Friends,
I'm working on expanding my current offering of infantry chevrons to various styles and branches, and wanted to see if there is any interest in authentic U.S. Sharpshooter chevrons. My regular line of infantry chevrons have been anything but standard when compared to what other vendors offer; I like to vary the materials and colors used every now and then to try and break the monotony.
For the Sharpshooter chevrons, I am hoping to include both Schuylkill Arsenal issue and private purchase styles. These can come in an interesting variety as I've learned from photographic research and the study of surviving originals, and include materials such as dark and emerald green cloth tape, worsted wool tape, dark blue, dark green, and even emerald green backing panels, silk, wool, or cotton velvet tape, silk satin tape, etc..
The first style I plan on offering are standard Schuylkill Arsenal issue chevrons. These will be made using Family Heirloom Weaver's dark green kersey as a backing panel with emerald green strips of Hainsworth broadcloth sewn by hand. This style is notable not only in an original frock coat but many other infantry, engineer, zouave, and heavy artillery garments manufactured by Schuylkill Arsenal. The historical record has shown these chevrons were made in-house and applied directly to garments also made at S.A.; they were in turn issued as "corporal's" or "sergeant's" dress coats. These will be what I call "long elliptical" in shape, meaning gull-wing shaped but not deeply arching. The stitching will be done in dark blue cotton thread as per the originals.
The second style will be geared towards those Sharpshooter NCO's who own a fatigue blouse. These will feature dark blue kersey panels with strips of rifle green Hainsworth or dark green Family Heirloom Weaver's kersey machine-sewn with black thread. Extant examples of this style include Sgt. Lewis Allen's (Co. F 1st) and Sgt. John Schermerhorn's (Co. H 1st) chevrons. Period CDV's of Corporal David French (Co. F 1st), Co. QM Sgt. Clark Higgins (Co. F 1st), and Sgt. Alexander Dupont (Co. B 1st) show them wearing fatigue blouses with greatly subdued chevrons. These appear to be more or less gull-wing shaped, and most have deep arches for a stylish look.
These two varieties may be the most common but as I mentioned before there is a lot of room for custom chevrons. I will be happy to take custom orders into consideration if you want something special, and I am always open to discussion about originals you or I both have studied or seen in photographs.
Please send me a private message if you are interested or leave feedback, ideas, etc. here. I will be working on a few sample pairs next week and will have photographs available shortly thereafter.
Thanks everyone!
_________________ Brian WhiteWambaugh, White, & Companyhttp://www.wwandcompany.com---------------------------------- Randolph Mess, U.S. Sharpshooters
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