new guy

[Panzer213]

Hello from Onondaga, Michigan, USA. My name is John, I'm 57 years old and I have been into the german army since about 7 years old when I got my first box of toy soilders, I was hooked by the helmet and uniforms.........New to the reenactment seen, Looking for a group here in michigan to join and looking for info on finishing my uniform......

[Oberleutnant Ulrich]

welcome to the forum! You'll find there's plenty of United-Statesians ( ) here from all over the country, I'm sure you'll find some contacts and plenty of help to put your uniform together.

[peiper1944]

Welcome to the forum
Regards Peiper

[christiandbn]

Hey,

Welcome to the forum. If you can tell us what's your impression, it may be easier for the guys in the US to point you to the right direction

[Panzer213]

My impression i would like is regular army 1943 to 1944, something about splinter camo just love it, but everyone wants to be Waffen SS in this area....... Having trouble picking the right store to buy my uniform from.

[Jaws]

Welcome john, enjoy the forum

Regards,

Gary.

[peiper1944]

My impression i would like is regular army 1943 to 1944, something about splinter camo just love it, but everyone wants to be Waffen SS in this area....... Having trouble picking the right store to buy my uniform from.

Maybe SM Wholesale would be a good choice for uniform/kit
as they are based in the USA and make decent products
Good hunting, Peiper

[Gummipuppe]

My impression i would like is regular army 1943 to 1944, something about splinter camo just love it, but everyone wants to be Waffen SS in this area....... Having trouble picking the right store to buy my uniform from.

I'm located in Minnesota. It's hard to find active Heer units around here too. I think one of the reasons Waffen SS is more popular than Heer is because of the wider variety of camo patterns that were used. The varieties make SS uniforms cooler looking and more interesting. The Waffen SS was also considered to be comprised of "elite" fighting units, although that was not so much the case towards the end of the war.

I suggest you wait until you join a unit before you buy any uniform items and gear. A good unit should have someone who is very knowledgeable and will take the time to help you through the process of acquiring what you need to do it up right.

If you haven't discovered this yet, there are a lot of places that sell uniforms and gear, but you have to be careful so you don't get stuck buying "incorrect" and low-quality stuff. What gets really confusing is that many places sell a mixture of low-quality/farby merchandise together with high-quality/"correct" merchandise. So, there is no one place that you can buy everything from. Warning: Don't believe sellers when they tout that their merchandise is "correct" and "the best reproductions on the market today."

You also have to avoid paying too much. Prices vary all over the place. Just because something costs more is no guarantee that it's "correct" and of high-quality. I even discovered that some retailers buy merchandise from other retailers, then mark it up. It pays to be informed and shop around.

It will easily cost you over $1000 to outfit yourself with a basic uniform and gear, so you will want to do it right. You don't want to show up at an event and discover that your helmet is a farby repro, your clips don't stay hooked on your belt, and the soles are coming off your boots.

[peiper1944]

My impression i would like is regular army 1943 to 1944, something about splinter camo just love it, but everyone wants to be Waffen SS in this area....... Having trouble picking the right store to buy my uniform from.

I'm located in Minnesota. It's hard to find active Heer units around here too. I think one of the reasons Waffen SS is more popular than Heer is because of the wider variety of camo patterns that were used. The varieties make SS uniforms cooler looking and more interesting. The Waffen SS was also considered to be comprised of "elite" fighting units, although that was not so much the case towards the end of the war.

I suggest you wait until you join a unit before you buy any uniform items and gear. A good unit should have someone who is very knowledgeable and will take the time to help you through the process of acquiring what you need to do it up right.

If you haven't discovered this yet, there are a lot of places that sell uniforms and gear, but you have to be careful so you don't get stuck buying "incorrect" and low-quality stuff. What gets really confusing is that many places sell a mixture of low-quality/farby merchandise together with high-quality/"correct" merchandise. So, there is no one place that you can buy everything from. Warning: Don't believe sellers when they tout that their merchandise is "correct" and "the best reproductions on the market today."

You also have to avoid paying too much. Prices vary all over the place. Just because something costs more is no guarantee that it's "correct" and of high-quality. I even discovered that some retailers buy merchandise from other retailers, then mark it up. It pays to be informed and shop around.

It will easily cost you over $1000 to outfit yourself with a basic uniform and gear, so you will want to do it right. You don't want to show up at an event and discover that your helmet is a farby repro, your clips don't stay hooked on your belt, and the soles are coming off your boots.

Very good advice if you haven't found a group yet
as they may have certain preferences or style so buying
the wrong stuff will be a waste of money until you
are sure that you wish to stay in that particular group
although as I said above you cannot go wrong with
SMW as they are one of the best suppliers out there,
most of their gear is made specifically for them
without buying it from "middle men"
Good luck, Peiper

[Gummipuppe]

Very good advice if you haven't found a group yet
as they may have certain preferences or style so buying
the wrong stuff will be a waste of money until you
are sure that you wish to stay in that particular group
although as I said above you cannot go wrong with
SMW as they are one of the best suppliers out there,
most of their gear is made specifically for them
without buying it from "middle men"
Good luck, Peiper

Thank you, sir. I recently decided to take the plunge into reenacting. My SS unit has very high standards/preferences regarding uniform items and gear. For example, I was told all repro gas mask canisters are unacceptable because the fluting on the sides is not deep enough. I was also told that "Dot 44" parkas are completely unacceptable because there is no proof they were issued to the Waffen SS division that we are portraying. Also, repro helmets are unacceptable. Gotta have a real helmet. Buying all this stuff has become a real learning experience for me so far. I would have never known about these details unless someone from my unit was helping me. Lord knows, this stuff can get insanely expensive, so I want to make sure I don't end up making a mistake.

I've been told by members of my SS unit and others that SMW is the only place in the US to get boots if you don't want them fall apart after an event or two. I bought a pair of low boots from them and they are pretty nice. Expensive, but I was assured that they will last, so I am willing to pay the price.

So far, I've bought my stuff from SMW, Hessen Antiques, At The Front, 1944 Militaria, and Kelly's Military. Like I said, you ain't gonna find everything you need in one place.

[peiper1944]

Thats fair comment I agree most of my equipment is original
so like you I went to many dealers to get the best price, my
SS camo I bought from SMW as there is none better and is
closest to the real deal out there imho.

As for wool uniforms headgear etc I shopped closer to home
only due to the import tax when buying from the States so
stuck to UK dealers but as you say its best to shop around for
the best deal.

After a while you get to know who is reliable and you stick to
the same dealers, but if you are a newbie I agree it is best
holding fire in buying gear until joining a group

Regards Pipes