If you read my steps for how to make your own reproductions, you might think that it’s pretty easy to make a good looking reproduction.  And, for things like forms, tags, and cards, it IS pretty easy.

In order to get an accurate product, I often need to purchase the item itself.  For something as simple as WWII US Army issue chapstick, the price tag was $150 for the original, and our original t-shirts can be double or triple that.  Sometimes, I’ll get lucky and find something for $10 or $20, but of course, no one wants those items repro’ed, because – well – for $10, you can buy an original.

Then, on average, a cardboard box like the ones we use for our friction tape, caddie cloth, etc., takes about 1-2 work days to hand draw, using a lot of the original techniques that were used when the box was drawn the first time around.   In some cases, we need to create a pattern first, using plain craft paper or scrap cardboard.

Luckily for me, I have a computer, and don’t have to hand make printing plates like they did to make the original boxes, but  even still, a lot of time goes into laying out the box and redrawing the artwork.  We don’t use the scan and print method. In fact, sometimes I don’t push the print button at all.  My “press ready” artwork is then sent out to a local printing press, which, in 4-6 weeks, will send me back between 100 and 1000 of the item that I just created.   Can I order just 10?  Sure, but the cost can end up being upwards of $20 an item, in the case of something as simple as a writing tablet.

In the case of many of our products, like our friction tape and cellulose tape, we also hunt down the stuff that goes inside the box.  To me, that’s almost more important to me than having an empty box.

In addition, I take a great deal of pride in hunting down the best looking reproduction within my means.  In the case of our t-shirts, I went through approximately 20 different shirt blanks over the course of the last several years to find the one that’s closest to my originals.

I admit that I don’t always get it right the first time around – I still laugh at some of my very first repros that I made for myself.  When I first started reenacting, I was completely frustrated because my printed at home paper boxes fell apart in my footlocker.  That meant experimenting with glues, papers, inks, etc.  Now, every time I make a new batch of a product, I’m always refining things to make them more accurate.  By being more accurate, I mean cleaning up a graphic that’s not just right, or editing the box construction.  It might mean buying a better quality fabric, or finding a better supplier or having yarn custom dyed.

One of the most frequently asked questions that I get asked is about where I get my graphic files and how I make things.  Here’s a crash course in how you too can create your own WWII paperwork.

What you need – glue, a metal ruler, a computer, a printer, a razor cutter / paper cutter / scissors.

Step 1. Find your original.  For paperwork, this might be a picture on the internet or something that you own.  NOTE – working off of photos from the internet is the least desirable way to make a repro because you can’t feel it or touch it.

Step 2. Measure it.  You may find that making a photocopy is helpful, so that you can write in all the silly measurements.  How wide is the margins, how big is the sheet of paper, etc.?

Step 3. I use Adobe Illustrator, but you can download a software program like Inkscape.  In fact, for most forms, you can just open up an office program like Word or Open Office.  Set up your page size and margins from your measurements.  Type in all of the stuff on your form.

Step 4.  Match your fonts.  If you can desperate, you can use a font finder for help.

Step 5.   This is the part that requires the actual original.  Take your piece of paperwork and figure out what kind of paper it’s printed on.  I recommend using a store like AC Moore or Office Max, depending on the document. Scrap booking departments sell fancy, textured paper, like the stuff used on Id’s.  Office Max has the type of paper that you’ll need to make simple forms.  Both stores sells card stock in bulk.  You’ll need a light card stock for items like passes, postcards and calling cards.

Step 6.  Print your finished reproduction on paper.  Use your ruler and razor cutter, scissors, or paper cutter to cut it to size.
Voila, you’ve made your own piece of reproduction paperwork.   Our free area has some passes, forms and other documents to get you started.

Are you struggling to repro paperwork? If you’re like me, you end up spending hours searching for just the right font to make WWII signs, etc.   A mis-calculation on font choice can end up having the whole thing look like it’s hot off your laser printer in 2011 instead of looking like it’s hot of the 1945 presses.

Luckily for you, most software programs have done some of the work for you.  Almost all programs have some version of Courier on it.  That’s your standard typewriter font.  Times – well, that’s your newspaper font.  If you are a mac user, though, beware – Helvetica is a swiss font from 1957.   Instead, you might want to try Akzidenz Grotesk circa 1896 (which is the inspiration for Helvetica).   Futura and News Gothic also fit the bill.

Gill Sans, dating back to 1926, was famously used on the London Underground signs.  Can we say “Keep Calm and Carry on”?

