r/Pennsic

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Asking for a friend: Does anyone remember a merchant from last year?

It's NOT Linen Garb

They were at LAST Pennsic (2025)

They were selling ready-made Thorsberg trousers in linen, and she believes they had belt loops on the waistband. The ones from Linen Garb are a different construction and have a drawstring waistband.

She did see the ones from Linen Garb, but they are not the construction/style she is looking for.

She didn't have much luck going through last year's book/pulling up websites, so she is hoping someone might remember the merchant with these particular Thorsberg trousers.

She doesn't recall where they were located, and only remembers that it was a rather large booth.

I know this isn't much information, but any help is much appreciated.

So mine aren't bad.... Just a little surreal or unhinged. It lasts for a week or two then back to the norm.

Last night I spent most of my night sorting wierd socks (some were really cool though).

One year for well over a week I half way woke up most mornings and scooched down the side of my bed like I was still in my tent. Not going to lie, waking up in Pennsic was pretty awesome.... realizing I wasn't really there kind of sucked though.

I'm not the only one, right?

Hello r/SCA!

As an SCA celebrity who can bench press 224 with 15.5" biceps [EDIT: I'm not an SCA celebrity, but it is a quality meme], I'd like to talk to you today about a trend I've noticed at Pennsic over the last decade or so. It seems to me that Pennsic is moving away from being an SCA event (which it is, even if the Tuchux, Acre, etc. show up) and toward being more of a modern fantasy festival. If this were a Renaissance Faire, a Furry convention, or a medieval convention, that wouldn't be an issue - but it's not. Pennsic is an SCA event, and the shoddy "attempts" at garb and the extensive modern intrusion are making it worse year after year.

The biggest issue I see is with the terrible "attempts" at garb, or a lack thereof. What medieval culture is a pair of cargo shorts, a ring belt, and a pouch? What is the time period and place for four furry tails, a bota bag, and BDSM chest harness? I have no issue with disability aids like glasses, mobility scooters, or service dogs - my biggest gripe is with the people who can't even be bothered to try. Naturally, a lot of this stuff comes topside from the Bog, but there are plenty of topside Peers who dress like complete trash. I'm not talking just about New Balance Knights, but I saw a whole-ass Ansteorran Duchess beboping around in a modern sackdress, coronet, and tennis shoes without a care in the world. When the folks who are supposed to be setting the example can't be bothered to try, what does that mean for newbies?

To be very clear here, I'm not talking about people in mundane clothing. Folks clearly going off-site, just arriving, or doing laundry in mundanes are not the target of the rant. They're wearing modern clothes and expressly not making an attempt.

As far as the modern intrusion, everywhere you look are dumpsters, golf carts, and yahoos driving their giant trucks past the Cooper's Store. It's obvious that most people don't want to do primitive medieval camping, and that the Cooper's Lake Campground does more than just Pennsic, so it needs the infrastructure, but the SCA's reliance on golf carts, nylon pop-ups, and bright white LEDs in camp is a lot for a supposedly medieval experience. Not everything has to be Enchanted Ground (which has considerably lowered its standards), but it shouldn't look like Burning Man had a love child with a trailer-park Ren Faire. Seriously, folks, put on a damn shirt, cover your balls at the food court, and wear shoes so you don't get buttworms.

So what is the solution? Personally, I do just about everything I can to hide the modernity in my garb, my camp, and my comportment (I'm not a douche and treat folks with respect, even if they look like a Furry extra from Zardoz). It's clear that "setting the example" isn't working, especially when multi-Peers can't be bothered to do so, and is a widespread problem in the SCA. I'm also fairly sure these issues have been lamented since the late 1900s without resolution. I think Pennsic (and more broadly the SCA) is going to continue along two divergent paths: people playing High-SCA and giving a damn, and the people who think a rainbow furry headband, Crocs, and a ring belt with a pouch are all you need to be medieval.

