Carry on up the Khyber

[Mr Peter Harrow, Esq]

I am a bit too large for my Slade Wallis, so it requires amendment, rendering it an excellent opportunity exists for it to be replicated by other members of the company. As it has long since expired its original design right, the only problem is the practical one of making a  reproduction which passes muster.

The other problem is the highland sporran, is there any chance of making a cheap passable imitation? We have all been thinking of purchasing and in some instances this is feasible, but webbing, sporrans and rifles are all extremely pricey, even for a poor lawyer like me, surely gentlemen we might improvise?

[Capt. Dirigible]

I am a bit too large for my Slade Wallis, so it requires amendment, rendering it an excellent opportunity exists for it to be replicated by other members of the company. As it has long since expired its original design right, the only problem is the practical one of making a  reproduction which passes muster.

The other problem is the highland sporran, is there any chance of making a cheap passable imitation? We have all been thinking of purchasing and in some instances this is feasible, but webbing, sporrans and rifles are all extremely pricey, even for a poor lawyer like me, surely gentlemen we might improvise?

Well...If I recall correctly waaaay back in this thread when Maj. T first mooted the topic of forming a 3F&M  'tribute regimant' and he listed the best/cheapest places to obtain the kit he said that Slade Wallace webbing and the sporran were the most expensive items and the webbing especially hard to obtain. His solution was a plain brown belt and 'day sporran'. But obviously..any group in a  'uniform' should look the same.  As yet I have been unable to find anything suitable to pass as SW webbing and I really can't justify £60 for the correct sporran.

[sebastian Inkerman]

If I can get hold of an original set, I can probably make a few sets of slade wallace webbing for slightly more than cost, I don't charge much for my time. Obviously, it'll be a modern representation, but it will be uniform at least and look right. It's unlikely that I'll be able to get authentic leather for the webbing, so in all probability it'll be in veg tan, you'll have to whiten it yourself though. Once I have patterns for the individual items of kit, I can knock them out quite cheaply as I can bulk buy the leather etc. Cedrtainly less than an actual set of webbing.

[Mr Peter Harrow, Esq]

Sorted, we can do that in March, we merely get some of the ladies along in March and set up a sweatshop production line for these two items under Quartermaster Inkerman. I can send photo's of my set which would establish colour, size, design etc allowing proper sourcing of substitute materials

[ladyelsie]

Mr Harrow,
Any Ladies who care to join me in march at said venue, will be quite busy promenading ,drinking tea/gin, dressing for said tea/dinner, shopping, and doing what ladies do best! We will be not be 'sweating under Mr Inkerman' I asure you we are ladies. There are other female types for that sort of thing!! And Lady Inkerman would not permit such behaviour I have no doubt.!!

L.E.

[TimeTinker]

Hello folks

I am trying to finalise things with the hotel.  Please do not attempt to book anything until we have the block booking codes available.

On sporrans and belts:

I said at the outset that the full dress sporrans were prohibitively expensive and restricted the usability of the kit.  I recommend people to acquire a military day sporran.  This is also perfect for an Edwardian period impression for Crich for example.

I would be happy if we could parade in day sporrans and plain brown belts. (The 1903 pattern belt is perfect.)  Once we have had more time then we can look at slade wallis across the board.  The current plan is much more affordable.  If anyone knows where we can buy the buckles for the 1903 pattern belts I can make them very easily.  Alternatively folks may like to hunt on ebay for Victorian general service buckles.  We can make these up into suitable belts very easily too.

I can also produce or supply the patterns to produce the 1903 pattern pouches for the belts if anyone doesn't want to buy from elsewhere.

As for rifles.  I have three and may be able to borrow a couple more.  Anyone else own or can beg/borrow/steal an SMLE?

Links to what price glory where you can buy the sporran and belts for a substantial saving on the dress sporran.

http://www.onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=1980&bc=no day sporran and belt $25
http://www.onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=4294&bc=no  1903 pattern belt $28

[Mr Peter Harrow, Esq]

So no hunting of furries for sporran material then?

[The Governess]

Mr Harrow,
Any Ladies who care to join me in march at said venue, will be quite busy promenading ,drinking tea/gin, dressing for said tea/dinner, shopping, and doing what ladies do best! We will be not be 'sweating under Mr Inkerman' I asure you we are ladies. There are other female types for that sort of thing!! And Lady Inkerman would not permit such behaviour I have no doubt.!!

L.E.

I was going to make a comment about Lady Inkerman sweating under Mr Inkerman. But I don't think I'll bother.