For those of you who do German, Twentieth Century is a 1920′s German font.  It’s quite popular on signs and packaging of the period.   Of course, you’ll also need some form of  old-style German lettering.  Deutsch Gothic, and Fraktur are two favorites.   Be careful with German lettering, though, especially if you need an umlaut – many free font packages don’t come with them.  Also, make sure that you run your text through a translator, even if you are proficient in the language.    You may notice that thanks to the relationship between the German language and Cyrillic type, you’ll find some letters that don’t LOOK like the right letters.

Provenance is a big deal with originals.  Who was the soldier?  A lot of collectors want to know the name of the soldier, his unit, and all of that important information.   However, buying named militaria can backfire on you if you don’t know anything about the items.

There are many ways that WWII veterans acquired military-esque equipment that was not originally theirs. During the 1950′s and 60′s, many veterans bought Army surplus that they knew was durable and would work for hunting, fishing, and camping.  50 years later, memories often blur with what they brought home, and what they purchased at an Army surplus store  after the war.   This may sound silly, but you must remember that in the 1940′s and 50′s, for many families practical items were used until they were thrown out.  Grandpa’s original web belt may have torn or worn out, so he went and bought a new one at the Army surplus store to carry his bait.

In addition, veterans often purchased civilian items modeled after military patterns . Again, because the Army made quality, long lasting gear, it only makes sense that some of it was made in a civilian grade by the same manufacturers and sold to fishermen, hunters, campers, and boy scout groups.  To confuse things more, recently a slew of collectors items have been targeted at veterans.  These items are typically easy to spot, because of their modern designs, but sometimes are nothing more than a replica or copy of a original WWII item.  Here are some tips to make sure you’re buying what you think you’re buying.

1.  Look for stencils and serial numbers that match the service member.  If his name is Paul, and his bag is marked Jim, chances are it’s not a mistake by the Army, but rather a post war acquisition or purchase.  It’s hard to know if it’s uncle Jim’s bag, or the bag that Paul bought at the Army Surplus to keep his sleeping in when he went hunting.   If this is not important to you, and you can authenticate it in other ways, then it’s still a perfectly fine item, just not named to the veteran in question.

2. Verify that it is, in fact, US Army issue.  My grandmother was notorious for giving me things that “your grandfather brought this home after the war”.  About half the items were clearly purchased in the 1960′s or later, and were obviously civilian items.  Suspicious items include shovels, knives, bags, jackets, and assorted other equipment.  Keep on the lookout for Boy Scout markings.

3. Be weary of items that could easily be replaced with modern reproductions.  Medals, patches, ribbon bars and rank all fall into this category.  Men who had put their uniforms away, or wore them for hunting until they were threadbare, often later in life started volunteering with veterans organizations and desired replacement uniforms, complete with re-issued insignia.   Other than knowing the difference between modern and vintage rank and ribbons, be wary of uniforms that come with American Legion or other veteran organization markings or caps.

4. Be sure you authenticate flight jackets and field jackets prior to purchase.  These are probably the most common item that I find on ebay is the A-2 jacket that “belonged to my father who served in the USAAF” and yet they are 80′s or 90′s civilian jackets.   In these cases, patches, nose art, leather name patches, or even silk maps sewn in the inside are far from being clues to the authenticity of the jacket.  Veterans commonly have their long lost WWII flight jackets recreated by artists or flight jacket companies.

5. Collectible items are usually easily recognized, but in general the best tip is to look for Franklin Mint or other collectable markings.  If something is marked No. 50 out of 400, it is not a trench art or wwii era souvenir piece.  Here, common items are things like men’s jewelry boxes, coins, and statuettes.

Understand that most veterans and children of veterans are not out to fool anyone intentionally.  Just like my grandmother who wanted to give me all of my grandfather’s stuff, even if it’s a green rain poncho that you can buy at any camping store, these people all have good intentions.  It’s your job to make sure that what you are buying is authentic, and authentically named.

As more and more reproductions are produced, the question of how to tell an original from a repro is often overlooked.

Of course, the quickest way to prove something is original is to put it under a black light.  Older cotton threads won’t glow, while newer cotton threads will. We all talk about black lighting objects, but the truth is that most people can’t tell the difference between a “glow” and a “no glow”.  The problem is two-fold – first, you need to compare an original to a reproduction.  Shine a backlight directly on a white color, regardless of age, and you’ll see some reflection of color, compared to darker fabric, just because light colors tend to reflect light, while dark colors absorb light.   The only true way to be sure that you’re seeing the “right” glow, is to work with a known new item and compare a like old item.

