Civil War Forage Caps: A Review of Several Modern Sutlers

[The Wiser Hatter]

Wise Hatter, that 1st pic of the "scout drummer cap"

I really don't know anything about the caps.
I just searched an posted the caps an the links.
As pictures are important to people here.

Just like the look of the kepi cap. Now the question is would I shell out 125 dollars for one.





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[Doc Glockster]

Just like the look of the kepi cap. Now the question is would I shell out 125 dollars for one.

In my world, you either love them or hate them. I don't wear my Confederate head gear in public much anymore because of the stigma that has been ascribed to any and all things Confederate-related. I've actually had people ask me if I hate black people just because I was wearing a CSA cap!

On the other hand, my love for the shape-and-drape of the forage cap made me think that $125 was not an unreasonable price for a piece of kit that I've wanted since I was a child. I guess if you just gotta have it, you just gotta have it.

I wear them as a novelty to gun shows, and at historical sites, at parties, and wherever I'm likely to get stares in a positive way. Usually I'll hear something like "Wow! Love that hat." Only one person, who I consider arrogant anyway, had the gall to ask, "You actually wear that in public?"

I'd rather be seen in a Civil War forage cap than yet another baseball cap with some stupid design on it.

YMMV

 

[gtdean48]

When I started reenacting in the early 1980's, CD Jarnigan was the main source, either that or have a uniform made.
I actually got patterns & had a shell jacket & trousers made from 100% wool cloth in addition to buying a Jarnigan rig.
We had to galvanize & buying 2 uniforms was too expensive for a recent college grad. I still have my Federal sack coat & Confederate shell jacket as well as sky blue & butternut trousers, not sure any fit anymore.
I fought the 125th of Bull Run, Shiloh, Gettysburg, Atlanta & a few more. Surrendered at 125th of Appomattox.
Still have my Fed forage cap from Jarnigan. Always used an old Stetson to make a slouch hat for Confederate action.
This is 125th of Shiloh...

 

[Atticus Finch]

My first (and only) kepi. This photo was taken at Fort Macon...well before the 100th anniversary of its siege.

AF

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I wear them as a novelty to gun shows, and at historical sites, at parties, and wherever I'm likely to get stares in a positive way. Usually I'll hear something like "Wow! Love that hat." Only one person, who I consider arrogant anyway, had the gall to ask, "You actually wear that in public?"

I'd rather be seen in a Civil War forage cap than yet another baseball cap with some stupid design on it.

YMMV

We all get looks for wearing any hat in this day and age. I will pick one up thanks for posting the
Review.


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[Atticus Finch]

Ninety-eight years before the above photo was taken, my great-great grandfather was surrendered at Fort Macon, along with other surviving members of the 10th North Carolina Troops. Great-great Granddad now lies beneath a Confederate tombstone in the Methodist cemetery in Beaufort, NC. I still visit with him from time to time.

AF

 

[Doc Glockster]

We all get looks for wearing any hat in this day and age. I will pick one up thanks for posting the
Review.


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If you go with Dirty Billy's: be advised that the summer is the height of their reenacting season, so there may be a lead time.

Also: he tends to keep Federal forage caps in stock or at least with short lead times. This is logical, since they tend to all be the same and there will be a lot more orders for them versus one of some other type of hat. I don't think I ever had to wait more than a couple of weeks for mine. That is for the Civil War Type II forage cap.

Confederate and IW kepis, on the other hand, generally have a lead time of several months. I'd call Bill Wickham if I were you and talk to him about your specific needs.

 

[highway66blues]

I really don't know anything about the caps.
I just searched an posted the caps an the links.
As pictures are important to people here.
Just like the look of the kepi cap. Now the question is would I shell out 125 dollars for one.

Understood that before hand. My appologies, Hatter if I souned other than helpful, which was my only intent.

gtdean48 -
"When I started reenacting in the early 1980's, CD Jarnigan was the main source, either that or have a uniform made."


I was "recruited" in the late 80's and it was still Jarnigan then, too. And I started Reb (shameful for a SW Penna. farmboy) & all of my friends were in the local (in 1861 and to me in 1989) Federal company. Didn't take me long to learn and realize WHY I shoulda been wearin ' Fed Blue.
Stayed that way for 15 yrs.

 

[highway66blues]

We all get looks for wearing any hat in this day and age. I will pick one up

Sadly, You Are Correct, Sir

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Oh there is no hurry at all. Just nice to know where to turn to to purchase one.

 

[liten]

ok thanks doc! dirty bills it is ,and a size bigger than are, is probly the way to go

 

[highway66blues]

Oh there is no hurry at all. Just nice to know where to turn to to purchase one.

Again, You Are Correct, Sir

 

[Doc Glockster]

ok thanks doc! dirty bills it is ,and a size bigger than are, is probly the way to go

Just don't go overboard with the size bigger thing. It works for me because I cut my hair really short and the style of the forage caps means that a size bigger just happens to work for me. If I were you I'd measure my head's exact measuremet (in other words not just sticking with a "standard" size like 7 1/4), then maybe go up in size just a hair. For example, if your head is 22 5/8 maybe go 22 3/4. I believe Bill Wickham will size it that way for you.

 

[liten]

ok! im a 71/8 so il go to a71/4 maybe il ask bill what he thinks , thats if he,s in a good mood ha

 

[cpdv]

Dirty Billy's Type I Forage cap. I took this shameless selfie before a 4th of July Parade this year.

 

[cpdv]

Also I am 1 year older than the average volunteer from Maine, and the average height and weight...just bragging a bit is all.

 

[1961MJS]

Hey, great look. I do have a suggestion (that may not have worked at a large reenactment). You should make an attempt to get modern stuff (like Jeeps) out of your background. Your uniform etc looks great otherwise.

Later

 

[cpdv]

oh it was just getting my kit on in the participent parking before the 4th of July Parade in Thomaston Maine. Hence the jeep lol.

 

[highway66blues]

HeHeHe...

You look good cpdv.
Nevermind the Jeep, you weren't aimin' for an "authentic" photo (pixelized and in color) in the 1st place.
We got the point of it.
I remember those days of gearin' up and 1st call sounding and parades in the damn hot weather wearin' period (as authentic as we could get=stitch counters we were) clothing/uniforms.
What Co & Reg't do ya go with ?

 

[cpdv]

HeHeHe...

You look good cpdv.
Nevermind the Jeep, you weren't aimin' for an "authentic" photo (pixelized and in color) in the 1st place.
We got the point of it.
I remember those days of gearin' up and 1st call sounding and parades in the damn hot weather wearin' period (as authentic as we could get=stitch counters we were) clothing/uniforms.
What Co & Reg't do ya go with ?

Company A, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry "Bath City Grays" For the most part the rest are mainstream but I'm a stitch counter myself. For 150th of Bull Run I did all kinds of research and found that my company since it was an existing Volunteer Militia company kept their buff crossbelts (the state of Maine didn't want to pay for new ones if they already had them). So there I was in buff crossbelts, dark blue federal trousers with an original 1816 Belgian conversion musket dated 1836. As of now we are working on doing anti-bellum living history events locally as the Bath City Grays militia company as they were one of the best drilled in New England in the 1850s. We get to have bearskin shakos! :3 And I was lucky enough to stumble onto an original cuff button for their uniform.