As Sharpshooters, we have many combinations to our uniform set up through blue or green trousers or blue and green frock or blue fatigue blouse. There are many great vendors producing a quality and correct style fatigue blouse. However, there are few, if any, that can produce proper green uniform items and fewer that can do a frock with correct piping. Please note that proper frock coats, trousers, and caps are very dark green with the frock coat having emerald green piping trim. Listed below are a few vendors with their Berdan items listed that they sell and thoughts on them.
Timeless Stitches- Since joining reenacting as a Sharpshooter in 2008, I have owned two frock coats from Norm and Lynn. The quality is very good and have stood up at many events. With them being in the PNW, shipping is fairly fast and I have the plus side of picking it up at events if need be. However, the color is a bit too bright of a green cloth for use on the coats, caps, and trousers . The trim piping on the frock coat is an olive green and not the emerald green like the originals. www.tstitches.com/store/page9.html
Milk Creek- A vendor that is in Oregon and sets up only with NCWC events but does take orders through their website. Teresa is a one person operation with a fairly good turn around time. She is often quite friendly and helpful when it comes to orders over the phone. Milk Creek so far has the closest color. Her Berdan uniforms are a dark green and with frock piping being an emerald green color. So far on a comparison of the different vendors and members with in the unit wearing products, Milk Creek has the best look of them all. The prices are very fair for a frock coat as well, coming in at a reasonable $160 and even comes with black rubber buttons! For new members or those looking into getting a better and closer colored uniform of an original, Milk Creek is the first place to go. www.milkcreek.com/shop/
Company K- Another vendor from our area that provides an affordable price in the $130 to $150 range. Like Timeless Stitches, they are regularly seen at local reenactments and are willing to take in orders for a coat and seem to have a fairly decent turn around time. Much like Timeless Stitches though, the color of the uniform cloth is a very light green with frock piping is a pale green color. They are looking into getting darker cloth for their Berdan Uniforms, updates to come. www.companykmercantile.com/
Quartermaster Shop- Rated as one of the best uniform reproduction businesses out there, they would be a one stop shop for those wanting a full green Berdan uniform. They offer many options with their uniforms and usually have a decent turn around ranging from about a month and a half to two months. The green of their uniforms is close to originals but not the darker green seen on originals or those produced by Milk Creek listed above, however the piping is a true emerald green. Their products are close reproductions to originals and are very good quality with a frock coat coming in around $350. www.quartermastershop.com/
Wambaugh, White & Co.- It is well known that Dan Wambaugh and Brian White are the “gurus” of anything concerning the Berdan’s and have been great help in getting information on the Sharpshooters out there. They produce some of the best reproduction items out there and are accurate representations of original uniforms. They have a fairly decent turn around time for those who are willing to wait for a quality product. www.wwandcompany.com/
So far the items they reproduce and sell that will suit a Sharpshooter are green or blue trousers and fatigue blouses (covered under the write up on fatigue blouses). Sadly Dan is not one to make frock coats and reasons are listed on their website.The big selling point of WW&Co. Is they offer kits on fatigue blouses and trousers. If you are wanting to get quality Berdan trousers and are constructed by hand. These are the people to go to! Please note that if you wish to get any of their kits for your Sharpshooter impression, Captain Whitehall and Private Hardway are willing to sew them for a very small fee.
Timeless Stitches- Since joining reenacting as a Sharpshooter in 2008, I have owned two frock coats from Norm and Lynn. The quality is very good and have stood up at many events. With them being in the PNW, shipping is fairly fast and I have the plus side of picking it up at events if need be. However, the color is a bit too bright of a green cloth for use on the coats, caps, and trousers . The trim piping on the frock coat is an olive green and not the emerald green like the originals. www.tstitches.com/store/page9.html
Milk Creek- A vendor that is in Oregon and sets up only with NCWC events but does take orders through their website. Teresa is a one person operation with a fairly good turn around time. She is often quite friendly and helpful when it comes to orders over the phone. Milk Creek so far has the closest color. Her Berdan uniforms are a dark green and with frock piping being an emerald green color. So far on a comparison of the different vendors and members with in the unit wearing products, Milk Creek has the best look of them all. The prices are very fair for a frock coat as well, coming in at a reasonable $160 and even comes with black rubber buttons! For new members or those looking into getting a better and closer colored uniform of an original, Milk Creek is the first place to go. www.milkcreek.com/shop/
Company K- Another vendor from our area that provides an affordable price in the $130 to $150 range. Like Timeless Stitches, they are regularly seen at local reenactments and are willing to take in orders for a coat and seem to have a fairly decent turn around time. Much like Timeless Stitches though, the color of the uniform cloth is a very light green with frock piping is a pale green color. They are looking into getting darker cloth for their Berdan Uniforms, updates to come. www.companykmercantile.com/
Quartermaster Shop- Rated as one of the best uniform reproduction businesses out there, they would be a one stop shop for those wanting a full green Berdan uniform. They offer many options with their uniforms and usually have a decent turn around ranging from about a month and a half to two months. The green of their uniforms is close to originals but not the darker green seen on originals or those produced by Milk Creek listed above, however the piping is a true emerald green. Their products are close reproductions to originals and are very good quality with a frock coat coming in around $350. www.quartermastershop.com/
Wambaugh, White & Co.- It is well known that Dan Wambaugh and Brian White are the “gurus” of anything concerning the Berdan’s and have been great help in getting information on the Sharpshooters out there. They produce some of the best reproduction items out there and are accurate representations of original uniforms. They have a fairly decent turn around time for those who are willing to wait for a quality product. www.wwandcompany.com/
So far the items they reproduce and sell that will suit a Sharpshooter are green or blue trousers and fatigue blouses (covered under the write up on fatigue blouses). Sadly Dan is not one to make frock coats and reasons are listed on their website.The big selling point of WW&Co. Is they offer kits on fatigue blouses and trousers. If you are wanting to get quality Berdan trousers and are constructed by hand. These are the people to go to! Please note that if you wish to get any of their kits for your Sharpshooter impression, Captain Whitehall and Private Hardway are willing to sew them for a very small fee.
RSS Feed