Beyond blacklighting, there are several things that you can use to determine an original WWII item.  First, is a label or spec tags.  The US Army conveniently dated everything.  Modern things use date codes instead of plain old M44, 1944 type markings.  But, some repros use spec tags as well.  Here the key is to look at the maker.  Did Abercrombie make WWII jackets? (surprisingly, yes!)  How about Aviarex? (not a chance).  A quick trip to google can save you a good chunk of money, just by checking the history of the company and it’s current products.  A name like Mil-tec may sound perfectly legit, but if you go to their website, you’ll see that they sell reproductions.

Second, learn the characteristics of the items that you are buying.  An A-2 jacket never has hand warmer pockets, nor does a B-3.  An ike jacket without cuffs is post-war / korean.  Talon and Conmar zippers were used during the war.  Find a YKK zipper and you’ve got a fake.   When it comes to pins and sweetheart jewelry, looks for vintage type pin closures.  Earrings are almost always screwback.  Pins are more likely to have a simple hoop than a catch that you’ve got to flip with your nail.  And, anything that looks hand made probably is.

When I first started reenacting, OD green paint seemed to be the solution to everything.  De-farbing = spray with OD green paint.  While I’ve moved on from this typical newbie trend, I’ve found that a good OD green paint is great for a lot of things, especially wood projects where you want to give the wood some kind of protection from the weather.

Over the years, I’ve tried many types of OD paint. First, I found a can of regular krylon camo spray paint.  This stuff is actually pretty useful if you are not particular about which shade OD you get.  They also have flat black.  Then, I moved to scavenging clearance bins for flat black, khaki, white, and anything remotely olive in a spray paint.  This method is not particularly advisable, unless your budget is VERY small.  And, then, I went to a MVPA surplus / swap meet.  They had whole cases of color correct OD green paint!  I was so excited!  The downside – you can pay up to $10 for a can of spray paint.   1 can of spray paint is going to cover an OD green table or stool.  I think I used between 3 and 4 cans spraying my bicycle OD green.

My review on the “specially made OD green ultra matte” spray paint?  Use it on metal only, preferably on top of primer, and don’t be surprised if it scratches off.  The spray doesn’t soak into wood very well. I found that if I wasn’t careful I got a rough surface instead of a smooth one, which seems to be related to the ultra matte finish.   All and all, I used it for many years, complaints and all.

So, what are your other options?  Luckily home depot will now match colors.  Piece of advice – don’t drag your footlocker in there.  Find something small and OD green. I prefer indoor / outdoor matte or satin paint, depending on what I’m painting.  And, pony up and buy a gallon if you’re painting any kind of  larger project.  Primer helps to avoid multiple coats, but if you’re like me, you’ll see 5 more things that could use a new coat of OD green paint.   If you’re on a strict budget, you can buy regular indoor paint.  It will work just fine, but it won’t stand up as well to an afternoon rain shower.    For the ultimate in color protection, I highly recommend a satin or matte clear coat.  Krylon spray clear coat works just fine, or you can buy a polyurethane.

Whatever kind of WWII type paint you need, make sure you read all of the directions.   Most pre-painted items and even some wood finish items will require light sanding.  And, be sure that if you’re repainting an original WWII item, you are doing so in good conscience. In my opinion, that type of  restoration should only be done when a piece is completely un-useable otherwise.  Be careful not to erase history with that fresh coat of pain.

A big shout out to my Facebook friends for showing me this link www.wishbookweb.com.   If you’re doing a civilian impression, you know that period catalogs are the holy grail of research.   These catalogs are absolutely incredible.  I’ve been trying for years to buy them on ebay for a decent price.  But now, I can browse through the 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 Sears catalog for free!   Of course, the only sad thing is that Sears doesn’t still stock the items.

Quick review on the site itself – it’s pretty easy to use as long as you’re not using your iPad.   You may need to use your computer’s zoom function if you actually want to read the descriptions or look at details up close.

During WWII the average coffee ration was ONE pound for every five weeks.  That is, unless you were unlucky enough to be a soldier, in which case you were most likely boiling your coffee in a sock, assuming that you could get your hands on the stuff.  The Germans were so hard up for coffee that they drank ground nuts instead.

Todays soldiers can enjoy a free cup of joe on you.  Visit www.greenbeanscoffee.com and you can buy an active soldier a cup of coffee to say thanks.