|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 5, 2013 0:56:40 GMT -5
www.reww2.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=98:b9c9795b698ceffa88df6c0451a77359This is an enlisted man's M36 tunic and M37 trouser bundle. (Keep in mind, I'm a total newbie). Before this, I've made the horrendous mistake of buying Bundeswehr BDUs and field shirts that set my wallet ablaze. I'm currently selling them to my willing close friends, among with other surplus odds and ends. Anyway, is this worth the price? Mind you, my money currently is tight, and while I can afford this I would like to know SHOULD i buy it. My main purpose has been for movie-making, hence the 8 Bundeswehr shirts and many other mistakes i made. Recently though I've developed a love for airsoft (I recently bought a dboys Kar98). I have an M35 helmet as well as an M43 cap (SS from the skull?). Judging from what I've described, how am I doing? Should i buy the tunic set despite my previous purchases driving me into a hole? As I said, I'm selling them off to friends. Well as you can see I've got a lot of work ahead of me, and if I can have some guidance that'd be great! Thanks!   Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by labrador on Sept 5, 2013 2:19:32 GMT -5
looks like the typical china made m36. i have one and it's quite decent.
|
|
cairo1
Private 1st Class
Posts: 494
|
Post by cairo1 on Sept 5, 2013 9:26:12 GMT -5
my Buddy bought his first uniform from here, fell apart in the first 3 hours, lost 3 buttons half a pocket, and the shoulder stiches broke. I bought some pants from here, and the quality was good. militaryharbor.com/Product.aspx?MID=866 |
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 5, 2013 9:43:41 GMT -5
I have seen reww2 products in the past and I would advise against it. The ones I saw seemed to fall apart easily. Especially with buttons falling off. On top of that, you want something that fits you well. The German uniform has a very clean cut look to it. Many of the cheaper tunics end up looking baggy. My first uniform was a bundle set made by sturm and it fit me terribly. My suggestion is, if you are looking for the best bang for your buck, go with Gavin Militaria. They have a much nicer fit and I have yet to lose a button. Make sure you get your sizing right with their charts! They will take a while to ship. Or go with Hessen Antique. A little more expensive, but they will ship faster.
Another thing to consider: pick a side. What you have in the pictures looks fine. I would get a chinstrap for the helmet if you do not have one, and beat up the brim on the cap, but otherwise you are off to a good start. However, right now you have an SS cap with a Heer (regular army) decal helmet, which are two separate uniforms. Don't worry, as the only difference is in the symbols on them and not the cap or helmet itself. Since there are differences in army and SS uniforms, you will want to choose one or the other to get a matching kit. Look at the wwii airsoft units in your area to see what they are doing. Or, go for a generic kit for either SS or Heer in a field grey uniform. Once you have that completed, you can use it as a foundation to build the rest of your uniform off of.
|
|
|
|
Post by labrador on Sept 5, 2013 10:12:11 GMT -5
ah so sorry. mine was from hiki and looked similar. i assumed all china sourced m36's were similar. apparently i was wrong.
|
|
|
|
Post by aj czarkowski on Sept 5, 2013 18:45:32 GMT -5
Me and a couple friends actually bought our uniforms and gear from Reww2's store on eBay (not their website). So far, no problems with any of ours. And I've been to seven battles. But this was a few years ago, maybe their new ones suck? So even though I've bought from them, and some friends have, and we've had no problems at all, I'm going to advise against it simply because we've bought from them a few years ago, and their quality may have changed since then.
