LaV317

Just in case you think he's fibbing -  http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TI_181st_dress_uniform
 
Please can we stop trying to get all elitist at Level 1?  Even Kris and Cari said it's good, albeit for different reasons, but still.

I started off by using chalk holders.  Philo hadn't started yet and finding a real honest to goodness british style dosimeter required luck and money.  I work in the nuclear industry and we knew that was a diminishing limited supply not easily available.  I now own five real ones with a calibration device, but it was more luck than good searching that allowed me to find it.
 
Eliminating chalk holders would be a very limiting thing.  

I want to address something I keep seeing brought up - "it's more expensive to upgrade later" - And?

We allow Pleather boots that have zippers.  The cost difference between those and real English Riding boots that are fit to your calves is several hundred dollars USD - I imagine it's even more in some other places.  Yet no one is suggesting we eliminate all boots other than real English Riding Boots because it's "more expensive to upgrade later."
 
While I appreciate that many people want to go for L2/L3, everyone ELSE must appreciate that there is a good portion of the 501st that simply wants a costume - in our case for officers, the most common one I hear is "something I can sit in."

IMHO, the rule at L1 should be "at 15-20 feet can the average person tell the difference?" - with the Chalk holders, if done correctly per the CRL, no, they cannot.  So what exactly is the big deal?

Just my personal opinion, but chalk holders seem to do the job. They're a quick, cheap, easy to obtain fix for a faffy part of certain costumes.
And this is coming from me! I'm normally a big stickler for accuracy! So long as the cylinders are -present- and you've made an effort to match the tops (painted blue for Krennic etc) and the clip (brass or silver etc) then I don't see the issue?
 
This is pushbuttons required for basic all over again, when plexiglass works completely fine and they are far more widely manufactured. And even then, the list of trusted makers of plexi-plaques is still a short one.
 
I feel that stuff like this is absolutely what the level 2 and 3 req's are for. All components and design elements of a costume should be present at level one, with a "good enough" bar set for quality. Level 2 you can start requiring screen used -or- exact replicas. Level 3 for the crazies who want to fork out £30+ each for actual dosis, if they can even find them.
 
Lets not make this any harder than it really needs to be? This is an expensive hobby at the best of times.
 
Again, just my opinion.