Crusher caps

[Blackjack]

{this thread was merged from 13 small crusher cap threads... hopefully to make a search much more easy}



it's gettin hard to find these babies...Anyone hear of this Co.? Flying Tigers Army/Navy Surplus. Looks like a pretty nice crush cap

 

[Zemke Fan]

How bout...

... a link?

 

[indycop]

I got a couple of patches from them before.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Blackjack, save your money! Looks like the Manual Noriega "South American General"-type hat, like the crappy one offered by US Wings.

Go to WWII Impressions, History Preservation Associates or one of the others that offer much, much better crushers. They'll cost you a few dollars more, but it will be well worth it. Don't spend your money twice to replace a cheap cap!

 

[Blackjack]

Advice well taken Jack, thats why I love this place!!!

 

[Diamondback]

Speaking of caps, what's y'all's take on the ones by Lancaster Cap Co.? Not tryinng to threadjack, just didn't see a point in cluttering things up with two separate threads on very similar subjects.

 

[Fletch]

Blackjack, save your money! Looks like the Manual Noriega "South American General"-type hat, like the crappy one offered by US Wings.

Yes it's the same model, with the cotton cover and the stiff, crackly plastic liner.

The tin-pot dictator look is because it's made about 3/4" too high thru the band.
(Military secret: Dress caps got taller and bigger around during the cold war, to measure up to the Russians.)
It's crushable enough to look a little lower - there was a LOT of latitude in the shape of crushed caps - but just barely.

 

[Mike K.]

Speaking of caps, what's y'all's take on the ones by Lancaster Cap Co.? Not tryinng to threadjack, just didn't see a point in cluttering things up with two separate threads on very similar subjects.

Lancaster is the best! These are the ones sold by History Preservation Associates (and also formerly stocked at Garcia Aviation). HPA is currently down to their last in stock, as Lancaster is no longer making the crusher. Get 'em while you can! I was fortunate enough to order the very last one in my size (at least in OD elastique). The quality is superb. Nice bendable leather brim, correct shape and color, even the inside liner is the same color as my original. The only thing I don't like is the reproduction eagle cap piece. The repro eagle is too thick and lacks the detail of the originals (same with the side buttons). Fortunately originals of both the eagle badge and strap buttons are fairly easy to come by and are real simple to install in place of the reproductions.

 

[Diamondback]

To be honest, Mike, I've actually been looking at their MacArthur cap, rather than the "common" crusher--used to have a reference to a guy named O'Linc that had a Mac cap too, but darned if I can find him now... and $500 is some serious cash to drop on a hat that'd be seldom if ever worn.

 

[Blackjack]

Besides the $200.00 Lancaster (which) will soon be non existant I read, and the $145.00 number from WWII Imp are there any other decent ones out there? Like the man said it's a hat that will be seldom worn but great to own. ( I think I'd wear one while watching Tora Tora Tora or Sky Captain)

 

[fishmeok]

USAAF enlisted "crusher" cap project hat

It was cold and rainy here on Saturday (a couple weeks ago) afternoon and I really didn't feel like heading out into the garage to start rebuilding the BMW motor on my sidecar rig. I also needed a break from learning to make jackets on the sewing machine so I decided to make a USAAF enlisted crusher out of pieces and parts from two different non-crusher enlisted caps (poor condition, parts hats really). One of the enlisted visor caps had a smaller than average top, and the other had an exceptionally soft brim. I ended up combining the two and making a sweatband out of some scrap leather. The few enlisted crush caps I have seen are made out of wool elastique like the officers' version, but there was enough variety in WWII that almost anything can be considered reasonably authentic (most guys just had regular issue wool visor caps with the stiffening grommit removed). It worked out pretty well, but hand stitching the sweatband in is a PITA.

Some people scrapbook, some glue things onto other things with a hot glue gun, I make hats and pieces of jackets
Cheers
Mark

I think this is interesting- the leather visor on my other originals is sewn to a piece of OD wool gab cloth (same thing officers' tunics are made out of), then sewed to the front of the sweatband (which is sewn to the body of the hat everywhere else), then just tacked to the front of the hat band with two or three stitches. it seems like a flimsy way to assemble the thing, but after putting this one together I can see why they do it that way- much easier and faster to assemble. .

And on my head- I think it gives the proper look...

This is what happens when your wife hassles you while you have the camera set on "timer". Note the kitty in the monitor, not very period :lol:

 

[carter]

Thanks for sharing this with us. It never ceases to amaze me how many ways FL members can be involved with headgear in general. Interesting project for a rainy day and a wearable result. :eusa_clap

 

[deanglen]

Terrific! Can't help but admire your creativity. Excellent!:eusa_clap






dean

 

[Stoney]

very nicely done indeed

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[fishmeok]

Thanks guys- I find the older I get, the less fun it is to spend time in the garage, and the more I enjoy puttering around in the house...

I guess after being a mechanic off and on for most of my life I'm getting bored with it. I keep dropping the scale of fixing things- airplanes, cars, motorcycles, sewing machines and now, hats

Cheers
Mark

 

[Old Fogey UK]

Steaming a 50 Mission Crusher Cap

Browsing through some old threads, I read about someone's suggestion to steam a wool elastique US officer's visor cap to get the 50 Mission look.
I know you can steam a fedora but I've never heard of this process on a military cap. I would have thought the cap's construction and inherent floppiness would have prevented it.
Please can someone enlighten me on how it's done ?

 

[crismans]

Looking for a crush cap

I'm wanting to pick up a crush cap--the type worn by pilots in WWII. I would like to get the khaki version like was worn in the Pacific theater. I know that US Wings offers a version of this. Does anyone know of any other vendors that have this cap for sale?

 

[DougC]

there is a place in NYC that sells them--not sure if its specific to Pacific theater. Here's the link.

http://www.cockpitusa.com/store/product.php?productid=17567&cat=414&page=1

 

[Colby Jack]

You can also try uswings.com...They have both styles...

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I have been told that there are other vendors out there, but US Wings is the only one I've found. Well, actually, I found the exact same hat for twice the price, and prompt blocked them from memory. :eusa_doh: A re-enactor I know says you shouldn't have to pay much more than the Wings price, even for an original, but it seems to be a popular item for rip-off pricing. [huh]