Giant Pith Helmet Thread of Doom

[KingAndrew]

Yes, Silver Springs: Home of the Glass-Bottom Boats. A classic old-time Florida attraction (I'm actually 2nd or 3rd generation Floridian on both sides of my family).

But if you want to see mermaids, you have to go to Wiki-Watchee, near the Gulf coast. They're not quite topless, but the do wear some skimpy bikini tops (and long fishy tails).

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Yes, Silver Springs: Home of the Glass-Bottom Boats. A classic old-time Florida attraction (I'm actually 2nd or 3rd generation Floridian on both sides of my family).

But if you want to see mermaids, you have to go to Wiki-Watchee, near the Gulf coast. They're not quite topless, but the do wear some skimpy bikini tops (and long fishy tails).

Ahh, those mermaids!

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

From this linkhttp://http://www.theexplora.com/from-an-african-safari-album-1920s/

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Traditional hunting attire?

 

[Warden]

I have always admired Professor Elemental's pith helmet.

Bringing pith helmets to the masses.

(The Prof is on stage after the brief dalek intro)

[video=youtube;YBLsq_-5zrA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLsq_-5zrA[/video]

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Harry, ever considered a happy valley / colonial event themed event? Just reading this thread while the English patent was on.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

I watched Jungle Moon Man yesterday on TCM, plenty of pith helmet's abound.

 

[Max]

If your noggin' is large, the Village Hat Shop won't suffice. I have a size 8 cranium, and they don't have anything that comes close to fitting me. However, I did find one in a haberdashery in Portland, Oregon.

The Store is John Helmer.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

 

[Warden]

Harry, ever considered a happy valley / colonial event themed event? Just reading this thread while the English patent was on.

You know not a bad idea, thank you for the idea.

We wondered about doing something based on retro sci fi / H G Wells, perhaps something "The Time Travellers Ball". Gives us a little more scope on what we can include.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

You know not a bad idea, thank you for the idea.

We wondered about doing something based on retro sci fi / H G Wells, perhaps something "The Time Travellers Ball". Gives us a little more scope on what we can include.

Let me know if you plan one, quite fancy that.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Like the outfit too .

 

[totallyfrozen]

What the hey, I'm a little late to the dance but I'll chime in with my opinion in case it can help anyone at all. Let me first get the negative out of the way: Yes, pith helmets are historic and bring to mind British colonization and safari adventures, etc. but that's not a legit reason in my opinion to disregard them today. I've seen posts in this thread about these helmets and in other threads about various hats with comments about not wearing [insert type of hat here] where people might see you etc. Hats are not a part of pop culture like they once were in the US. The days are gone when no man would step outdoors without a hat. So to wear ANY hat is going to require a little courage on your part. You won't make any hat look good if you wear it in shame and walk around with insecurity. People can see insecurity. It's in your body language and in your eyes. Celebrities bring the absolutely most ridiculous attire into fad and fashion because they exude confidence while doing so. So if you like a hat, whether it's a pith helmet or anything else, gird your loins like a man and wear the d*** hat! People hate what they don't understand so if people stare at you or make comments it's usually because they like your hat but don't have the gonads to wear one themselves, they admire your gonads for wearing that hat, or they're jealous of something. Who cares! Let 'em rot.
Alright, sorry guys, I just had to exhale and vent that out. No offense intended toward any individuals here.

So I have a pith helmet. I bought a French style from the Village Hat Shop online. Bought the French because it has the widest brim. You're probably familiar with them already. Made of cork, covered in cotton twill, etc. I think they have changed their sweat bands from the uncomfortable vinyl they had before. Mine has a cotton twill sweat band. While it's not thick, it does absorb sweat. It's adjustable with Velcro at the back. Yeah, I know that's not purist but these helmets aren't show pieces in my opinion. For me, this is functional headgear. I'm a 7-1/4 and the Large fits well with some space around my head for air circulation. When I replace this one in the future, I'll probably get a larger one (big head size) to allow even greater air flow. One mistake I made was getting a white one. I should have bought a khaki one. I actually wear mine when working outside in the Texas summer heat and white shows all the dirt and smudges. Cleaning it is a time consuming PITA. I use a toothbrush and white toothpaste or Woolite or white shoe cleaner, etc. just to clean a work hat! The alternative is that the hat would look really awful otherwise. Hats go on your head--above your face--so they effect your look more than any other piece of attire. So my hats have to be clean and in good repair. Eventually, I'll probably tire of that and simply wear the hat until it either breaks or becomes so filthy that I just toss it away and replace it. Earlier in this thread someone stated that piths are outdated and can't do anything a good straw hat can't do. I'm here to answer that comment particularly. I did an A/B comparison over 2 days between my pith helmet and a Dorfman Pacific 388 (genuine rush straw, 4" brim, vented crown, safari style). During this 2 day outdoor test, the ambient temps were around 99°F with the heat index between around 106° to 110°F. For the record, I absolutely love that $10 straw hat. It provides tons of shade, is light, very breathable, and has a comfortable grosgrain sweatband. I often wear it daily when working outside. What I found in my A/B is that a genuine cork pith helmet that fits properly (with open space between head and helmet) works just as well and feels just as cool as that large vented crown straw! One drawback to the pith is the cotton twill sweatband isn't quite as comfortable as the soft grosgrain sweatband. Both sweatbands absorbed a lot of sweat and I did not have sweat running into my eyes. IMO, below about 95°F a good straw hat can usually suffice; however, the pith has one major advantage that you really notice. You cannot drench, soak, or wet a straw hat. The pith helmets perform wonderfully when drenched. When the temps here were above 95° and I could barely stand working outside in the straw hat, I drenched the pith helmet and instantly noticed a drastic improvement in my comfort level. So my take on it is: If you are in serious heat, a pith helmet is more versatile than a straw hat. Dry, a pith is at least as good as a straw. Wet, the pith takes on a whole new dimension of comfort.

