Common Wear & Tear Items of the US Cavalry
Вставка
- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Through experimental archeology, we can determine common wear and tear items that the original cast would have dealt with on a regular basis. Join us in combining our own experiences with evidence from the original troopers of the civil war!
Check out our civil war research database at:
www.researcharsenal.com
www.civilwarle...
www.cwordnance...
www.civilwarph...
As Infantry; losing buttons and splitting trousers is a given ... usually at the worst time as the order to fall-in will be surly called. Ride hard OVC but stay warm. Happy Holiday Pards --LT
Splitting rawhide was a long time problem for the army. As you learned, it's usually at corners, holes, and seams. They determined it was a drying issue. The saddle gets wet, and dries too quickly making the rawhide shrink too fast. Keeping the saddle a little damp and slowing the drying time can actually keep the rawhide intact. Laying a damp cloth (blanket, shelter half, clothing) over the saddle can work, like when it's in the trailer on the way home. What they eventually did was cover the whole saddle with leather. I have a pair of well used '04 Macs that are beat to death, but the rawhide underneath is perfect. I was lucky to learn this before the rawhide split on my repro '59, and it's intact still, after 20-25 years of hard use. Look under an old western saddle's leather and you'll find a raw-hided tree, usually in good shape.
What wore out first?……hahahahHa….yer butt in those McClellan saddles…….LOL
I literally just said that! I guess great minds think alike! LOL
One of my pards has been doing cavalry for 35 years. He said it best “when you do cav, everything is disposable. It will get destroyed!”. In the same amount of time, as an infantryman, the only thing I’ve really replaced often has been Hardee hats. Even things like shoes, have lasted me a really really long time.
Great seeing some new content, I binge watched all your videos like three times. Huzza!
At least three times
@@seandahl8441 some more then that. PS I’m in south central Colorado and have a full kit plus horse how can I contact you?
From my days reenacting Cavalry/Mounted Infantry here in Canada, I recall thinking that every piece of issued or regulation kit was designed to hook or catch on some other piece. Mounting and dismounting were particularly frustrating with straps and buckles catching on saddles and rigging. I agree 100% that the hardest thing on clothing and equipment are the horses!
Great video. I really like learning more about this type of day-to-day life thing. Helps me get into the mindset of the "original cast" a little more.
Regarding shoddy - I always found that part of the Ken Burns Civil War documentary to be interesting. All of the examples of low quality gear really made me feel for the servicemen...
Really well done and interesting subject. Thanks for sharing, thats something for me took dive into as soon as my impression of a ww1 hussar trooper is done so far and I got the time to do longer tests with all my gear. Great insights you guys deliver.
Steve, Brandon, most excellent video. Thank you ever so much for teaching us here the actual reality of being in the realm of experiential archeology.living history. My gosh, you two are lifesavers. My infantry great coat has many small burn holes from sparks from large campfires, lol! Thanks again, I've learned a lot.
My favorite troopers in the whole Army
Really great discussion, Steve
I always wondered why the french napoleonic cavalry had an additional strap to secure the carbine butt. Thank you, now I know.
A great video--this is one the most important kinds of experimental archeology because these kinds of things have strong impact on soldiers in the field. I wonder, however, for the tack, whether the leather in period mightn't have been tougher than that we get today--I have often heard that it was, but have no personal experience of it.
As to the hammer screw on the Smith, I have a Pietta and the screw gets loosened every single time I go to the range; I think that's just endemic with the Pietta screws (which are substandard in a number of ways--being too soft, for example). I just make a habit of using my combination tool to tighten it every 10-15 rounds. The same is true to a lesser extent for the screw holding the top spring.
Inserting a couple pieces of thread before putting in the screw will help slow it's backing out.
Leave them long, and trim when the screw is tight. Very tight.
I do infantry and I've broken coat straps too. I sold you fellas a sharps a few years back, I'd be interested to see how its wearing. Another great video.
Hey Chris! Any idea what the SN was? Either way all of our sharps are doing great, except one! But that one wasn't yours! lol.
@@11thovc SH39806 maybe? It'd be nice to hear that its getting some nice snap hook wear.
Very interesting video !! Thanks !!
Great show , thanks !!
You young guys doing a great job we old timers can’t do it any more. How were field repairs in the war. Your experience indicates why DuckTape would have been very helpful. The boys needed locktite for screws, have we advanced. Kentucky, Battle of Richmond, KY
GREAT PROGRAM HAD SOME PROBLEMS WHEN DOING INFANTRY THAT WAS INTERESTING
So in my personal experience, I blowout a lot of pairs of pants as infantry. That has usually been "ground arms" or one time where I was sent out on picket and ordered to go to one knee.