[Herr Döktor]

Mr Harrow,
Any Ladies who care to join me in march at said venue, will be quite busy promenading ,drinking tea/gin, dressing for said tea/dinner, shopping, and doing what ladies do best! We will be not be 'sweating under Mr Inkerman' I asure you we are ladies. There are other female types for that sort of thing!! And Lady Inkerman would not permit such behaviour I have no doubt.!!

L.E.

I was going to make a comment about Lady Inkerman sweating under Mr Inkerman. But I don't think I'll bother.

Oh dear. I appear to have 'rubbed off' on you over New Year.

Sorry.

[The Governess]

Mr Harrow,
Any Ladies who care to join me in march at said venue, will be quite busy promenading ,drinking tea/gin, dressing for said tea/dinner, shopping, and doing what ladies do best! We will be not be 'sweating under Mr Inkerman' I asure you we are ladies. There are other female types for that sort of thing!! And Lady Inkerman would not permit such behaviour I have no doubt.!!

L.E.

I was going to make a comment about Lady Inkerman sweating under Mr Inkerman. But I don't think I'll bother.

Oh dear. I appear to have 'rubbed off' on you over New Year.

Sorry.

Not a problem, sir, my washing machine can cope.

[Major Wolfram Quicksilver]

Jacket arrived from What Price Glory today, and I'm very pleased with it.  It just needs the arms tailoring now, as I am not a gorilla!  So, what's left to get?  White pith helmet, slade wallace webbing/day belt, sporran.  Nearly there.

[Major Willoughby Chase]

So tempted, but not sure if I can justify yet another kilt (already have two more on the current wishlist)... everything else is no problem as I own a fair bit of it in my kit boxes already and it's a good excuse to buy the webbing.

Hmmmm, time to ponder on financing a third new kilt.

[Ms Pipistrelle]

Mr Harrow,
Any Ladies who care to join me in march at said venue, will be quite busy promenading ,drinking tea/gin, dressing for said tea/dinner, shopping, and doing what ladies do best! We will be not be 'sweating under Mr Inkerman' I asure you we are ladies. There are other female types for that sort of thing!! And Lady Inkerman would not permit such behaviour I have no doubt.!!

L.E.

However it would be gainful employment for a non-military gentleman.  I am very tempted to join the other ladies promenading etc but Mr Ratty currently does not have the funds for a uniform and therefore can be put to use as a useful citizen.

[Major Wolfram Quicksilver]

With the 1903 pattern belt, undyed, do you leave it natural or whiten it?  And if whitened, what with?  Is there a modern equivalent of blanco?

[Capt. Dirigible]

With the 1903 pattern belt, undyed, do you leave it natural or whiten it?  And if whitened, what with?  Is there a modern equivalent of blanco?

I believe the belt is left brown, Major. Major Tinker can confirm but I'm pretty sure when I've seen him in his 3F&M kit the belt has been brown.

[Major Wolfram Quicksilver]

You're right, I've just been through the photos of the asylum:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/missmercy/4990742878/in/pool-1524109@N21/

[TimeTinker]

The belt is indeed brown.

Kit list as lifted from the website:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

MINIMUM KIT TO PARADE AS A MEMBER OF THE THIRD FOOT AND MOUTH

1902 Pattern Khaki Drill Tunic of Highland "cutaway" design.

8 Yard kilt. (Subdued predominantly green tartan.  Mackenzie/Seaforth or Stuart/BlackWatch preferred.)

Chequered kilt hose.

White kilt gaiters

Black boots (Preferably WW1 style ammo boots.)

White Foreign Service (pith) helmet, preferably with 3rd regiment shako type badge. (Available from the group.)

Waist belt:  Victorian GS belt or 1903 pattern belt.

Brown "day pattern" military sporran and belt.

Please bear with me a few days chaps - up to my ears with filming this American Civil War documentary.  Normal service resumed at the weekend.

[Major Wolfram Quicksilver]

Major, you're doing a sterling job as it is.

After thinking about altering the gaiters I bought, which were designed for the ankles of the more delicate members of scottish regiments, I decided to call it a day on the idea.  As suggested by Angus A Fitziron earlier in the thread, I ordered some extra wide ones from the Edinburgh Bagpipe Company.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.edinburghbagpipes.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=158_246&products_id=849&zenid=uv10bukdvpkrpqphet8s1mjap2

They arrived today, and dare I say it, are bloody marvelous!  They fit over the top of the old High Leg Combat/Para boots comfortably so the ammo boots aren't going to be a problem at all.  They also have a sneaky feature in that the top and bottom buttons are real (in that they need to be buttoned up), but the rest have a velcro backing so no fiddly buttoning up or need for button-hooks.