Much like the increasingly accurate film Idiocracy predicts, I think the ring-belt Furries are going to outcompete the High-SCA folks and continue to drive Pennsic further into fantasy mediocrity.

For the first time in many years I decided to give the Pennsic Chinese restaurant another try and unfortunately I’m sad to say nothing got better.

I watched what I believed to be the owner loss her mind on many people for many days. And because I’m a watcher this became my focus.

It started with the gluten free requests. That resulted in a haphazardly written “NO GLUTEN FREE” sign shamed against a menu bored.

My own experience was not great. I got shouted at for opening the refrigerator wrong trying to get a fruit cup. I thought after my mistake the door opening would have switched or at least a similar sign made but I just watched her shout more at unassuming people.

After that I witnessed her screaming at her employees and customers over what I thought was reasonable requests, or just misunderstandings. I also watched a young girl shake wile trying to “call out orders” and I watched an older woman working there smoothing things over with all her kindness.

I watched, what I think was two different people call her a bitch but the response was the same. “Thank you, may you have the day you deserve”

Finally , I saw her lost her mind on an older lady for not understanding how to order an iced-t. It was intense. She just started running around shouting about how she, the old lady, doesn’t event know what she wants but she drinking it anyway! I watched the old lady pay first. It was all so unnecessary and upsetting.

I’m sorry this is my reaction and response but I feel the need to share.

And I don’t want another person to feel beat up by someone for just trying to have a nice holiday.

This is the Pennsic 53 Viking Memorial ship, a final goodbye to honor those we have lost this year. It is powerful to participate in and humbling.

The full video is available on YouTube Resist the Grind. It follows the ship build, painting of memorial shields, the sale to honor an incredible SCAdian, the processional and final burning.

There is also a short interview with the ship builder at the very end

It is an honor to be a part of this year's ship. May their memories never fade.

In Service,
Chris

FULL VIDEO: https://youtu.be/iLtg\_MPt2ts

I wanted to write a thank you to everyone who was amazingly kind on Wednesday. At about 11:00 am on Wednesday, I got a text message no one ever wants; my Mom was in a serious car accident and heading to the hospital. The teacher in the class I was in at the time very kindly gave me her number so I might be able to get the pendant I was making back at some point.

I then went to the bus stop (to get back to camp and break it down) and broke down. A very kind lady stopped and asked if I needed a hug and let me sob into her shoulder for a bit. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I was able to think a slight bit more clearly after that.

I managed to make a plan, ended up going to University Point and cancelling my classes for the next day. To those that were hoping to attend the class on how to research or on Venetian Architecture, I am so sorry. I was honestly hoping to be able to share some of my internet research knowledge and my photos sprinkled with some research photos of architecture in Veneto outside of Venice proper. However, the moment I got that text, I knew there was no way I could stay on site. Thankfully, the lady at University Point was able to immediately cancel everything and help relieve that one worry from my mind. ( I had a lot planned to do at Pennsic still and was fretting over having to get things and get things cancelled.)

After that, I went to the Watch to see if they could just take me back up to my camp site. There, there were several kind people. The lady manning the desk at the Watch was amazing. I'm sure I was a right mess at that point. She gave me a cold water and told me to make sure to breath for now and not to neglect myself while I'm helping to look after my Mom. She also managed to call someone immediately to take me up.

Thank you to the gentleman who took me up to my campsite as well. He was patient as I gave directions and dropped me off right at my tent.

I managed to take everything down fairly quickly - only leaving site to pick up the trailer from uhaul early- but it still took time. Thank you to the neighboring camp who offered me water and helped me to put my tent in the trailer right before it started to rain. You guys were amazing!

I did get to see my Mom yesterday (I didn't get home until 1 am and then I had to unload everything from the trailer before taking it back and zooming down to the hospital she was in; another four hours from my house!). She can talk well but she did have a stroke while driving. Her left side has lost a lot of function. My siblings and I are trying to wait for a full doctor's report before we make plans.

Again, thank you to all that helped! May God bless you and I hope to see everyone next year.