You should try mink oil on your equipment to protect it from moisture/rain, and I believe that would also be available and correct for the 19th century.
Very good video.I have a Spencer rifle and I use it in a late war Infantry impression. I also have problems with the top barrel band coming loose. I rap clear tape around it or I will loose it 😔🇺🇸
"What wore out first?"
My guess would be their backside, riding those McClellan saddles! LOL
Merry Christmas
Depends where you were. Back East, you had towns, camp followers and lots of dead to loot. North had the best guns, the South the best saddles and horses. In much of the West, after six months, most would look like a cross between a Mormon and a Indian. The Union was making gear to fight in the South! Indian women were well known for making saddles and other kit to survive a Wyoming winter. Buffalo hide is much better than cow hide and would be the thing used. Also, while some Indians could be a problem, Ft Caspar's important job was the transcontinental telegraph working.
So I have a question for you my GG Uncle was in the 3rd ORV. The union trousers that you talked about what do you use for a tie in the back of the trousers where the 2 holes are. Was it leather, was it white tape what did they you use?
Myus3r812,
I believe it came with a white tape or string to begin with, but photographic evidence supports that it could be anything! In the field, just like today, guys used whatever they could get.
For the love of God would someone who knows please go over the proper rigging of the mcclelland saddle, how the girth rig works. I can find nothing on the internet
About the pants in boots or outside the boots.. being both an infantryman in the Army, and a horse rider myself. Pants inside the boots is always best. For so many reasons. But!!! If you want to have your pants outside your boots. I have learned through trials and errors.. that getting “chin guards” hand made out of burlap, leather, whatever. Because at the end of the trail no matter if it’s just a day ride or a few weeks ride. You can toss aside the burlap “leggings” saving your pants and not wrecking your wallet. Burlap works best for me in summer, suede leather or saddle grade leather in winter. I prefer suede double wrapped leggings for winter because EVERYONE hates breaking in new leather.
The saddle surprised me! Weren't they oiled, or saddle soaped?
Seems a little quick for the leather casing to begin to break down.
Rawhide takes entirely different care than fair leather. The shrunk rawhide provides the structural integrity of the McClellan. Oiled rawhide turns to latigo, which is stretchy. Hard to do anything for it without specialty products.
@@olddammike
Thank You very much for that explanation 👍
So I'm sure it's only a bit farby but a leather wrap on the stock of the carbine is a good way to protect it I'm sure there was some soldier back in the day that did it but it probably wasn't common
I understand the thing for historic authenticity, but i remember reading about soldiers using varnish to keep their screws in. have you tried that?
Horse sweat in particular. Any metal item that gets within a foot of a sweaty horse will immediately rust. And hammers, when mounted. The hammer of a slung Sharps has eaten away all of the stitching on my holster. Move holster to front of belt, and pistol butt beats on pommel at certain gaits. The hammer of a 2 bander Enfield, shoulder slung, has totally destroyed my ground cloth, and started on the blanket in my bedroll. Other than wrapping the bed roll in leather, I have yet to remedy that problem (I switched back to Sharps for other reasons). The folding rear sight on the Sharps has been broken off, between horses. My Infantry friends show off their new items for this impression or that. Every new item I have bought for the last 30 years has been to replace something that is no longer functional.
who makes the best leather kit
I'd actually love to get involved in CW reenactment, currently I'm doing equestrian in medieval reenactments ( currently retraining a Standardbred)..but mcclullan saddles are for skinny butt kids and way small for me, I'd wedge my crotch into that tree gap ! 😂
My Gr Gr Gr grandfather was in the 11th Indiana Cavalry
What is the sling swivel for?
Pat, it is to carry the carbine/rifle over your shoulder so you don't drop it when riding.
@@11thovc Thank you!
I think to be in this hobby, you have to have a screw loose 😆
Pants wore out first. Especially the xeats.
It was many times worse in 1860s there was a lot of corruption in supplying the army the biggest bribe won the contract and supplying were made out of almost dirt off the factory floor . Then in battle they were trying very hard to kill each other . And life and death went on 24/7 .
hi Steve Tighten up,then ride hard.
DAVENPORT IOWA DAD JOKE of the day
[Q] what is the most distinctive characteristic of the DOGWOOD TREE?
[a] why,it's ,BARK, ,OF COURSE
MAKE 1984 FICTION AGAIN
Poor leather quality and poor PM poor workmanship. Saddle soap, leather has to be polished.