wwii axis reenactment forum

Simple thread - Make it a sticky as it's quite important.

People come on time after time with loads of questions and some appear and post pics of themselves in uniform. Usuall exotic and Gucci.

Sometimes it's painless and others they get ripped or disheartened.

Some learn - some just plain don't listen

So -

When starting out and wanting to be this or that and what kit do I get...... follow this simple piece of advice -

BUY THE ABSOLUTE BASIC UNIFORM FIRST.

Buy the following:

A grey service shirt
A pair of field grey wool trousers (Keilhose is a safe bet)
A field grey wool tunic (M42 is a safe bet)
A pair of issue grey knitted socks with rings on.
A pair of either good jackboots or good ankle boots
Gamaschen (Gaiters/anklets) if you buy ankle boots.
A soft wool field cap. (M42 for preference)
A leather belt
A buckle of the service of your choice
A M42 Stalhelm, plain field grey - no decals, adornments. accoutrements or camouflage.
A K98 Bayonet and Frog.

Insignia - depending on your arm of service - Get a Breast/arm eagle. A pair of Litzen/SS rank patches for an enlisted man - Private/Schutze/Grenadier/Mann - i.e. the lowest entry into the Armed Forces. Shoulder Boards with arm of service colour. White is a safe bet for Infantry.

You now have basic kit to allow you to start to look the part and participate in some events.
It's all boring stuff but will stand you in good stead and can be tailored to suit your needs.

THEN
Buy the following:
Mauser K98 Ammunition pouches in Black Leather.
A Bread Bag
A Water Bottle
A Mess Tin
A Gas Mask Tin
A Zeltbahn pertinent to your choie of portrayal. (Heer or SS)
A deact/replica/live K98 according to your circumstances.

You now have all the basic kit to allow you to participate fully.

FINALLY - take 5 or 6 months and attend as many events as you can manage with whoever you choose to go with and you will find that having the above gear allows you to tweak and tailor and add to your impression - the Learning Process will kick in and you will get much better results.

If you can afford it get a set of Schilfgrun Drillichanzug better known as Reed Green Denims. A Godsend in hot weather.

That my friends is the best way to start in this hobby - Buy the basics. Buy once. Buy right. Anyone who tells you different is either a fool, taking the piss or out for an argument..... that's not to say anyone on here - I'm sure most if not all will, through years of experience agree with me......

People this thread is a must for someone starting out some good advice hear from PD, buy once buy right not cheap and "that'll do" and do your research.

Good post! Want to add:

Boots - lay down an extra buck and get RAU or HG Berger boots, they stand out. As far as RAU, get the "polish made"!

And polish and dubbin those boots. Nothing spoils the 'look' like new out the box boots that have never seen polish and proofing.

ive lost count the times ive seen people who havent even applied a smudgin of polish/dubbin to there new boots, bad admin !

Paul,
Spot on. It was the way I did it, and I hav never regretted it.
Will make it a part of the introductory talk we give to new recruits (with your permission of course)

I think doing research and going through old posts on here is essential aswell. You need to know whos selling what and if its any good. Not easy for new starters. Even the best of retailers somtimes dont always have the best kit availible. Go through old posts, theres plenty of kit reviews. If your still really stuck then just ask. Yes it would be anoying to have hundreds of "Who does the best ......" posts fro new guys but not as anoying as people in poor kit.

Be my guest Andy - and Ropes is right - couple it with research. I deliberately tried to keep it "vague" as to specific vendors etc.
Also this can be adapted to a FJ or any other impression - What is being said is - Forget smocks and dots and splinter and gongs and captured weapons, fancy cam paint jobs, exotic pouches and tranclements....... Just buy the standard basic issue kit and start........

And the polish tip is cock on. I bought one of the first pairs of RAU lowboots into the UK and spent 3 weeks working a full tin of lederfett into them.... The benefit shows - I still have them and they are eminently wearable.

Thanks for that list Hoff

It is true good advice, and in my German portrayment this list was applied when i first started and those
items were infact the first things i aquirred, apart from the uniforms all my equipment is genuine so i
know it is correct lol

Regards Pipes

Back before the internet, good groups had newsletters and kit lists and award systems. Everything was in balance and people found a group then took the kitlist etc.
Now people mainly find re-enactment via the web and flounder around until either someone hauls them aboard and takes them in or some get shipwrecked on desert islands.....

The best advise I can give is: ask the responable in your unit and follow his advice, don't be a smart ass and do your own thing... (seen it to many times and then the group has one or two clowns that will f*ck up the picture you have in your mind how it should be).

Then they turn up in a f*ck'n Splinter A smock, becouse the dealers website advertised it as a Fallschirmjäger smock.... AAaaaaaarrrgggh!!!! And you've told them to buy a Panzerstore smock or a Spearhead if they didn't have the money! Then the monkeybreans pull a lip if they find out your mad at them and that they have to sell the Sturm cr*p and get the right stuff anyway.

Salacious Crumb wrote:The best advise I can give is: ask the responable in your unit and follow his advice, don't be a smart ass and do your own thing... (seen it to many times and then the group has one or two clowns that will f*ck up the picture you have in your mind how it should be).

Then they turn up in a f*ck'n Splinter A smock, becouse the dealers website advertised it as a Fallschirmjäger smock.... AAaaaaaarrrgggh!!!! And you've told them to buy a Panzerstore smock or a Spearhead if they didn't have the money! Then the monkeybreans pull a lip if they find out your mad at them and that they have to sell the Sturm cr*p and get the right stuff anyway.

Heh heh, i had my three Para knockensacks from Spearhead, as you say they are not bad now, the fourth one which is green
i had from SOF which TBF is not a bad yellow/green twist fabric, but as you say Salacious DO NOT BUY the Splinter A types,
complete waste of money and only good for one thing lol

Pipes

PD's words are VERY wise...

Now to get the newbie's to read it before they get giddy online...

Like I did! Live and learn...
But i'm getting there...
And still making mistakes!

Regards,

Gary.

hi guys. found all this info really useful and have followed your advice.and purchased the 1st phase for the basic uniform.(im aiming to portray a waffen- SS division) much apprieciated. is there any chance a forum'er could post a picture of the two stages (the absoloute basic and then a picture with all the accessories) so me and possibly other newbies can see the positioning of bayonet & frog ect. ive done alot of research. read through many posts on here and have chatted to forum users but it would be nice just to see a clear picture as ive read amany posts that have said... eg. your belt should be higher, youve got your socks the wrong way round etc ;D cheers danny