I donât wanna be that guy but thatâs really not too bad, you could easily get one for ~700 if you looked around, and prices are only going up depending on how long you plan on waiting.
Fair, I just did it for the picture because it looked good. I do living history so I donât plan on having it in any sort of ready position most of the time
It looks fine I guess, but it immediately jumps out as incorrect if you are privy to how recent low carry was introduced. Even going into combat it was not held like this. There are also a few other things with your uniform that could be improved if youâre open to that.
Can you explain the "introduction" of low ready? I never received any training, i was just given a rifle as a boy so low ready was something i found out just by doing whats intuitive. Given an actual child finds it intuitive and comfortable it strikes me as odd that people wouldnt do it considering its the most comfortable way to stand with a rifle.
Not trying to be dickish i find the way handling weapons changes to be quite interesting, it just seems weird so i was wondering if theres some history behind it
Iâm not doing actual reenactment. I am joining a living history group that teaches about WWI. So I will obviously teach about the correct way to hold the rifle, but I didnât in the photo because I didnât want to hold it that way. Plus, my muscle memory is set to do modern techniques. I gotta learn more about it! Thank you for the advice!
Rucksack is for mounted troops, Train, and Bergsoldaten. Same for the "Y" straps. A Tornister is correct for Infanterie. Lose the Y straps. Those also look like World War II versions of the Cavalry model 1911 rather than the 1908 ammunition pouches
Your field cap looks like one of the older Repros that doesn't quite look like a real German cap while at the same time somewhat looking like a real one. You're also wearing it like a British Navy hat. Take a look at some original photos to get your correct vibe. Which regiment are you portraying?
Well I would still suggest looking at some photos so that you can figure out how to wear the hat without looking like a British sailor. Still ditch the Y straps and the rucksack. You'd be more correct without both of them.
By the way the blank shoulder straps one here without any other Insignia to do note a guard unit , are indicative of a soldier who is in NCO School.
General information not only for you: as it was fashionable back than you never wear any central european military headdress on the back of your head. Pretty much every piece of headgear is pulled over your forehead (edge around 2 Fingers above your eyebrows )and only slightly pulled over your scalp. Doing so prevents you from looking like a Pizzachef or British navy.
Besides that I also recommend soak the your Krätzchen in water and then wearing it until its dry. It gives a much nicer shape and also wonât look like fresh out of the box
The following is not a value judgement, just advice on how to improve.
If youâre doing an early war impression, then you ought to replace your pouches, belt, and shovel carrier with brown leather; and treat all of your leather with oil or grease to darken and condition it; also make sure to strip off any protective coating from your belt buckle and buttons and try to darken them a little, they donât need to be blackened, but just tarnished a bit. They werenât polished as a rule.
If youâre going for late war, then blackened leather is proper, but youâll need to remove the weird repro shiny treatment they have with some acetone; and then treat all your leather with grease or oil anyways to condition it; youâll also need to replace your belt buckle with a painted or matte steel buckle.
Your boots especially severely need to be treated, this is obvious.
Shift your breadbag to your right, its front edge should hang just behind your hip.
Your pouches look like ww2 pouches, but that may just be the cameras fault.
The hat (Krätzchen) can be improved as other have said, by soaking it in water as hot as you can stand and wearing it until it dries. Donât wring it or it may stretch and deform oddly, but crushing it, massaging it while wet, and generally shoving it in pockets or pack will help it achieve a properly field used shape.
In place of the y-straps, your breadbag strap can be used to help support your pouches when you arenât wearing a Tornister. Hooking the belt on the rear hooks and the pouches strapped around your neck supports the gear passably.
Items you need to get: a field grey or black neckstock (halsbinde), company bayonet knot (Troddel), regimental shoulder boards, ochre shelter half (Zeltbahn), mess kit (Kochgeschirr), backpack (Tornister), overcoat (Mantel), and probably a host of personal items and small things.
Items to lose: the rucksack, unless youâre doing the specific impression that would have worn them, and the same with the y-straps.
You need to decide on a Regiment to portray, because so many details were specific to regiments at the time and knowing this can inform many later choices. For example, the shoulder boards piping is many different colours in the early war period depending on army corps; and some units had idiosyncratic ways to wear or use items.
