Who really cares?

[Two-Step]

One of the biggest topics right now, seems to be about revolvers and what should or should not be allowed. My question is, does anyone actually give a rip if somebody shoots a Vaquero or a Peacemaker. And if so, do you care enough to try and prevent them from taking part in cowboy shooting?

And while I am at it, lets talk about boots. Does it really matter if somebody wears knee high cowboy (cavalry type) boots that have a rubber bottom and a modern insole?

Do you want to go so far as to make sure that people are wearing the proper underwear? If your brave enough, you can check to see mine, I guarantee that what I wear under my trousers is 100% accurate to any era...

In the pursuit of authenticity, where do we stop being "fashion police" and start having fun? Seriously, does any one really care enough to make that big of a deal out of it?
Who really cares?

[Augustus McCrae]

I dont care. Just being honest.

[flboots]

i dont care either, its whats in the heart that counts. There were severl double action guns used in the old west also

[Jeff Smith]

Hard-core reenactors who spend great wads of time and money on their clothing care a great deal about the topics you described. It's a great fun hobby. I enjoy seeing people dressed historically correct. It shows their passion for the time period. Generally, They don't worry too much about what others think of them or what you personally are wearing. Naturally I'm not talking about those who intentionally go out of their way to ruin your day by making sure you know your clothing is not 100% correct.

Two-Step, no one is stopping you from wearing what you want if dressing historically correct is not your cup of tea. At some old west events it makes little difference. However, the more serious the event the more you should do your best to dress properly. If you have no plans of entering any contests or you are simply not trying to look authentic then don't worry how you look. However, at the same time you can't complain when you lose contests to those who put forth the extra effort. Depending on the event you may notice a lack of being taken seriously by those who work their butts off getting everything "just right." Personally, I enjoy looking at the photographs of the hard-core reenactors on this board. They (men and women) should be "recognized" for their great efforts in bringing the old west to life, and we should be so lucky to have the pleasure of viewing their authentic portrayals of nineteenth century life.

[Two-Step]

First, I will mention that there is no one who has tried to prevent me from taking part in any western activity in any way, through draconian costume rules or otherwise. Nor do I really think that there are many people who have the intend of actually blocking others who are less than 100% accurate in their costume, from taking part in cowboy or western era reenactment or sports.

The above being said, I have notice that there are a few people that carry on in a very elitist way. Their attitudes and remarks are those of a nature that might stop others from stepping into cowboy and western reenactment and sports, because the said "newbie" isn't 100% accurate and is concerned that they will be "outcast" or looked down on.

I agree, people that are so intent on making their kit 100% accurate, should be recognized for the insanely tedious work that they do. And, when it comes to costume competitions, those with the most authentic costume should take home the prize. These people should be an example of something to strive towards, not as a starting point.

At the end of the day, we are all just playing dress up. The only difference between us and little kids is that we have bigger budgets.

In case anyone wonders, I do feel that people should strive to be accurate in appearance, but not to the point that they never get involved with cowboy reenactment or sports. Safety always comes first and fun a very very close second.

[Ric-o-chet]

In the old days of reenacting, we used what was available, mostly from thrift stores. Grandpa's wool trousers we took the belt loops off not many people were interested enough to check wether they had buttons or zippers. We ripped collars off of shirts, sewed our oun stuff, we didn't have the available wardrobe makers we have now and if it was out there it was expensive. I made most of my own gear. I also believed in a certain about of dirt on the clothing figuring that if I was protraying a working man of the west, I needed to look the part.

[George D Rodriguez]

Everyone has to start somewhere. In the begining, In a year or two, After 5 years. Progressing from a newbie to an old hand.
Everyone of us started out. Some of us had bigger budgets to play with. Some of us didn't.
When helping out a newbie, advice is greatly appreciated. Using the 10 foot rule with advice on how to make it look good from 10 feet away really helps one when starting out. As one progress' thru the years their kit becomes more elaborate. Most start out because they like to shoot guns and have not yet achieved the desire for history. They learn from the old hands on safety, dress, participation and team play. Taking the time for proper training turns a newbie into one of your team players. Once hooked then you can start them on the history of what their portraying. Don't expect overnight success. Give it time they'll usually come around.

[Jeff Smith]

The 10 foot rule is fine, if you have the money to waste on items that are not correct to begin with. No one expects overnight success, however, everyone wants to be accepted as authentic and historically correct immediately. It takes lots of time and money. That's no excuse to pile on incorrect items. If you don't have a period gun, don't wear a Ruger Blackhawk. If you don't have a period hat don't plop on a modern side-curl "yee-haw" hat and expect to be taken seriously. Don't have the correct notch-lapel vest? Don't put on that Goodwill 1970s leather Bonanza piece and hope no one will notice, they will. Go without the gun, the hat and the vest if need be. Better to wear less and be authentic then to try and wear it all and look terrible.

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

The only thing I ever objected to was the attitude "If you have plastic buttons on your underpants you can't play." To begin with, nobody's gonna be looking at my underpants unless we're in a very intimate situation, & then it's gonna be a really goodlookin' woman who's not interested in whether or not the buttons on my underpants are plastic or not. For anything but an absolutely serious contest, the 10-foot rule applies. I've seen stage costumes of Confederate uniforms with FDNY buttons on 'em, & unless you got closer than 10 feet you couldn't tell they weren't CSA buttons.

[Augustus McCrae]

Maybe I am wrong but I think Two Step is talking about "Cowboy Shooting" here and not reinacting historicaly. Shooting from horseback in competition has nothing to do with being historicaly correct. It is a sport. That is why I made the statement "I dont care ." If Two Step was asking about dressing period for historical purposes I would care. Okay...I will shut up now.

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

As I discovered many years ago, long before 'Cowboy Action Shooting' was even thought of, when shooting from horseback, particularly from a galloping horse, the only thing you can be certain of hitting is the ground. The bullet will get there eventually, even if it hits a tree first.

[Jeff Smith]

There is a HUGE difference between reenactors and actors.

[Bungalo Bill]

Gayle, I believe that when most of us are talking about newbies, we are talking about people who visit a place like Tombstone and dress up for the first time. It is all too frequent that someone will come up and tell them that they are wearing the wrong kind of boots or whatever. If this is done in a demeaning way it can discourage a person from wanting to continue. A couple of years ago, I was very proud of a pair of chaps that I made for myself. They are a near exact copy of the ones Steve McQueen wore in the movie "Tom Horn." Well, a couple of nice people were quick to point out that batwing chaps were a product of the early 20th century. I was disheartened to know that I had spent so much time making something that was not correct. Good for me that I was already a die hard western history buff, although not very knowledgeable, or I might have given up the whole business. When any of us correct others on their outfits, we need to be good natured about it. A few people are not. Terry Clanton tells the story of a person like that who was wearing an "Earp style" overcoat in 100+ degree weather, and was lecturing people on Allen Street in a very smug manner about period correctness and laughing at them. Well, what sort of fool wears an overcoat in the summer?