What is "farb"

n. (context US English) A historical reenactor (especially a US civil war reenactor) whose efforts at a historically accurate portrayal are, in the opinion of the speaker, inadequate. (For example, wearing a modern wristwatch with period costume.) The opposite of ''farb'' is "hard-core" (or hardcore), someone who is, in the opinion of the speaker, an "authenticity fanatic".

Farb is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Carolyn Farb, American fundraiser
• Peter Farb (1929-1980) American author, anthropologist, linguist, ecologist, naturalist and spokesman for conservation

Farb is a derogatory term used in the hobby of historical reenacting in reference to participants who are perceived to exhibit indifference to historical authenticity, either from a material-cultural standpoint or in action. It can also refer to the inauthentic materials used by those reenactors.

Also called "polyester soldiers", farbs are reenactors who spend relatively little of their time or money maintaining authenticity with regard to uniforms, accessories, objects or period behavior. The "Good Enough" attitude is pervasive among farbs, although even casual observers may be able to point out flaws.

Farbiness is dependent upon context as well as expectations and is somewhat subjective. For example, while a " mainstream" reenactor might accept an object that looks right from a spectator perspective, a " progressive" or "hard core" reenactor might consider the object to be farby if it is not made in a historically accurate manner.