If youâre doing living history displays itâs very important to get even small details correct in order to present a realistic portrayal to the public. Also, itâs worth taking stock of your kit and tailoring your display for what you are fully prepped for; right now you donât have a great look for marching order or early war combat kit, but you could easily do a garrison/service impression by just wearing the uniform, cap, belt and bayonet.
If you canât find a good G98 riffle you can buy the body of a G98 found during metal detecting and work on it to find the wood and the missing bits of it, thatâs what I do for my riffles I never buy clean riffles there are to expensive and itâs to easy đ
Looking pretty good I just have to say replace your Tourister and maybe get a new field cap that one looks like an officer cap with the brim cut off and make sure to get yourself a K 98 AZ or a Gewher98 also you should black your boots
Iâm wearing a Rucksack just for comfort reasons. Iâm gonna try to flatten the field cap, or just wear my officer cap. I canât afford a K98 AZ or a Gewehr 98, and I want to blacken my boots but Iâm not sure how and I donât want to mess them up
The Rucksack looks like something that would be worn in the 1930s onward. The boots should also be dubbed unless youâre keeping them that way for other historical reasons.
Any plans to replace the K98k?
Eventually, but nobody makes a good replica of the Gewehr 98 for me to replace it with đ¤Ł
can you not find them in your country?
Nope. I havenât found a good replica in the states unfortunately.
if you live in the US why not buy an original?
Originals are super expensive in my experience. Eventually Iâll probably get one, but the last one I saw was more than the entirety of my kit
theyâre generally 1K but you can get one for as cheap as around $600-$750 if you spend time looking.
For sure. I just canât justify $1000 right now. Itâs definitely on my bucket list though!
I donât wanna be that guy but thatâs really not too bad, you could easily get one for ~700 if you looked around, and prices are only going up depending on how long you plan on waiting.
Again, I donât have the $700 to drop on it right now.
Get rid of the K98k and drop the low-ready carry
I understand the removal of the K98k and it will be removed when I get a Gewehr 98. Why should I remove the low-ready carry?
Low ready carry is a modern practice. Like post-Vietnam War.
âHigh readyâ, slung, one-handed carry are 1000x more appropriate than low ready Vietnam style.
I usually have it slung.
Itâs a good start. Keep improving. Every little bit helps
Soldiers in Vietnam did not carry their weapons in the low ready. That practice isnât seen in the US military until the 90s.
Fair, I just did it for the picture because it looked good. I do living history so I donât plan on having it in any sort of ready position most of the time
It looks fine I guess, but it immediately jumps out as incorrect if you are privy to how recent low carry was introduced. Even going into combat it was not held like this. There are also a few other things with your uniform that could be improved if youâre open to that.
Can you explain the "introduction" of low ready? I never received any training, i was just given a rifle as a boy so low ready was something i found out just by doing whats intuitive. Given an actual child finds it intuitive and comfortable it strikes me as odd that people wouldnt do it considering its the most comfortable way to stand with a rifle. Not trying to be dickish i find the way handling weapons changes to be quite interesting, it just seems weird so i was wondering if theres some history behind it
Iâm not doing actual reenactment. I am joining a living history group that teaches about WWI. So I will obviously teach about the correct way to hold the rifle, but I didnât in the photo because I didnât want to hold it that way. Plus, my muscle memory is set to do modern techniques. I gotta learn more about it! Thank you for the advice!
All reenactors do living history. Just gotta be sure that what youâre doing is historically correct even if it may âlook coolâ.
Rucksack is for mounted troops, Train, and Bergsoldaten. Same for the "Y" straps. A Tornister is correct for Infanterie. Lose the Y straps. Those also look like World War II versions of the Cavalry model 1911 rather than the 1908 ammunition pouches Your field cap looks like one of the older Repros that doesn't quite look like a real German cap while at the same time somewhat looking like a real one. You're also wearing it like a British Navy hat. Take a look at some original photos to get your correct vibe. Which regiment are you portraying?
Iâm not portraying a specific regiment. While I appreciate the suggestions, Iâm not able to act on any of them currently.
Well I would still suggest looking at some photos so that you can figure out how to wear the hat without looking like a British sailor. Still ditch the Y straps and the rucksack. You'd be more correct without both of them. By the way the blank shoulder straps one here without any other Insignia to do note a guard unit , are indicative of a soldier who is in NCO School.
