aged gear.

[Peiper]

GOD! ENOUGH!
Consider this (and I wrote the same litany some years ago and it was the same then as it is now)
The war lasted from 1939 - 1945 - Lets call it six years. So a piece of new kit could only have six years wear at the most.
Most kit was issued to a soldier - He did not own it - it belonged to the state and he was required to surrender it when demanded.
Kit had a finite life and below a certain standard it was trashed or recycled.

All this bollocks you are talking is irrelevant - The OP asked about AGED kit - The way to age kit is as follows.
You re-enact at weekends normally. SO you brand new kit is just that on your first event. You are a beginner and you should look like you have just come from a replacement battalion. If you're a seasoned re-enactor then you have had a piece of kit re-issued.
Lets say you do 10 events a year - that's 20 days wear. Throw in the odd tactical and a three day weekend - let's say you wear your kit 30 days a year - that's a month.

So your kit - if you don't wash it and hang it up and treat it like precious metal should accumulate a months wear. If you want to help it - shave your wool tunic on the wear points. And fronts of trousers.

Stop stressing over even more Hollywoodisms....... If your breadbag fucks up =- BUY A NEW ONE - because you would have been issued one. The Germans were never a rag tag army - They became shoddy but they had militaristic pride and discipline - Sewn up tunics and repaired leatherwork would have been TEMPORARY. Do NOT devalue the impression you are doing by engaging in this shit.

Keep you kit in the best order you can - If it breaks - by all means repair it that day in the field - but when you get home get another one ordered..... As if you had handed in the old one and been issued a new one.

Stop pissing about people - get real - get back to the proper values and represent real soldiers not CoD sprites.

Cheers Paul, thanks for clearing that up

Regards Peiper

[Franz repper]

Tchüss,
David

David they only would Flog a dead horse if the were not issued one or it could not be repaired

[Gebirgsziege]

David they only would Flog a dead horse if the were not issued one or it could not be repaired

[Sheikh Al Stranghi]

Where would a German soldier find super glue in 1942.

Well, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UHU



In 1932, Fischer developed a clear synthetic resin adhesive which displayed the ability to affix any material.

[DER SOLDATEN]

That is something I have never seen.Thanks for the info.

[bellumbill]

My very humble two cents on this matter - I simply don't attend enough reenactments anymore that my uniform/equipment will get that "lived in" look and maybe other guys are that way too? So a little aging to a helmet, uniforms, or some of the equipment might serve to help them achieve a "combat" or "field" look??

I like the distinction some make, at least with the refurbished helmets, between a "relic" look and a "used" or "in combat for a week" look - Your helmet should not look like it was dug out of a beet field in Russia in 2012! Other than that, I think it is up to personal preference whether you like the new issue look or the "in the field for a week look".

I agree with some here, this is probably a "dead horse" issue, but I don't mind the dialogue - some guys are new to the hobby and are curious - For those who care, I have been reenacting since 1982 and the conversation, I can guarantee you, has been going on at least that long!

Best -

Bill K.