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 5, 2013 23:32:47 GMT -5
I have seen people mention Gavin and Hessen, I went to their sites and found myself leaning towards reww2 simply because you get the trousers as well, all this for the price of 1 tunic from Gavin. I don't tend to be too rough with my uniforms, and my sister is fantastic at sewing buttons, so after this is it yet STILL worth buying? I appreciate your input but I still have questions before I make any purchases, I just don't seem to feel like blowing $175 on trousers and pants I can get for $100 or so. When I said I could afford it I meant about $250 I've been saving up and keep in mind, I also need pouches, suspenders, and other odds and ends that will eat up the rest of the $250. With this I'd like yet more answers, and apologize for having so many questions  |
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 6, 2013 9:13:32 GMT -5
It's no problem. When I started out I was in the same boat as you. I went with the bundle sets and cheaper options on ebay. However, I have now replaced them with better items. So in the end, I bought the cheap items, but then had to replace them with slightly more expensive ones anyways. The best way to save money is to buy just one and be done. I am not too rough on my tunics either. The first experience I had, however, with a button falling off was simply from opening and closing a pocket. The second two came off as I was laying down in a position. Mind you this was my first event so this was a brand new tunic. In buying a much cheaper product you are also buying whatever they did to make it so much cheaper. In this case it was sewing things quickly and not correctly. When resewing that old tunic I found that most buttons I could just pull out if I gave them a little tug. With Gavin I have not yet had any of these problems and I am going on two years. Get the core things such as uniform parts and see if gear items can be rented at your local events until you can get your own. Chances are you may even find that they are willing to sell the extra gear for a good price. It has taken me years to put together a 75% full kit. Just get stuff when you can one thing at a time.
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 6, 2013 13:45:13 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by wilhelmmoa on Sept 6, 2013 15:31:25 GMT -5
I'm not sure if you want to get a HBT uniform, will you play in winter? If so go with a normal wool uniform, trust me you don't want to play in winter with a HBT uniform! |
|
|
|
Post by aj czarkowski on Sept 6, 2013 17:24:51 GMT -5
I disagree, I suggest you get both the HBT tunic and HBT pants (you linked a HBT tunic, but wool pants). You never want to buy anything wool unless you only plan on playing in the winter. You can always wear a T-shirt or sweater under your HBT uniform in the winter. If you wear a wool uniform in the summer, you will get heat stroke. You can always make HBT's heavier, buy you can't make wool lighter (that and it's itchy as hell!)
|
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 6, 2013 19:38:57 GMT -5
It really all depends on where you live. But I think you are on the right track with what you have there. I would not get the HBT pants as HBT will wear faster than the wool will. Plus, in the end, wool is more realistic than the HBT. Every soldier was issued the wool uniform. Not everyone had the HBT. I personally would recommend an all wool starter set. But that's just me. Like I said, it depends on what kind of climate you are in. If you are worried about heat in the summer with wool, a good look is to go without the tunic and just wear the service shirt. (if you don't have one a plain grey/tan/green button down will work as a stand in. The service shirt was a long sleeved shirt with a collar worn under the tunic that kept the wool from irritating your skin.) You can find plenty of pictures of German troops doing this, especially in southern Russia, the Balkans, Afrika, and Italy, and I find it to be pretty comfortable when things get hot. My last note is that the tunic you chose is the standard army tunic. If you want to do SS, then you will need the one with 5 buttons on the front. Otherwise it looks like you have a good set picked out.
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 6, 2013 21:10:00 GMT -5
I think you're correct with not getting the wool. I live in Maryland and it gets humid here in summer over everything. (Besides the modern day German insignia) Is this a good stand-in? I currently have lance corporal patches yet to be applied. But anyways I feel like this is what you were talking about with the undershirt, right?   |
|
|
|
Post by aj czarkowski on Sept 6, 2013 21:38:32 GMT -5
I live in Connecticut, and even though it's colder up here I still wouldn't wear the wool. I definitely suggest the HBT's, especially if you live in Maryland
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 6, 2013 21:52:44 GMT -5
That's what I'm saying. In MD (especially where I'm at) weather is bipolar. A few years ago we had the hottest summer temperature in the DC area's history and that winter we had 18 inches of snow! Now that's since become less drastic but nonetheless the weather is very difficult here.