A big thumbs up from me!

[Mécanicien de Vapeur]

We will do our very best to be there.

My uniform is almost complete (if we're going with brown 1903 pattern belts and day sporran) - just the gaiters* and pith badge to source between now and March.

*which will be ordered from the Edinburgh Bagpipe Co tomorrow, thanks for tracking those down Maj Quicksilver 

[Mécanicien de Vapeur]

How do we fix the badges to the helmets? I'm reluctant to start drilling holes in my spiffy new white pith.

My Shako badge arrived today from EG Frames (thus completing my 3F&M uniform), so now I am pondering the same question.

Though as I usually mount a pair of goggles on the pith helmet for general use, any badge-mounting holes would usually be hidden.

Hmm...

[Major Willoughby Chase]

Just a little trivia, I realise you've settled on tartans now, however as the article in question prompted the addition of the second kilt on my wishlist before I had read the 3F&M thread and added that kilt to my far too big shopping list, I thought I'd share.

In an interesting development last year, the 3rd Foot and Mouth tartan (originally used in Tunes of Glory) has been identified my a Mr Kenny Dalgliesh of DC Dalgliesh in Selkirk (Kiltmakers) from a sample of the original fabric.  It would appear it is not as made up as the director thought and indeed told people.

Apparently the tartan in question is Brown Scott, found on several sites as Scott Hunting (Brown), or Scott Hunting Brown (Modern)

[Capt. Dirigible]

a Mr Kenny Dalgliesh

Really???  Perhaps if he spent less time identifying kilt tartan and more time trying to get Liverpool back on track they wouldn't be having such a crap season*









* this is a football reference and therfore will mean very little to anyone on here..

[Major Wolfram Quicksilver]

How do we fix the badges to the helmets? I'm reluctant to start drilling holes in my spiffy new white pith.

My Shako badge arrived today from EG Frames (thus completing my 3F&M uniform), so now I am pondering the same question.

Though as I usually mount a pair of goggles on the pith helmet for general use, any badge-mounting holes would usually be hidden.

Hmm...

I too am averse to punching holes into the pith.  I think I'll take the lugs off the back of the back of the badge, then sew it on using fine monofilament fishing line.  Sewing needles go through the helmet easily enough, and leave no marks at all.

Apart from the belt and pith, I'm wearing my gear with a Sam Brown (without cross-belt), and a glengarry to a Burns Night dinner/dance tonight for a laugh.

*Update*
Had a fantastic night.  Drank lots of whisky, ate plenty of haggis with neeps and tatties, danced silly dances that involved thinking, and had lots of photos taken.  Some might make it on here, who knows?  I've got to chase people up who took pics.  A couple of people spotted it was a Carry On outfit, everyone was impressed.  A couple of problems, ammo boots tore my heels to shreds, and one  person who I thought knew better thought I was the official piper when I arrived, and tried to engage me in conversation about playing bagpipes in public.

[Major Wolfram Quicksilver]

The pith badge, or shako plate for The 3rd can be sourced here:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.egframes.net/product_info.php?cPath=1_103&products_id=1410

Just go down to 'Available Options', and choose The 3rd Foot, The Buffs.

Hope this is helpful.

[Capt. Dirigible]

About the hotel for the Steampunk up the Khyber Weekend. Major Tinker, I believe you were planning on The Llandudno Grand and was hoping to get some sort of discount for us. Well I had a shufty at their website and they are doing really good discounts on their rooms anyway. I'm guessing it's some sort of 'January Sale' type offer. Their Standard double room is usually £95 a night and is currently £65. If these prices return to normal in February..even with a discount they may not work out as cheap.
I'm tempted to go ahead and book it.
As it is the Countess and I will most likely only be able to stay the Fri/Sat due to finances anyway.

I know you are running around like a blue arse fly, Major Tink, and have a gazillion and one things to do (for which we all applaud you) but with the weekend a little over five weeks away, the Countess and I at least would like to be able to work out how much money we're going to need. Sorry to be a pain.
If anyone else wants to check out the hotel prices, their details are here

Could I ask a favour of the rest of the regiment?  Could the members of the 3rd F&M who have the complete kit, including Slade Wallace white webbing, military sporran and badge for the helmet let themselves be known? Or let us know what kit you have so far and what you are likely/hoping to have by March 4th? Thanks...