Welcome to
Roy and Debra Najecki's
American Revolutionary War
Reproductions Home Page
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Welcome to
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News: As some of you know Debra had surgery for breast cancer last year just after recovering from heart surgery We are now making cuff links for mens shirts. On May 1st we started accepting phone orders with credit card payments (4% surcharge) for customers in the USA. On May 1st we also added Swanskin to the line of Kochan & Phillips Historical Textiles. |
Good day and welcome to our reproductions home page.
On the following pages
are many items of use to Revolutionary War period reenactors. For those who
don't know us, we have been active in Rev War reenacting/living history for
quite sometime. Roy since 1976 and myself, Debra, since 1982. We are currently
members of the 40th Regiment of Foot, Brigade of the American Revolution (Roy
was former Inspector), British Brigade and Company of Military Historians. When
Roy started in this hobby he was one of the founding members of the 2nd Rhode
Island Reg't. Like most other units, much of what they used they bought from
sutlers. As the unit began to grow and conduct research they realized that a
lot of sutler merchandise wasn't as authentic as it could be, and we could do
better on our own and for a lot less money. Roy took up leatherworking and hat
making, Eric Swanson made wood canteens, Steve Boscarino created a machine to
spin cast pewter buttons, and Carl Becker made the clothing. It didn't take
long for friends in other regiments to begin asking Roy if he would make something
for them, and that's how his reproduction business got started. Some of you
may remember when Roy simply had a blanket spread out with merchandise. When
Steve Boscarino retired and moved to Maine in the 1980's, Roy inherited the
button casting machine, which was a hazardous contraption built from washing
machine parts, and now long since replaced by a professional centrifugical casting
machine. About the same time, he and a few other 2nd Rhode Island members left
and began the 40th Regiment of Foot. Soon after 40th Foot commander Don Dailey
and Roy took classes on 18th C. shoe making and general leatherwork. Roy met
Debra at the Marietta, Ohio B.A.R. Grand Encampment event in 1988 and married
a year later. When Ed Arrufat (Butler's Rangers) died his widow Margaret offered
the brass buckle molds to Roy, which he acquired and has since doubled the number
of brass items that were available from Ed.
Over the years Roy and I have examined many original accouterments and other
period items in private collections and public museums. This knowledge was combined
with experience in traditional leatherwork, hat blocking, sewing, and finding
correct materials so we could make accurate reproductions.
Some of the items we offer are pictured in Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution by George C. Neumann and Frank Kravic, Soldiers in America by Don Troiani, and other well-known reference books. Where applicable we have noted the book, page and figure number in the item description.
To further document some items herein I have liberally quoted from Bennett Cuthbertson's A System for the Compleat Interior Management and Economy of Battalion of Infantry, 1768 edition. Mr. Cuthbertson was a Captain in the 5th Foot and his recommendations appear to have been followed by many of the British regiments as exemplified by the frequent appearance of his suggestions written verbatim in several other books and regimental orders. It is not known if Cuthbertson was describing the current practice in the 5th Foot or what he wished they did but nonetheless his book was widely read and to some extant his recommendations were followed.