In summary, comparing my $40 French-style pith helmet and my $10 wide brim straw hat...the straw has a wider brim and gives more shade. Both hats are breathable with good air circulation when dry. The pith helmet is several degrees cooler when wet than a straw hat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Big J]

Hello,
Do any of you esteemed ladies and gentlemen know where I can find a Bombay Bowler;



or a Khaki Solar Pith Hat/Cawnpore Tent Club Hat?


Does anyone make these anymore? I'm a rather large size, and have therefore failed thus far to find a vintage one that fits.

 

[APP Adrian]

What the hey, I'm a little late to the dance but I'll chime in with my opinion in case it can help anyone at all. Let me first get the negative out of the way: Yes, pith helmets are historic and bring to mind British colonization and safari adventures, etc. but that's not a legit reason in my opinion to disregard them today. I've seen posts in this thread about these helmets and in other threads about various hats with comments about not wearing [insert type of hat here] where people might see you etc. Hats are not a part of pop culture like they once were in the US. The days are gone when no man would step outdoors without a hat. So to wear ANY hat is going to require a little courage on your part. You won't make any hat look good if you wear it in shame and walk around with insecurity. People can see insecurity. It's in your body language and in your eyes. Celebrities bring the absolutely most ridiculous attire into fad and fashion because they exude confidence while doing so. So if you like a hat, whether it's a pith helmet or anything else, gird your loins like a man and wear the d*** hat! People hate what they don't understand so if people stare at you or make comments it's usually because they like your hat but don't have the gonads to wear one themselves, they admire your gonads for wearing that hat, or they're jealous of something. Who cares! Let 'em rot.
Alright, sorry guys, I just had to exhale and vent that out. No offense intended toward any individuals here.

So I have a pith helmet. I bought a French style from the Village Hat Shop online. Bought the French because it has the widest brim. You're probably familiar with them already. Made of cork, covered in cotton twill, etc. I think they have changed their sweat bands from the uncomfortable vinyl they had before. Mine has a cotton twill sweat band. While it's not thick, it does absorb sweat. It's adjustable with Velcro at the back. Yeah, I know that's not purist but these helmets aren't show pieces in my opinion. For me, this is functional headgear. I'm a 7-1/4 and the Large fits well with some space around my head for air circulation. When I replace this one in the future, I'll probably get a larger one (big head size) to allow even greater air flow. One mistake I made was getting a white one. I should have bought a khaki one. I actually wear mine when working outside in the Texas summer heat and white shows all the dirt and smudges. Cleaning it is a time consuming PITA. I use a toothbrush and white toothpaste or Woolite or white shoe cleaner, etc. just to clean a work hat! The alternative is that the hat would look really awful otherwise. Hats go on your head--above your face--so they effect your look more than any other piece of attire. So my hats have to be clean and in good repair. Eventually, I'll probably tire of that and simply wear the hat until it either breaks or becomes so filthy that I just toss it away and replace it. Earlier in this thread someone stated that piths are outdated and can't do anything a good straw hat can't do. I'm here to answer that comment particularly. I did an A/B comparison over 2 days between my pith helmet and a Dorfman Pacific 388 (genuine rush straw, 4" brim, vented crown, safari style). During this 2 day outdoor test, the ambient temps were around 99°F with the heat index between around 106° to 110°F. For the record, I absolutely love that $10 straw hat. It provides tons of shade, is light, very breathable, and has a comfortable grosgrain sweatband. I often wear it daily when working outside. What I found in my A/B is that a genuine cork pith helmet that fits properly (with open space between head and helmet) works just as well and feels just as cool as that large vented crown straw! One drawback to the pith is the cotton twill sweatband isn't quite as comfortable as the soft grosgrain sweatband. Both sweatbands absorbed a lot of sweat and I did not have sweat running into my eyes. IMO, below about 95°F a good straw hat can usually suffice; however, the pith has one major advantage that you really notice. You cannot drench, soak, or wet a straw hat. The pith helmets perform wonderfully when drenched. When the temps here were above 95° and I could barely stand working outside in the straw hat, I drenched the pith helmet and instantly noticed a drastic improvement in my comfort level. So my take on it is: If you are in serious heat, a pith helmet is more versatile than a straw hat. Dry, a pith is at least as good as a straw. Wet, the pith takes on a whole new dimension of comfort.

