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Giant Pith Helmet Thread of Doom

Cattus Petasatus

One of the Regulars
Messages
250
Location
Richardson, TX
Because I needed a white one, I modified one of my Pressed Fiber Sun Helmets.

I think it turned out well. I'll have the best pith helmet in town.
 

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Cattus Petasatus

One of the Regulars
Messages
250
Location
Richardson, TX
Yes. Just "rattle can" spray paint on the exterior. Then I sanded it down a little to make it smooth. There are a couple of spots with overspray but you really have to look for it. The chinstrap is from a company in Canada, https://coghlinandupton.com/, the strap was only $1 each so I bought several. I had to use 2 straps to get the length I wanted. I'm super happy with the results.
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,833
Location
Northern California
I spotted this old relic in a local vintage store a few months ago. I chatted with the owner about it, talking about it's very well-worn condition and wondering what it may have seen in it's life and service. I stopped back in yesterday, and she surprised me by gifting it to me. I guess I was the only one who really got a kick out of it.
It is missing at least the pug, or whatever wrap it once had. I know very little about pith helmets so it may be missing other things too. The top is crunched in on one side and the sweat is a bit stiff so I am reluctant to turn it out in search of tags. I can't read much of the liner logo other than what looks like Army & Navy on top and Bombay on the bottom.
Here it is...

20230531_175751.jpg 20230531_175759.jpg 20230531_175810.jpg 20230531_175902.jpg 20230531_175328.jpg 20230531_180454.jpg 20230531_180919.jpg 20230531_180921.jpg 20230531_180922.jpg


It looks greener in person than in the pics. Indoor pics show it as received. For the headshots I put it over my balsawood milleners bulb shaped block and pushed the crunched part of the pith back into place, but there's nothing really keeping it there. Fit is pretty good. I had never worn one before I first tried it on in the store back when I first saw it, but right away I could see why people might like them in hot weather.
I am curious about the age of it. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I will help.
 

johnnycanuck

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,008
Location
Alberta
I spotted this old relic in a local vintage store a few months ago. I chatted with the owner about it, talking about it's very well-worn condition and wondering what it may have seen in it's life and service. I stopped back in yesterday, and she surprised me by gifting it to me. I guess I was the only one who really got a kick out of it.
It is missing at least the pug, or whatever wrap it once had. I know very little about pith helmets so it may be missing other things too. The top is crunched in on one side and the sweat is a bit stiff so I am reluctant to turn it out in search of tags. I can't read much of the liner logo other than what looks like Army & Navy on top and Bombay on the bottom.
Here it is...

View attachment 521955 View attachment 521956 View attachment 521957 View attachment 521958 View attachment 521959 View attachment 521960 View attachment 521961 View attachment 521962 View attachment 521963


It looks greener in person than in the pics. Indoor pics show it as received. For the headshots I put it over my balsawood milleners bulb shaped block and pushed the crunched part of the pith back into place, but there's nothing really keeping it there. Fit is pretty good. I had never worn one before I first tried it on in the store back when I first saw it, but right away I could see why people might like them in hot weather.
I am curious about the age of it. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I will help.
Looks like a great find to me. And it sure looks like you got the crown back in a good shape. I love pith helmets but don’t know the history. I know there is a very knowledgeable group on Facebook you could join that would probably help.
Johnny
Wear it in good health.
 

johnnycanuck

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,008
Location
Alberta
So the original one was a thin piece of plastic wrapped in cotton with velcro adjustment at the back. I liked the cotton to pull the sweat away from my head so it would not drip down my face. So I wanted to make something similar.
IMG_1961.jpeg



The sweatband is roughly the width of a ruler so I used that for measuring. I got a round ice cream tub and cut a strip out of it.
IMG_1954.jpeg



If I was to do this again I would punch holes in the strip to let the sweat pass through.
IMG_1955.jpeg


I took some old cloth. In this case an old, worn out, pair of jeans. Using the ice cream ring as a guide I cut out a strip of cloth three times as wide as the sweat band.
IMG_1956.jpeg


IMG_1957.jpeg



I then wrapped the cloth around the plastic and stapled it snug. You can sew it but my daughter lost the sewing machine power cord.
IMG_1959.jpeg



I then rolled the cloth so the staples were facing out.
IMG_1958.jpeg



I used weather stripping to make the air flow spacers. And double sided tape to hold it in place.



If I wasn’t as cheap as I am I would just buy a leather sweat band and use cork instead of weather stripping.



Hope that helps

Johnny
 
Last edited:

johnnycanuck

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,008
Location
Alberta

milandro

A-List Customer
Messages
420
Location
The Netherlands
Also, I saw this on the International Military Antiques website and thought I'd try my hand at it. Here is a link to the history of it.

View attachment 502851

It's not exact, but it looks good on my shelf. I'm not sure where I'll wear it yet.

View attachment 502852
What you have ben trying to reproduce is a " Bersaglieri' Helmet of WWII or the period before that of the Italian wars in Africa.
There are companies specialised in providing these starting from the 50 feathers and ending to the 600 feathers.

https://negoziomilitare-pn.com/it/bersaglieri/1113-piumetto-50-piume.html

https://negoziomilitare-pn.com/it/bersaglieri/51-piumetto-bersaglieri.html
 

The Shooman

Practically Family
Messages
565
Location
AUSTRALIA
After using a couple genuine pith helmets for a couple years, I'd like to weigh in again and revise some of my initial comments. Namely, I'm not sure where the idea (myth?) of soaking or drenching the pith helmet originated, but I'm sure it's in error. My helmets are made in Vietnam from pith covered with thin strips of cork for shape and added firmness (I assume) then covered in cotton twill. Sola pith may stand up to water better than straw or felt; however, I don't think the original intent was to soak the hat. I've found that dunking, soaking, or drenching the pith helmet causes deformation and deterioration. Pith swells, like a sponge, when wet. Then shrinks as it dries. It never dries exactly as it was before it was soaked. H

This is why l tried to avoid the modern made pith helmets made with cheap materials and found a vintage one.

Have a look at this:

Soaking your Helmet

Pith helmets (Well-made ones, anyway), are designed to be soaking wet when they’re used. A good-quality cork, or pith helmet is designed to retain water. On a hot day, dunk the helmet in a bucket of water, or flip the crown upside down and fill it with water and let it soak in for a few hours. Drain off the excess water, shake the helmet to remove the runoff, and then put it on.
https://www.throughouthistory.com/?p=3153

Cutting open a pith helmet video. Seems to be plastic, cotton (probably the cheap cotton), synthetics etc. I suspect they don't make `em like they used to. Surely a pith helmet designed for the jungle is meant to be tough and hold up to water.
 

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