Dressing for Success

[Bruce W Sims]

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Hi, Folks:

I'm gonna cheat a little only because I am pretty sure almost all of the Mods check-in here.

I'm continuing to work on my personna for the BP range. I have chosen an 1870-s Civilian Scout
and hope to stay reasonably close to the mark concerning clothing and equiptment - give or take.
I can see that this personna would connect in different ways with different areas here on the forum
and wondered if anyone had an opinion about my project being a better fit in one area rather than
another. I'm not so much looking to be a re-enactor as much as present a reasonably interesting
representation of what I am interested in when I go to the range....sort of a figure that might
attract attention and get folks interested. Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Major 2]

since your interest is more historical , I'd  lean towards the NCOWS , The Darksider's Den,  Cas City Historical Society and BROW threads  

[Blair]

Good suggestion!

I would also like to suggest a listing of the firearms you intend to be using.
Example, using an 1892 Winchester in, lets say 1872, would simply be out of character. However, an 1871/72 Open top Colt may still be in use in 1892
Weapons can usually be traced by their Model date/number pretty easily.
Clothing, on the other hand is more difficult. Styles were used well past their estimated introduction time period.
Just a suggestion on my part, Hope it helps.
My best,
 Blair

[Bruce W Sims]

Many thanks.....

As far as hardware goes, of course I have my Dragoon and for a belt knife I will stay with my Green River Sticker
or I might get real energetic and simply make my own belt knife. Maybe down the road I might add a SHARPS.
I'm working to keep it very low-key and have a list of Scouts (see: sam-hane.com) that I am working my way
through looking for pictures in GOOGLE Images. I'm steering a BIG circle around "Buffalo Bill" Cody and imagine
that when all is said and done I hope to come close to James Baker as seen in his photo with Charles Stobie and D C Oakes
(see: http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/scouts/c-stobie-jim-baker.jpg). Next step: trying to figure out where Baker
got that great pipe! 

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Professor Marvel]

As Blair pointed out, the latest model hardware ( in this case your desired Sharps Rifle) will determine your time period.

In My case, my time period sorta slid forward:
I started with 1858 NMA Remingtons
added an 1863 Sharps Papercutter Business Rifle
added a Model 1866 Yellowboy
now I am working to get the earliest shotgun I can affordable find.

Whilst this sets me nicely in ~ 1867 the shotgun ruins the time period since Currently I have an 1870-ish Belgium 12 bore double

I am building a caplock 12-bore double based on an original virtually unused damascus barrel set, which will allow me considerable flexibility - I can use it with the 1867 persona or use it in order to fit into the 1852 period with Colt 1849's and 1851's, and a Plains  Rifle .

The Prof Marvel Peddlar Persona will fit into either decade with only minor clothing changes that fluctuate with fashions such as Hat, neckware, shirt, waistcoat, etc.

Prior to 1850 ( fur trade era events) I use a generic "dumb white boy who wandered into the prairie and was saved and raised by Lakotah who were amused at his songs and pitied his patheticness"


BTW Baker's pipe is a medium length briar bent of Western European or Germanic ( probably Bavarian or Black Forest) styling.

yhs
prof (pathetic) marvel

[Delmonico]

One must also remember the flamboyant "Civilian Scout" like Cody and others though the most well remembered are more the exception than the rule.

Also to get the right looks you have to wear the clothes enough to make them look trail worn, faking it looks just like that, faked.  

A good example of the worn look a working man often had, now my young friend from a moneyed family who has enough money to send the young fella on to advanced schooling presents a different looks, but since he plans on being a teacher he needs to look a little sharper than I do.  

[Bruce W Sims]

@ Delmonico:

I like the care-worn/worked-in/lived-in look. I also want to keep clear of a lot of the modern dyes since
so many of what they use in modern textiles are a.) a bit too true to the color spectrum and b.) chemically
engineered to stay that way. I'm looking at "off" whites and greys and fabrics that come closer to homespun
and "linsy-woolsy". Sepia photo-s not withstanding, I don't see a lot of strong color combinations and
actually have not come across much in the way of bead-work...though there is some. So far my research
says "earth-tones, brown, black, wood or bone buttons and fill-in the spaces with what you run across".

@Blair and Prof Marvel:

I had given some serious consideration to adding a shot-gun given how popular they were during ACW.
Yes? No?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Delmonico]

Home spun is mostly of an earlier era, most clothing sold in the west was factory made and was dyed with the coal tar based dyes.   

Remember Oliver Winchester owned a shirt factory when he got involved in making repeating rifles. 

[St. George]

Didn't you already run this one past everybody on October 21, 2014?

I believe you referenced 'Ulzana's Raid'.

Scouts Out!

[Bruce W Sims]

Didn't you already run this one past everybody on October 21, 2014?

I believe you referenced 'Ulzana's Raid'.

Scouts Out!

Yep.....that was me.

Must be the "teacher" part of me. Sometimes its nice to just start-up a conversation for the fun of it.
And, sometimes I remember that a lot of folks lurk in the background and won't come forward for fear
of being made to look a fool. For me, shaving in the morning reminds me everyday that I already
look like a fool, so asking innane questions can't make it any worse, right?  Personally I'm just tickled
to have a place I can come to and talk about things most of my neighbors would just scratch their heads over.

Don't you get the same reaction a lot of times? 

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Jake C]

Yep.....that was me.

Must be the "teacher" part of me. Sometimes its nice to just start-up a conversation for the fun of it.
And, sometimes I remember that a lot of folks lurk in the background and won't come forward for fear
of being made to look a fool. For me, shaving in the morning reminds me everyday that I already
look like a fool, so asking innane questions can't make it any worse, right?  Personally I'm just tickled
to have a place I can come to and talk about things most of my neighbors would just scratch their heads over.

Don't you get the same reaction a lot of times? 

Best Wishes,

Bruce

I can understand that 100%. Out of my group of friends, I'm the only one with a hardcore interest in the American West period, so I just don't get to talk about it as much as I wish I could.

Luckily, I have a lovely fiancé who is kind enough to let me talk and watch Westerns with me. 

[Bruce W Sims]

Nicely said, Trum:

There are also those intangible things like life-style, values, points-of-view and so forth that
also need an airing now and again, and - once again - its not like a lot of folks want to sit and talk
about a lifestyle where people are NOT trying to kill each other over market-share. Here in the
Chicago area you would not believe how people have come to treat each other in the last decade or so.
Sometimes I think it takes some sort of disaster to remind people that we are all monkeys in the same zoo.

Just sayin.....

BTW: Hold to that young lady. She sounds like a "keeper".

Best Wishes,

Bruce