In summary, comparing my $40 French-style pith helmet and my $10 wide brim straw hat...the straw has a wider brim and gives more shade. Both hats are breathable with good air circulation when dry. The pith helmet is several degrees cooler when wet than a straw hat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree with everything you said.

 

[Topper]

Hey folks.

Here in Australia, where the weather is backwards and the land is upside down...it's now solidly spring.

It's also solidly rising in temperature. And very soon we'll be in the grips of deepest summer.

With this in mind, I've stopped wearing most of my thicker/heavier felt hats. I've switched to flat caps and newsboys, and my Panama and Boater (wore my boater for the first time since before winter, today, and got quite a few compliments by folks in the streets!).

Aaaaanyhoo.

Some of the local shops (military surplus and local hat-shops) have started stocking pith helmets. The local hat shop has some, but they're the really cheap paper-straw 'Made in China' type. I'm not about to buy something that's going to turn into papier mache in the rain.

So I went to a military surplus shop a few blocks away, and they had a wider selection of pith helmets for sale. In the same price-range, and by the looks of it, much better quality. So, I want to buy one.

They had them in white, and khaki. Both the more helmet-y 'military' style with the peaked front and sloped rear brims, and the more civilian-style with a more uniform, all-around shape. I think that's the type I want.

The hats were marked "MADE IN VIETNAM".

What I want to know is (and the guy at the shop wasn't sure, which is why I'm here)...

What would these hats be made of? Cork? Pith? What is the material (fabric) which covers these hats on top? Would you consider these modern ones to be decent quality? Will they stand up to regular use and survive a deluge, should it happen to rain?

The prices ranged from about $40-$70. The type I wanted is $40 (not just based in price, I actually DO like the shape more than the other type).

Are these hats made of PITH or CORK? Is cork as good as pith? Will they both have the same properties and qualities? Will they both do the same thing? By that, I mean that I read you can dunk/soak/wet a pith-helmet (exterior only), dump it on your head and it'll keep you cool through evaporative cooling. Is it safe to do this with both types of helmet (pith & cork)? Or only one and not the other?

For that kind of money, what sort of materials would these Viet-made hats be made of?

(The 'Made in China' straw-paper ones were $45! I'm not spending MORE for lesser quality!!).

And one last question - Does anyone here who actually owns a pith (I assume so since this thread is 70+ pages long), wear them in public during the summer? What sorts of reactions do you get?

Other shops in the area selling these helmets are made of cork and are about $20. The military surplus store I went to is selling them starting at $40. The hat shop I visited have just the cheap MiC ones ($45, which I'm certainly NOT buying).

If there's no difference between Cork and Pith, then I'm tempted to buy the cheaper $20 one at one of our more popular military surplus stores.

If pith is significantly better than cork, then I don't mind spending a bit more to buy the $40 one in town.

Sorry for such a long, rambling post!!

The ones I get from Asia are Pith - Typically Vietnam are Pith ( but without seeing the hat you are looking at I cannot say for sure) , highly unlikely would be cork as Pith was introduced historically as shipping cork from Europe was too expensive - so a local alternative Pith was used.

It may be the same material but merely different prices, or styles, some makers are more costly that others.

With my modern versions Cotton is usual covering on top, with a cardboard/paperboard material in between for smoothness. As such I would not dunk/soak a pith-helmet due to any interlining. But if you are willing to experiment happy to hear any results !

Use - longevity depends on how often you use them and the maker. too open a question.

I own a quite a few - worn in Summer and typically at Polo Events as a social headgear. People often interested in them.

Water resistance - you can always cover the cloth with water resistant sprays. I understand that in history that the marines may have used a diluted mixture of paint.

The Jaunty Hat from CP Mills http://www.militaryorphanpress.com/ has a lot of history

 

[Topper]

I am presently doing a stock clearance on Pith Helmets. Whilst stocks last, UK orders only, and only on selected items. See http://www.ascot-tophats.co.uk/pith-helmet-bulkx5

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

I noticed that Christopher Clarke antiques have some new artwork for sale and perfect to keep this thread going.


Photographs from the Kings Emperor’s Indian Durbar Tour 1911-1912.

Would I just to love to travel like this! (With Renault and Old Sarge along for the ride! )

 

[johnnycanuck]

Fantastic photos. One I would love is the Bombay bowler. Like the one Connery and Cane wore in the man who would be king.
Johnny

 

[RJR]

I noticed that Christopher Clarke antiques have some new artwork for sale and perfect to keep this thread going.


Photographs from the Kings Emperor’s Indian Durbar Tour 1911-1912.

View attachment 47962

View attachment 47963

View attachment 47964

View attachment 47965

Would I just to love to travel like this! (With Renault and Old Sarge along for the ride! )

Great pics!