Giant Pith Helmet Thread of Doom

[Mr. Godfrey]

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

They are pretty cool Johnny!

 

[RJR]

They are pretty cool Johnny!

View attachment 47991

Cool pic.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

You are so right RJR.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Chillin in the yard today wearing my Wolseley for the first time. The plastics used to hold the sweat band on seems to have improved dramatically since my last one I got a decade ago. The old ones cracked off after years of use on both my French and Indian models.

I must say I miss my French style one. I am going to have to find a way to reattach the sweat band.
Johnny

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Lookin pretty cool there, Johnny!

 

[RJR]

Lookin pretty cool there, Johnny!

+1

 

[fireman]

My wife has told me to go ahead and buy a pith helmet...we were watching the Young Indiana Jones chronicles with the kids. As long as I can get it from Amazon. That probably means the one from IMA.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GL1ZRQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3I3BE71TORY04

but there is also this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MYB35K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1R76TRHABYAKA

Any thoughts of input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Redfokker]

My wife has told me to go ahead and buy a pith helmet...we were watching the Young Indiana Jones chronicles with the kids. As long as I can get it from Amazon. That probably means the one from IMA.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GL1ZRQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3I3BE71TORY04

but there is also this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MYB35K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1R76TRHABYAKA

Any thoughts of input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Shaka Zulu! An early colonial British and French Army style from mid to late 19th century. Cool! The term "pith" was commonly assigned to the construction of these tropical helmets. The later styles with much wider rounded brims carried on this common name. This helmet is the nexus of what most people think of a pith helmet today. I endorse the historic choice, you will stand out in a crowd. Be prepared to explain the history of this head gear to folks though.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

I think the first one may make your head feel warm as the leather inner will sit on your head while the other may be a sweatband type allowing a flow of air around the top of your head. The first may fit better though. I am sure you will enjoy the hat to you buy in the end. I have three pith helmets and enjoy each design.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Bagnold and fellow explorers

Thought I would share this great photo.

 

[fireman]

Mr Godfrey...thanks for the info. I still haven't pulled the trigger on this yet. I would really like to find one of the "Bombay Bowler" style ones but no one seems to carry one these days.

Great pic of Bagnold and his crew....I have his book and am just amazed and jealous of what those guys did and what they saw.

 

[fireman]

Like the outfit too .


View attachment 32587

Mr Godfrey.....I love that picture. Is it you? I'm not as up on my transitional Enfields as I should be. Is that Charger Loading Lee Enfield?

 

[johnnycanuck]

Closest I found to a Bombay bomber is the Indian style pith helmet. Here is one I would recommend.
http://www.villagehatshop.com/product/all/451139-6097/indian-pith-helmet-big-head-version.html
I would call them first and get the one with the suspension harness. Trust me, it's a lot more comfortable on hot summer days. If you wear a 7 3/8 or bigger defiantly get the "big head" version.
Johnny.
BTW I think they are all made in the same factory (Vietnam I think) so the vendor doesent really matter.

 

[fireman]

johnnyc....thanks for the tip. I will check it out.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Mr Godfrey.....I love that picture. Is it you? I'm not as up on my transitional Enfields as I should be. Is that Charger Loading Lee Enfield?

Sadly it is not I, I think it is one of Jim Hatzells photos (he has taken some cracking reenactment photos in the past, check out his website

http://www.fiddlersgreenstudio.com/index.htm

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Chillin in the yard today wearing my Wolseley for the first time. The plastics used to hold the sweat band on seems to have improved dramatically since my last one I got a decade ago. The old ones cracked off after years of use on both my French and Indian models.
I must say I miss my French style one. I am going to have to find a way to reattach the sweat band.
Johnny

Johnny did you ever find a way to reaacth the sweat band? The plasti behind the leather has shattered on one of mine and I need to replace it with a more firm plastics or look for a really stiff leather belt from a charity shop and try to make some worth of band.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Loved this chromolithograph Trade Card and thought it would fit this thread or the outdoors section.

 

[fireman]

Sadly it is not I, I think it is one of Jim Hatzells photos (he has taken some cracking reenactment photos in the past, check out his website

http://www.fiddlersgreenstudio.com/index.htm

Ahh yes. I am familiar with him. I have this bookmarked.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fiddlersgreenstudio/albums

 

[MisterCairo]

Perhaps a little out of the ordinary, but my daughter, 8, and nephew, 9, built this snowman and, wanting some headdress, chose the dress up pith helmut!

 

[johnnycanuck]

Johnny did you ever find a way to reaacth the sweat band? The plasti behind the leather has shattered on one of mine and I need to replace it with a more firm plastics or look for a really stiff leather belt from a charity shop and try to make some worth of band.

I kept the sweat band and just used weather stripping (the foam stuff you put behind the sweat band in your Akubra to snug it up) and glued it to the back of the sweat band and stuck it to the inside of the helmet. I put them equally spaced around the crown to still allow air flow thru the crown. Hope that helps.
Johnny