems to be making a comeback. Even if the backlog of stuff not in stock takes a LONG time to get I'm told. A whole thread could be made regarding that interesting happening.

He actually had that issue in the 90's. I ordered multiple items from him and got them 11 months later. I remember asking my pard at 135th Gettysburg if he was going to be there and he said, "You really think he has a death wish?"

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

He actually had that issue in the 90's. I ordered multiple items from him and got them 11 months later. I remember asking my pard at 135th Gettysburg if he was going to be there and he said, "You really think he has a death wish?"

That sounds about right. I've never ordered anything from him because of the issues, (that and I tend to make my own stuff to save money), but if I'm ever by his store, one of his newer "economy" Federal sack coats might be something I'd buy.

 

[muffinman67]

Well since this excellent thread has had life breathed back into it, I'll throw in a vendor review:

Dixie Gun Works

Before anyone gets bent out of shape, here me out.

Their uniforms, I wouldn't recommend if my life depended on it, leathers, eh, only if your a newbie. My recommendation is the guns and supplies.

They've got NIB box reproductions, and one I can't believe I don't see more of is their Chiappa defarbed M1855 repro. Its still too heavy, and I'm sure has the "Chiappa Curse" with blanks, but at $895 I'm surprised I've never seen one at an event. I aim to try for one soon.

Stopping by their store in Union City, TN is a TREAT!!! One section of a wall filled with original Richmond's and Fayetteville's, a car museum and great folks to deal with. They're prices are a little high, but I ended up buy a slew of Waterbury buttons, (something getting hard to find nowadays with all the Indian made buttons floating around), which are priced online for $12.95 for four, but them having packs of six on their sales floor marked at the same price I stocked up. Funny part is those on the sales floor were actually supposed to be $14.95, but they just charged me the incorrectly marked $12.95 apiece.

Also I've noticed Hardee's and other manuals have either become hard to find, or outrageously expensive around $20 bucks. Dixie still has excellent reprints for a little under $8 bucks.

They also have antique ordnance blueprints for CW guns that are very well done. I picked up the ever so hard to find blueprints for a Tredegar 2.25in Mountain Rifle, (my non-history minded blacksmith younger brother was salivating at the idea of using them for fun, thankfully I got a close friend with decades of experience building cannons to supervise us).

Can be a little pricy, not everything they sale CW wise is usable in proper reenacting, but excellent people to deal with online or in person.

I bought one of those M1855 Defarbs ( they call it a 150th anniversary model ) from Dixie a few years ago when they were $800. Was surprised at how nice it was. I wound up changing the ladder rear sight which was too large and the Butt Plate which made a huge appearance difference. Craig Barry pans the Chiappa '55's in his handbook, but the defarbs have the right stamps and just look sharp! I have had no issues with it at the range and with enacting.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I bought one of those M1855 Defarbs ( they call it a 150th anniversary model ) from Dixie a few years ago when they were $800. Was surprised at how nice it was. I wound up changing the ladder rear sight which was too large and the Butt Plate which made a huge appearance difference. Craig Barry pans the Chiappa '55's in his handbook, but the defarbs have the right stamps and just look sharp! I have had no issues with it at the range and with enacting.

I was thinking of that the other day. Chiappa's M1842 is the closest out of the box musket period. I don't care what anyone says, if its a reproduction it ain't the real deal and never will be, and shouldn't be.

Speaking of this @Craig L Barry what is your review of the Chiappa M1855?

 

[Craig L Barry]

I was thinking of that the other day. Chiappa's M1842 is the closest out of the box musket period. I don't care what anyone says, if its a reproduction it ain't the real deal and never will be, and shouldn't be.

Speaking of this @Craig L Barry what is your review of the Chiappa M1855?

Well, in a nutshell it is overly heavy and the proportions are all wrong. Basically, the Armi Sport US 1855 uses their US 1861 as a starting off point. So all the things that are wrong there also apply to their version of the 1855. The lock geometry is off, the stock is too thick, the barrel is oversized, the 1855 lock has a tape primer door that opens but it doesn't like to stay closed. It is stamped "AC" on the lock plate inside the tape primer door. And so on. You would only think it looks like a US 1855 if you have not had the opportunity to see or handle any originals. On the plus side, they do offer one version that has the patch box.