I was sitting on the couch panting while watching that video. I can't imagine how you felt. Take it easy ole buddy. You know we're not spring chickens anymore.

Have an enjoyable birthday buddy.  O yeah, don't forget to have bunches more.

That was pretty bad.

Great pix Eric!  Stellar event ya had, too! 

I always leave bbls untouched, as is, let 'em patina on their own, as I believe was mostly done back in the day.

Purchased as plain maple, it does have some belly bling, but I prefer plain maple, iron nitrate stain and Tru-Oil to seal.

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Got the plug bayonet off "Pirate Fashion", probably from India. I've since rasped the plug end wood down a bunch for a deeper fit into the bbl.

Great price on yer regimental!  I bought my regimental coat patterns and cut cloth from noted historical tailor Henry Cooke in MA ($300), with hopes of sewing it all up myself, but gave it over to my Reg't commander, all hand sewn, which is how he does 'em (another $300 for his labor) ... me, I could care less whether hand or machine sewn as 99.99% of any reenactment audience will know or care.  They're there for the pageantry, the boom, the smoke, and hopefully they'll learn a thing or two about the AWI and that period of living.

That's a fine-looking fowler you've got there, Bob. I see you?ve left it in the white-- are you planning to let it earn its own honest patina over time, or will you keep it bright and well-polished? Either way, it suits the piece. I'm also really taken with that little homespun sling. And the plug bayonet-- who made it? That's a handsome bit of work, and it complements the gun beautifully.

Out here in the great Northwest, Revolutionary War reenacting just isn't what it is back East. Opportunities are few and far between, and groups are pretty thin on the ground. I was fortunate last year to connect with a small but enthusiastic outfit called the North Idaho Colonial Association. They're very much in their infancy, though. Kevin and I were honestly surprised by how small the turnout was at their encampment last summer, and I'm hoping we can help grow the group into something more substantial over time. That said, with a family of six, I suppose we're already off to a decent start ourselves. 😉

It sounds like you're fairly well immersed in the colonial reenacting world, and I'd love to pick your brain a bit more about it. I managed to snag a Samson Historical regimental coat on eBay last year -originally listed at $400, but I got it for $100- so I've been slowly piecing together a serviceable impression. Most of it is machine-sewn, unfortunately, but for the limited impression work I do, it gets the job done and puts me in the right general neighborhood.

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to help put on a small living-history demonstration for my boys' Trail Life troop, which turned out to be a great experience. I spent some time walking them through the smoothbore musket-- how it differed from the American long rifle, why military forces favored it, how it was loaded and employed, and what its strengths and limitations were on the battlefield. From rate of fire to paper cartridges, it sparked a lot of thoughtful questions and lively discussion.

Tim followed that up with an excellent presentation on riflemen, sharpshooters, and frontiersmen-- the kinds of men who operated beyond formal battle lines. He really brought to life how these individuals lived, fought, and survived on the fringes, and why their particular skills were so vital in the American backcountry.

And Renee absolutely knocked it out of the park covering domestic life in the 18th century. From sewing and mending to cooking, laundry, and the endless work of keeping a household running, she gave the boys a grounded, eye-opening look at just how much skill, labor, and resilience daily life required in that era. It was thoughtful, well-presented, and a perfect reminder that history isn?t just made on battlefields.