The Buffalo Trace 1765: South Union Mills Clothing review

Basic kit thats shows up on farmers/long hunters all over the colonies

So Its hunting season again…thank god. Squirrel season, early muzzleloader, Halloween movies on 24/7, the upcoming dark dreary days off autumn that cover the land with the smell of dampness and decay that flows into your skull along with the sense you are slowly going mad. Ok wait not that, I’ve been reading a lot of Lovecraft inspired books mixed in amongst early Kentucky narratives again and it can lead to really weird day dreams and a mixing of the information in my head.

So while updating and fixing gear the past month I picked up some stuff from South Union Mills and after a few emails I agreed to review some of their new 18^th century clothes here. I first reviewed some of their stuff back in the early days of my blog (stockings and a frying pan) and have picked up a number of pieces of gear from them over the years.

I must admit I was a little apprehensive to review clothes as it’s a pretty subjective thing when it comes to 18^th century reenactors because the hobbie is so broad that no matter what I say any particular group may nay say my opinion (“your killing the hobbie” from the staunch split front shirt crowd or “actually those stitches should be done with thread made from the eyelashes of left hand cows from oxford” from the fabric police section of the hobbie)

So I’m going at this from the perspective of your regular working class person looking to upgrade their gear from the standard Breeches, shirt waistcoat kit or getting into the hobby. Which honestly is what 99% of the folks who email me questions about. So before I get into the finer points of the review I’m going to have to say right off overall South Union Mills did a great job in the pieces they sent me. For a starter or upgrade to your gear they knocked it out of the park in material, fit and construction.

They sent me a basic man's kit (blue wool coat, wool waistcoat and 18^th century trousers) and out of the box they fit me correctly and naturally (I didn’t feel like I was playing dress up in a costume)

One of the first things I noticed wearing the coat is that it wears well. Unlike a lot of vendor made coats out there the top doesn’t flop around lifelessly when you are wearing it unbuttoned. You can tell it has an interfacing to stiffen it up. I’m not into the way the lining is set in, but it’s done well and doesn’t affect the fit. The wool would be a great warm layer to wear during hunting season or spring events.

Now for the purist they are machine sewn and hand finished. The topstitching is done well and doesn’t suffer the problem I’ve found in a lot of goods done like this where the top stitching is done in a way to advertise its top stitched (giant running stitches screaming look at me I’m done by hand) and the button holes are all done really well (they aren’t grommets) I also wish the waistcoat pockets were a little deeper and the trousers had no pockets but slash pockets could be an easy tweak you do to them yourself.

I wore the kit to split some firewood and wore it shooting and both activities it was great. It maintained the Proper fit while not feeling weird to load and shoot from the bag or walking. I didn’t run it through a hunting trip or any other oddball adventures because well…I didn’t want to destroy the stuff. the activities/time I did in the gear though showed that it was well made and should hold up in the field under the usual conditions (you know rain, snow and falling out of trees)

If you are looking to upgrade your Long hunter kit from the 1990’s I totally suggest getting at the least a pair of their trousers. Especially if you’re like most people and don’t have the time or doubt your skill at hand sewing a pair. If you are going to do any juried events or just want a nice well-made coat for your impression, definitely check these out. Also, the other items they carry (the Cuttoe knives, stockings, frying pans, kettles) are all easy documentable ways to improve your kit and hold up great in the woods. Also they are a source for " Doddridge shoe packs" aka oxhide shoes.

Overall I'd highly recommend to folks looking for an update check out South Union Mills.

South Union Mills

And just to add something that isn’t related to a review here is an awesome quote from Heckwelder on how Natives viewed Europeans camps in the 18^th century. Pretty dead on for a lot of camps I’ve set up in the woods:

“The Indians say, that when the white people encamp in the woods they are sure to lose something; that when they are gone, something or another is always found which they have lost, such as a knife, flints, bullets and sometimes even money. They Also observe that the whites are not so attentive as they are to choosing an open dry spot for their encampment; That they will at once set themselves down in any dirty and wet place, provided they are under large trees; that they never look about to see which way the wind blows, so as to be able to lay the wood for their fires in such a position that the smoke may not blow on them; neither do they look up the trees to see whether there are not dead limbs that may fall on them while they are asleep; that any wood will do for them to lay on their fires, whether it be dry or wet, and half rotten, so that they are involved during the whole night in a cloud of smoke; or take such wood as young green oak, walnut, cherry, chestnut, &c., which throws sparks out to a great distance, so that their blankets and clothes get holes burned in them, and sometimes their whole camp takes fire. They also remark that whites hang their kettles and pots over a fire just kindled, and before the great body of smoke has passed away.”