|
|
stuka
Sergeant
The one and only
Posts: 1,205
|
Post by stuka on Sept 6, 2013 23:41:14 GMT -5
iron cross seems unnecessary
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 6, 2013 23:44:31 GMT -5
iron cross seems unnecessary What makes you say that? I'm not saying your thinking is wrong I'd just like to know what your thinking is |
|
|
|
Post by Forever_Kaos on Sept 6, 2013 23:57:26 GMT -5
My 2 cents on the medals... What did you do to earn it? One unit I am with, has a system in place: soldaten.ca/handbook.html(Have to scroll down a bit) Past that, if you really must award yourself, do it when your kit is 110%. Otherwise you look like Flaggrantly Wrong garbage, IMO. Does not look right at all. |
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 7, 2013 0:29:07 GMT -5
(On the service shirt) Yes and no. The shirt that you have looks like it would make an ok stand in. However, it was worn tucked in usually with the suspenders holding up the pants over the top and the gear over that. Here is a picture from Osprey that illustrates what I mean. The guy in the center has stowed away his tunic for the service shirt. No medals were worn with the service shirt. Since it was just an undershirt they kept the medals with their tunic. These soldiers here represent what was worn in Italy. Basically a mixture of tropical and HBT gear. If you are in a more temperate area, then perhaps considering an Italian front look would be an option. Picture:  |
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 7, 2013 0:33:15 GMT -5
My 2 cents on the medals... What did you do to earn it? One unit I am with, has a system in place: soldaten.ca/handbook.html(Have to scroll down a bit) Past that, if you really must award yourself, do it when your kit is 110%. Otherwise you look like Flaggrantly Wrong garbage, IMO. Does not look right at all. I understand the ranking system, I was more gonna use the Iron Cross for my film making side. I mentioned my filming aspirations in passing but I get that I would look (and feel) like a poser out there. My intention wasn't airsoft really for the medal. |
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 7, 2013 0:41:00 GMT -5
aldrich: That pic is huge help! In terms of tunic vs. shirt I think I'll be taking the tunic route simply because of climate. As for that, I'll be taking a Heer route as the places around here are woodland, almost like the Ardennes. As for suspenders, I can't find many for under $35. I'll keep looking but do you recommend where I could find some? I understand German soldiers were equipped with y-strap? Until then I know my grandad had some suspenders when he was alive. I'll check in with my dad and hopefully we can fish 'em out until. This whole this is really having stand-ins and temporary pieces as you piece together the whole thing, yes?
|
|
|
|
Post by gunslinginotaku on Sept 7, 2013 1:38:41 GMT -5
aldrich: That pic is huge help! In terms of tunic vs. shirt I think I'll be taking the tunic route simply because of climate. As for that, I'll be taking a Heer route as the places around here are woodland, almost like the Ardennes. As for suspenders, I can't find many for under $35. I'll keep looking but do you recommend where I could find some? I understand German soldiers were equipped with y-strap? Until then I know my grandad had some suspenders when he was alive. I'll check in with my dad and hopefully we can fish 'em out until. This whole this is really having stand-ins and temporary pieces as you piece together the whole thing, yes? Ebay is probably your best friend, I got my suspenders for about $35, I'm 99% sure you will not find them lower than that without getting them second hand from a buddy. www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-WW2-GERMAN-ARMY-Y-STRAPS-LOAD-BEARING-EQUIPMENT-S96-/231045596276?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cb640474www.ebay.com/itm/F5Z-WWII-GERMAN-ARMY-HEER-WAFFEN-LEATHER-EQUIPMENT-COMBAT-Y-STRAPS-/310720802864?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4858673030I do implore you NOT to get East German Y-straps, won't cut it. Also, not all troops had the Y-straps, some had "internal suspenders" which were issued at the beginning of the war, but some units had until the end. I've used them, an absolute pain if used incorrectly, I'd take y-straps any day. |
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 7, 2013 9:09:31 GMT -5
As for suspenders for holding up your pants, my first came from a thrift shop for next to nothing. Make sure that you get the ones that fasten to your pants via button not clips. When adjusting your suspenders for the pants, make sure the pants go up to the belly button or so like you can see in the picture there. That is how pants used to be cut back then and they will be a lot more comfortable to wear. For Y straps to hold up your gear, I got mine from IMA USA (leather) and have been happy with them as I have never had any issues over the past five years. They were around 40 bucks. But that is about the best price you will get. A slightly cheaper alternative, though not as correct, would be to get the canvas Y straps. These were intended for Africa, but were used in all southern climates as they wouldn't dry out like leather. However, after the fighting in Africa was over, the extras were issued all over the place. I even saw a picture of a guy during a Russian winter wearing them. Do not get a web belt. Not sure why, but they didn't really issue them outside Africa/southern Italy from what I have seen. To see how it all fits together, go to Youtube and find some videos of people showing their gear. Usually they put it on and you can see how the system works. As for stand ins, they are perfectly fine as long as they look the part, and are very cheap. That's why I would only go with a service shirt and East German jackboots or plain leather boots as stand ins. Outside that you risk spending too much money on things you will have to replace. Like the tunic, just save your money for the right stuff and rent things you need until you can get them yourself.
