And I agree that accuracy is important, and that in formal reenacting, standard is better, but real life has rarely been standard.
Point taken, but food for thought: the average living history interpreter maybe has about 20 minutes to give a presentation to tourists at a historic site/battlefield/et al. Granted, you would get the occasional history buff who would spender longer discussing details, but in general, most folks do not have the time. Hence, NPS stresses "the basics" rather than the extraordinary. If you have to go into detail to explain why you are wearing or carrying something outside the standard, you are not talking about other things.

An old ranger who served as my mentor many years ago told me that if folks remember three things from your talk, then you're doing your job.

At reenactments (mock combat scenarios), the public are spectators, and do not come into individual contact with participants as much as they do at historic sites and living history events. Most folks accept what they see at face value, and again, do not take the time to ask.

This wasn't meant as a personal attack against you, but rather, my own observations based on over a decade of living history experience with NPS.