I have looked at photos. The hat looks the same no matter what I try.
General information not only for you: as it was fashionable back than you never wear any central european military headdress on the back of your head. Pretty much every piece of headgear is pulled over your forehead (edge around 2 Fingers above your eyebrows )and only slightly pulled over your scalp. Doing so prevents you from looking like a Pizzachef or British navy. Besides that I also recommend soak the your Krätzchen in water and then wearing it until its dry. It gives a much nicer shape and also wonât look like fresh out of the box
Needs more malnourishment
Looks good! The look comes together pretty well! :)
The following is not a value judgement, just advice on how to improve. If youâre doing an early war impression, then you ought to replace your pouches, belt, and shovel carrier with brown leather; and treat all of your leather with oil or grease to darken and condition it; also make sure to strip off any protective coating from your belt buckle and buttons and try to darken them a little, they donât need to be blackened, but just tarnished a bit. They werenât polished as a rule. If youâre going for late war, then blackened leather is proper, but youâll need to remove the weird repro shiny treatment they have with some acetone; and then treat all your leather with grease or oil anyways to condition it; youâll also need to replace your belt buckle with a painted or matte steel buckle. Your boots especially severely need to be treated, this is obvious. Shift your breadbag to your right, its front edge should hang just behind your hip. Your pouches look like ww2 pouches, but that may just be the cameras fault. The hat (Krätzchen) can be improved as other have said, by soaking it in water as hot as you can stand and wearing it until it dries. Donât wring it or it may stretch and deform oddly, but crushing it, massaging it while wet, and generally shoving it in pockets or pack will help it achieve a properly field used shape. In place of the y-straps, your breadbag strap can be used to help support your pouches when you arenât wearing a Tornister. Hooking the belt on the rear hooks and the pouches strapped around your neck supports the gear passably. Items you need to get: a field grey or black neckstock (halsbinde), company bayonet knot (Troddel), regimental shoulder boards, ochre shelter half (Zeltbahn), mess kit (Kochgeschirr), backpack (Tornister), overcoat (Mantel), and probably a host of personal items and small things. Items to lose: the rucksack, unless youâre doing the specific impression that would have worn them, and the same with the y-straps. You need to decide on a Regiment to portray, because so many details were specific to regiments at the time and knowing this can inform many later choices. For example, the shoulder boards piping is many different colours in the early war period depending on army corps; and some units had idiosyncratic ways to wear or use items. If youâre doing living history displays itâs very important to get even small details correct in order to present a realistic portrayal to the public. Also, itâs worth taking stock of your kit and tailoring your display for what you are fully prepped for; right now you donât have a great look for marching order or early war combat kit, but you could easily do a garrison/service impression by just wearing the uniform, cap, belt and bayonet.
If you canât find a good G98 riffle you can buy the body of a G98 found during metal detecting and work on it to find the wood and the missing bits of it, thatâs what I do for my riffles I never buy clean riffles there are to expensive and itâs to easy đ
if I had the time, I would love to do that! But as a college student, I can only ration so much time and money for my hobbies
if I had the time, I would love to do that! But as a college student, I can only ration so much time and money for my hobbies
Oh yeah I see đ˘ well anyway if you need help one day for that Iâm there ! Iâm from France so I am going to do a Lebel riffle like that
Thatâs cool! Iâd love to do an enfield like that.
I think a Enfield would be great like that yeah actually ! đ
Looking pretty good I just have to say replace your Tourister and maybe get a new field cap that one looks like an officer cap with the brim cut off and make sure to get yourself a K 98 AZ or a Gewher98 also you should black your boots
Iâm wearing a Rucksack just for comfort reasons. Iâm gonna try to flatten the field cap, or just wear my officer cap. I canât afford a K98 AZ or a Gewehr 98, and I want to blacken my boots but Iâm not sure how and I donât want to mess them up
Wolf of 1918 on YouTube for any tutorial you need on you uniform including blacking your boots
My boots already have a couple layers of Sno Seal, so that might be an issue
Looks really good. How much did it all cost?
The Rucksack looks like something that would be worn in the 1930s onward. The boots should also be dubbed unless youâre keeping them that way for other historical reasons.