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 8, 2013 3:37:44 GMT -5
I've got suspenders and boots down (the suspenders are a dark blue) and I see you're a panzergrenadier, so do u typically wear a tunic or service shirt (obviously depending on where you live but I see you're profile pic is of you in a panzergrenadier tunic.
|
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 8, 2013 8:32:55 GMT -5
The tunic I am wearing in the picture is actually that of a Luftwaffe Field Division, but usually I go as a Army Panzergrenadier. I come from Wisconsin so usually I wear my HBT tunic in the summer, or if too hot, then just a service shirt, if cool enough I will even go with a wool tunic. It all depends on the heat level on the given day. I always wear wool pants any season. In the fall I use a wool tunic. Winter I wear a mouse grey parka, wool pants, and sometimes winterwhite snow camo pants over my wool ones. So in the end, I would recommend an all wool tunic and pants set. The wool should be fine for all fall/winter games, and in the summer you can take off the tunic if it gets too hot and go like the guy in the center of the above photo.
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 8, 2013 20:28:32 GMT -5
I hear ya, that does sound like a sensible thing to do, wool in fall/winter and service shirt in spring/summer. I think I have my answer as to what to buy, you've been great help. As for unit or military branch, which are the most/least popular? I've heard SS is almost too popular and there needs to be more Heer in general.
|
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 8, 2013 22:29:18 GMT -5
During the wartime, the Heer, or army, was the largest branch of the German military. Honestly, in reenacting you typically see the opposite of what the war really looked like. In other words the majority of the Germans being SS with a few Heer units here and there. My advice to you is to get a standard army uniform (Wehrmacht Heer uniform.) That is unless there is a unit in your area that portrays a specific division. Then go with what they portray so you all match at events and look like a division. Heer soldiers were by far the most common troops deployed by the Germans on the battlefield. While there certainly were SS divisions, they were a smaller elite force usually deployed where they were needed most. Chances are, if you were an allied soldier, you would be fighting the Heer and not the SS. By getting a generic Heer uniform you can more or less fit into any setting, any front of the war, anywhere. There were areas where the SS wasn't deployed, but there was no where the Heer wasn't deployed. For collar tabs and shoulder boards, get white piping. This was the color worn by your everyday infantryman. Or go with what your local unit uses. In short, you can't go wrong with a generic Heer uniform, and like you said, reenacting needs more Heer soldiers!
|
|
|
|
Post by wehrmacht1940 on Sept 9, 2013 1:40:13 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by aldrich on Sept 9, 2013 9:11:50 GMT -5
Go for it! Just be warned: being an early war tunic it wasn't the most common thing to see on the battlefield by 1944. Here is a reference picture showing what I mean:  I am not entirely certain, but it looks like only one (second from left) may possibly have the m36. The names of tunics were coined by reenactors to designate when they began to be commonly seen in photos. So m36=1936. The only exception being the m44 which was made in very limited amounts and only really issued to certain units so it was never really common. Tunics and pants were issued on terms of whatever was available and fit the soldier. So mix matching m43 pants and a m36 tunic is a perfect look to go by. However, all I am saying is that by D-day, most of the early war uniforms like the m36 were starting to run out. Really the choice is yours based on your personal preference, so I say go for it. |
|
|
|
Post by Paul Rech on Sept 9, 2013 12:24:58 GMT -5
That is a great reference picture Aldrich! Notice the dirt and staining on the uniforms, as well as the hair styles.
Keep in mind the M40 was also used up until the end of the war. In the picture, behind the guy with the m36 dark green collared tunic, one will see an M40 with the plain field gray collar. I think the guy on the far right background is also wearing an M40, it looks like the upper right pocket is pleated.
All in all there is one M36, possibly two M40's, three M42's, and one M43 tunic in the picture.
|
|
