Campaign Hat Autcion Price

[Pat_H]

http://cgi.ebay.com/U-S-A-Spanish-A...100018627QQcategoryZ10952QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Wow, what a price. Hard to imagine how the soldier who was issued the hat back in the day would react to finding what its worth now.

 

[Rick Blaine]

The vents are smashing, butI wanna know how it came to be in NSW... from Newark !

 

[jimmy the lid]

That is a great hat. Love the vents!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[deanglen]

If I had the resources, I would have payed anything for that hat, even though it's post Span-Am War, (right, Pat?).

dean

 

[Pat_H]

If I had the resources, I would have payed anything for that hat, even though it's post Span-Am War, (right, Pat?).

dean

Yes, that's a M1902 campaign hat. It'd be correct for the Philippine Insurrection, but not the Spanish American War.

 

[Rick Blaine]

I see

Yes, that's a M1902 campaign hat. It'd be correct for the Philippine Insurrection, but not the Spanish American War.

That makes its presence in the Pacific far more understandable. Thanks!

 

[Wolfmanjack]

If I had the resources, I would have payed anything for that hat, even though it's post Span-Am War, (right, Pat?).
dean

Dean and Pat, you are the experts on these hats; is the red cord authentic to the period? Being red, I presume this indicated membership in an artillery unit.

As to the other cord, the one with the macram?© knotting; do you suppose this was worn under the chin or around the back of the head?

I have three broad-brimmed hats that I use in the field for my wildlife studies: a felt one for colder months, a straw for summer, and a waxed-cotton one for rain. I’ve equipped all of them with a strap that I snug around the back of my head. My hat will stay in place in an open Jeep at top speed on the back roads in the forest.

 

[deanglen]

The hat cord looks period correct to me, and I've handled some from the time. The acorns changed radically, I think after WWI. Pat is the real expert here. As to the chin cord, yes to all of your question. That's one of the details that helps date the hat. That hat is in such great condition, and a nice wearble size, though still too small for my 7 3/8 noggin. Here's a nice selction of originals in a shot I pulled from another forum that pat knows well:

dean

 

[Pat_H]

Deanglen flatters me by referring to me as the expert, which I'm really not. He makes reference to the SMH site, where some real experts on this topic post ( www.militaryhorse.org ). Anyhow, red is the artillery hat cord. As to the shoestring "chin strap" period photos suggest these were often omitted (and truly are not necessary, under any conditions, if the hat fits properly). If they were used, I believe the were to normally run behind the ears to the back of the head. Of course in field conditions, given as there were campaign hats, I suspect you could find any variety of uses, although normally they do seem to be omitted.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Fantastic shot, dean!

Thanks for posting that fantastic shot, dean!

An upcoming project I am planning is to convert an old cowboy hat into a crude replica of this campaign hat. This photo will be very helpful.

I know you have done several of these conversions. Do you have any tips or caveats?

Thanks for the link, Pat. Dean, your old threads with photos of campaign hats have been very helpful in my research.

 

[deanglen]

I know you have done several of these conversions. Do you have any tips or caveats?

I do. Trying to find the correct brim stitiching is a trick, and doing it yourself with machine or by hand is a real challenge. The ribbon and distinctive bow is not too hard. Getting the tight crimp crown calls for a hat with a decently high crown. The site Pat linked to, with the thread on campaign hats is the best resource I have ever found for details. The ebay auction hat that began this thread has terrific photos for reference.

The star or snowflake vent in the crown is another detail I haven't figured out how to reproduce correctly. Just poking holes won't do it, the felt just closes up over time. I imagine you have to acually punch out a tiny amount of felt, and I mean a small amount, for the holes to hold shape, but exactly how they did it is a mystery to me. Maybe Pat, or an the guy at the SMH site who collects them can tell.

I 'm so glad to see someone else who likes the noble old pre-"montana" peak campign hats...a style that doesn't flinch in the face of side crown taper, but relishes it with a style of bash that is all its own. Love to see your efforts, Wolfman, in pictures, when you've done a few.

Here's some shots from thee 1899-1902 period in the Phillipines that shows the variety of bashes and brim widths the hat had in the field.

I re-bashed my Open Road to look like the hats in this shot:

dean

 

[Matt Deckard]

Stetson needs to star making the crown higher and selling them open.

 

[deanglen]

Stetson needs to star making the crown higher and selling them open.

You're so right, Matt. At least we'd have the option to be creative with them.

dean

 

[Pat_H]

The thread on the 83 to 04 Campaign hats:

http://www.militaryhorse.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7091

Threads on the 11 Campaign hat.

http://www.militaryhorse.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2475

http://www.militaryhorse.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6008

http://www.militaryhorse.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3463

As Deanglen mentions, the brim stitching is a chore, as we found out in our effort to have an accurate high quality reproduction of the 11 Campaign hat made.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Intersting! The 1889 campaign hat had a dimensional brim, but shorter (2-3/4") on the front and back than on the sides (3"). I've never seen that in a hat before. Was it common?

 

[scotrace]

If one could get the pattern nailed down for the star vents I *think* you could get a set of gasket hole punches from an automotive tool supplier (like Autozone), and there should be one small enough to punch out a neat, tiny hole that would not be filled in naturally by the felt, as would a hole made with an awl or pin. These are tools used to make custom cork gaskets when the correct gasket isn't available (or to save money).

 

[jimmy the lid]

Intersting! The 1889 campaign hat had a dimensional brim, but shorter (2-3/4") on the front and back than on the sides (3"). I've never seen that in a hat before. Was it common?

A Lee Hat in an ad found by RBH had this same feature (shorter in front and back, wider on the sides).

On the Lee dress hat, the pitch was that it allowed folks to see your face. On a campaign hat, I wonder if served a more functional purpose -- i.e., making it easier to sight down the barrel of a rifle...???

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Wesne]

Gotta love that guy in the foreground of the second photo, with the brim snapped up in front and the hat tipped back on his head. He looks like he knows his way around a rifle.

"Underneath the starry flag, civilize 'em with a Krag..."

 

[feltfan]

I have been looking into this.
Last year I had the idea of creating the
ultimate summer felt. What stopped me was
that I could not find a source for screen vents (grommets),
at least in quantities I could afford. So I have been
thinking of punching holes.

I had originally thought of drilling holes. But that seemed
dangerous. If the felt fibers were caught up in the bit,
it would not create a clean hole.

A consultation with a costumer friend confirmed this.
She also suggested a hole punch like the one you mention.
She said that a punch designed for leather would go through
felt like butter. At the moment I MAY have some sample screen
vents coming in the mail. But if I don't get enough samples I
will try the leather punch. This source looked good:

http://www.leatherfactory.com/products.asp?dept=206

Scroll down a bit to see the punches.

If one could get the pattern nailed down for the star vents I *think* you could get a set of gasket hole punches from an automotive tool supplier (like Autozone), and there should be one small enough to punch out a neat, tiny hole that would not be filled in naturally by the felt, as would a hole made with an awl or pin. These are tools used to make custom cork gaskets when the correct gasket isn't available (or to save money).

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Thanks for your very helpful guidance, Pat, Dean, & others.

Once finished, I'll post some pics. I plan to wear this hat for my wildlife work in the field. It will get a good deal of abuse, but that will just add to it's character.

I've never been totally satisfied with any of the hats I've used for field work. My Montana peak looks too much like a scoutmaster (I was one of those for a time); a cowboy hat looks too much like just that...a cowboy; my Filson wool felt weighs a ton when it gets wet; and a fedora looks just too dressed-up.

I think this hat will be perfect for field work. Come to think of it, historically, that was precisely their purpose.