Weathering your uniform

May 13, 2020 admin

By Jesse Wiltshire

How to artificially age your reproduction US WW2 Uniforms and Equipment

Building an authentic impression isn’t just about gathering the correct gear and calling it done. It’s also about how realistic that gear looks in reflection to the situation being portrayed. In this article we’re strictly referring to the aesthetic of a combat impression – the uniform and gear of a weary G.I. who’s been living and fighting in his personal equipment for days or weeks.

The decision to age your reproduction uniform and/or gear or not is up to you. The problem is that when you unbox your brand new reproduction gear, it’s so new and clean. Cotton uniforms almost have a shine to them. Of course this appearance is fine for your garrison impression, but for a combat impression this can look out of place. There’s no doubt, especially in training, that a G.I. would always keep his rifle as clean as possible and his gear serviceable if he could. But on the battlefield he would be subjected to harsh conditions and his uniform and equipment would reflect that.

Some reenactors believe that the best way to age a uniform and gear is to simply wear it, and it will naturally age over time. This is true, but it takes a long time. I had worn my uniform for a couple of years reenacting, and experimented from soaking USMC P41s in sea water and burying my M1942s for a week, but I just wasn’t getting that extra filthy look quick enough. Artificially ageing it is an option to get it looking grimy sooner, without any unnecessary wear and tear either. Below are some steps I took to “break in” my M1942 jump uniform and equipment (including helmet net) for my 101st Airborne Normandy impression.

You will need:

Tea bags and/or instant coffee
Dubbin
Brown boot polish (not as necessary but adds a nice final touch)
Rags and a spoon

Run your uniform through a couple of cold machine washes. This will help to take away that initial shine that was really noticeable with my M1942s. Dry before the next step.
Find a suitable work space as it could be a messy job. Outside is best.
Make up a mixture of tea and/or coffee in hot water and stir it up. There is no real ratio, just a teabag and a couple of spoonfuls of coffee in two cups of water should be fine.
With the uniform and/or gear laying flat and your coffee mixture in one hand, use a spoon to take small amounts of liquid and begin to randomly flick it over the uniform and gear. The aim is to simulate dried mud splatters. Start with small flicks and a thin coat otherwise you risk overdoing it. You can always add more later.
Flip the uniform and do the other side. Think of where these splatters would occur most like the lower legs. Allow to dry and then reassess if it needs another coat or a change to the mixture strength.
Once happy with the stains, the next step is to apply dubbin. This product gives a dark, heavily handled look to where you apply it. Use a rag to apply dubbin to any edges (areas that would have had lots of handling). For a uniform this includes the collar, front zipper flaps, waist belt, pocket edges, elbows and knees and most importantly the jacket cuffs. For equipment, once again any edges. After this, consider adding some random patches of dubbin where you see fit.
Brown boot polish can be used to mimic fresh dirt. Apply lightly with a rag as too much can look tacky. Areas to consider are elbows, knees, butt and any flat surfaces on equipment, in addition to a few random patches if you see fit.
Review what you have done so far and repeat any steps if needed

By now your uniform or gear should be looking convincingly filthy. It will stink of coffee (not a bad thing) and leather treatment, but this mellows over time. Another ingredient to consider is charcoal, applied sparingly. I found over time, my artificial ageing became nicely complemented by real wear, like stains from cleaning guns, and an overall grime from not ever washing my gear (say what you will, but I didn’t see the point). Just make sure your uniform and gear is aired out sufficiently before storing. Now the equipment is looking authentic, don’t forget about the small things like stuffing pockets full and dirtying your own skin with charcoal to match the uniform.