Crofut & Knapp Tales

[Dreispitz]

This should be one of those caps:



Impressive, I must say!

 

[Brad Bowers]

I remember my grandfather, Phil Knapp, telling me about a special order from General Douglas MacArthur; the top generals of World War II were permitted to design their own, distinctive uniform. For Eisenhower it was the short fitted jacket; for Patton the silvered helmet, pistol belt with twin pearl-handled pistols, cavalry boots and trousers. For MacArthur the effect was all in his hat; a peaked officers hat highlighted by gold-dyed beaver fur embroidering the entire hat band, surmounted by an embroidered eagle and finished off with “scrambled eggs” on the visor; that plus his corn cob pipe and aviator dark glasses completed the effect. Mac Arthur placed an order with C&K Hats for a dozen of them at a cost of sixty dollars each, a large sum in 1941.

And that wasn't the only order he placed. I've got a story in my files that MacArthur contacted the Cavanagh Park Avenue store, in 1943, I think, and placed an emergency order for a hat replacement, as he didn't have any left to wear. They had all either been worn to death or left behind during the course of the war. I'll have to dig out the story to get the details right.

Nice to know the first part of the story, because I couldn't tell for sure that MacArthur was a C&K customer, but just had assume he was prior to ordering the replacement.

Brad

 

[Brad Bowers]

Wow, the vest correction does up, doesn't it?

Brad

 

[Philip K Nelson]

Thanks a bunch

Dreispitz posts a picture of MacArthur's hat that blew me away- the only closeup I had was from the Getty file. I was going to buy it but there registration site is a dog- I could find no was to describe my self, a retired OB-Gyn now botanical gardens photographer- so I gave up.

Then Brad comes on with a follow-up to the C&K hat purchase by MacArthur. Talk about synergy!
PKN

 

[Mr. 'H']

Dreispitz posts a picture of MacArthur's hat that blew me away- the only closeup I had was from the Getty file. I was going to buy it but there registration site is a dog- I could find no was to describe my self, a retired OB-Gyn now botanical gardens photographer- so I gave up.

Then Brad comes on with a follow-up to the C&K hat purchase by MacArthur. Talk about synergy!
PKN

That's what's so great about this place! :eusa_clap

 

[Brad Bowers]

That's what's so great about this place! :eusa_clap

Pooling our resources, isn't it great?

Brad

 

[Dreispitz]

Pooling our resources, isn't it great?

Brad

Youp, international, multilingual, interdisciplinary, .... fun!
:cheers1: :arated: :coffee:

Purely dopaminergic !

 

[gtdean48]

"for Patton the silvered helmet, pistol belt with twin pearl-handled pistols, cavalry boots and trousers"
Uh, those were IVORY handled pistols...only a pimp from a cheap New Orleans whorehouse would carry pearl-handled pistols, or at least that is what George C Scott said in the movie...

 

[Dreispitz]

"for Patton the silvered helmet, pistol belt with twin pearl-handled pistols, cavalry boots and trousers"
Uh, those were IVORY handled pistols...only a pimp from a cheap New Orleans whorehouse would carry pearl-handled pistols, or at least that is what George C Scott said in the movie...

Honi soit qui mal y pense!

 

[Chiliarches]

"for Patton the silvered helmet, pistol belt with twin pearl-handled pistols, cavalry boots and trousers"
Uh, those were IVORY handled pistols...only a pimp from a cheap New Orleans whorehouse would carry pearl-handled pistols, or at least that is what George C Scott said in the movie...

Unsure of the quote, but of the ivory I am fairly certain. Pearl makes a lousy gun grip.

 

[Brad Bowers]

It wasn't 1943, but 1942. After MacArthur escaped from the Philippines to Australia, he "cabled for a replacement. This order was filled twice. The first time, a young-woman employee decided to send the great man her autograph — and did, scratched into the visor. They caught it just in time."

I wonder if any of his left-behind hats are still floating around the Philippines.

Brad

 

[Matt Deckard]

I do like that cap..

Do you have any hats from the old company?

 

[Philip K Nelson]

Pearl vs Ivory

I stand corrected. No pearl handled revolvers from now on. The only hat I had from the good old days is a very special derby that will turn up soon.
PKN

 

[buler]

Hello Dr. Nelson. Just wondering if anyone in the family has any of the old records, paperwork, catalogs, etc.?

Thanks for joining us!

Buler

 

[Philip K Nelson]

Sadly no- except for a few newspaper clippings. I'll be posting them shortly
Phil Nelson

 

[jwalls]

Welcome

Just wanted to add my own thanks that you have choosen to join us. I am glad that some of our younger friends are interested in what preceded them. As my youngest son told his friends "OLD GUYS KNOW STUFF'

 

[avedwards]

I like history, so you also have my thanks Dr Nelson. Living history is much more interesting than text book history so this makes it even better. I remember my favourite history lesson was when the old school chaplain told us of his experiences during D-day and this is much the same principle.

 

[barrowjh]

I Love History

Most happy that you have thrown in with us here, PKN. Looking forward to more!

I have many fine hats, but none are C&K. Closest I get is a C&K hat box that is in excellent condition, probably because it is more recent. It is a square box mostly white, with gold and med. blue design/lettering, all in good shape, internal cardboard structures intact and in good shape also. Nice looking box, but I suspect it was from the 50's-60's time frame.

I read an article that indicated C&K moved its manufacturing operations to Tennessee - do you know anything about that?

 

[Brad Bowers]

I read an article that indicated C&K moved its manufacturing operations to Tennessee - do you know anything about that?

I can help you there. Hat Corporation of America (the corporate successor to C&K) opened a plant for producing lower-priced straw hats in Winchester, Tennessee about 1951. They briefly opened a felt hat finishing plant in Nevada, Missouri in 1952, if I remember right. It wasn't open for very long, for when the union tried to organize the workers at the Missouri plant, HCA shut down the new factory and sold it. Some felt hat finishing for lower-priced hats eventually transferred to Winchester, along with some felt body production.

Norwalk workers walked out in July, 1953, afraid all of their jobs were going to head west from Connecticut. The ten-month strike crippled HCA, and ended up making them ripe for a takeover by the Salesky Bros., of Champ Hats, which happened in 1955.

The workers eventually lost the strike, but the Norwalk factory stayed open until 1972.

Brad

 

[Tampahound]

Welcome!

Welcome to the lounge Dr. Nelson! Thanks for joining us and thank you also for your willingness to share stories and information. Our love for hats and hat lore makes your joining invaluable! We will devour any and all stories about your family and the business!