F & I War Coat (Ranger Coat) Pattern

[40calFlintlock]

I want to create a F & I era (Ranger-type) coat (outfit) to go target shooting and hunting with. I have no plans for reenacting, so authenticity is not required, but want my clothing to be "period correct." With this, what pattern(s) from what company would best be recommended?

In addition, the material used to make the coat, vest, pants, etc. Lastly, the colors (dye) for the clothing.

Thanks!

 

[Ranger1759]

Check out jaegers battalion of Rogers Rangers....just google it, they have a great website with lots of info on the Ranger uniforms and equipment...

Ranger

 

[Loyalist Dave]

The JP Ryan pattern 1750's Coat with Military Variations is an excellent pattern. Please remember that there were a lot more ranger units than Rogers Rangers. Gage's Light Infantry aka the 80th Regiment of Light Armed Foote, was another such unit, and they wore brown coats with black buttons.

Here are some images to give you an idea:
80th Regiment coat drawing
80th Coats and variations
Reenactor dressed as 80th private

The 80th probably wore all brown, not a red waistcoat and breeches. In fact, it would probably be more "correct" for you to have a brown wool coat, but to have white, linen waistcoat and knee breeches died with walnut, rather than brown wool.

The advantage of the 80th coat is that brown wool of proper thickness for a coat is often much easier to find and much cheaper, than other colors. The buttons are plain pewter painted with oil based, black paint (Rustoleum will work). This is much cheaper than cast Rogers Ranger buttons. I think the ranger in the photo has a leather hat, but you can make a "jockey" hat from a felt hat blank that matches the hats in the first drawing. Inexpensive, and you get to shoot wearing something akin to a base-ball cap.

Rangers would probably have "cut down" or used shorter skirted coats than the full length coat of a private soldier, so you use less fabric and save a bit of cash too.

LD

 

[mccarthy.tf]

I can't remember the title of the book but I too read that they often cut the Tails of their "standard issue" coats and wore the vest.

 

... authenticity is not required, but want my clothing to be "period correct."quote]
Unauthentic, yet period correct? Those are hard to find. :wink:

 

[40calFlintlock]

Yep! That's what I said (imagine what my wife of 33yrs has had to put up with) :surrender: I am looking for a coat pattern of that period - be it Ranger, English military, etc. There are several patterns available, what I am looking for the the "best" pattern to purchase that would fulfill my desires.

40calflinter

 

[40calFlintlock]

Loayalit Dave - Thanks for the links to the pattern and pictures. This is what I was looking for - a pattern based on authencity, but I can still make minor changes to suit me for function, not reenacting. :hatsoff:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well we do that too.

Many of the coats that we use have interior, "invisible" pockets in the linings that can't be seen by the public, where folks carry things like car keys, cell phone, meds, etc. Some units for example, have good historic records, and these show either a coat without exterior pockets, or had pocket flaps sewn to the coat, but no actual pockets. (Military contractors folks - the colonel paid for the coats from unit money - any extra money saved by having cheap coats made..., the colonel pocketed. :grin: )

What makes a "military" coat is the "facings", the overlapping lapels, and some styles of cuffs. This isn't always true though, for the 60th regiment, raised in America, had red privates' coats without the lapels. The color of the collar and cuffs were different from the red coat (iirc they were black). NOTHING is stopping you from wearing a simple frock coat (no lapels and matching color cuffs and collar), and making it with a "cut down" skirt. While some units are listed as having an issued coat, coats were issued once per year, and if you joined after the issue and they had no extras to give you, you had to wear what you brought. Gorham's Rangers is one unit, and the Rangers at Fort Frederick in Maryland are another. In fact the rangers in Maryland aren't listed as having an issued uniform.

LD