Giant Pith Helmet Thread of Doom

[BellyTank]

Some day soon...

...when the weather demands, (and a suitable backdrop permits)I shall shoot myself, in the photographic sense,
clad in some tropical attire.

I promise.

B
T

 

[Nick Charles]

press

 

[dhermann1]

My Pith Helmet

I bought this pith helmet last summer at a little shop in Vienna, VA called Ranger Surplus. It's made in Vietnam. It's very nicely made, as you can see, with an adjustable headband with Velcro. I love it insanely, but haven't had the nerve to wear it except once, to a play rehearsal at our little theater on the beach at Ft Tilden. I strolled up and down the sand doing my British Army march step.
You can almost see the "Made in Vietnam" label in the back behind the headband. It cost me a big fat $30.
Anyhow, for what it's worth, here's my pith helmet!

 

[Mojave Jack]

That looks pretty cool, Cookie! It's paper?! Is that like a Milan?

I have a fiber WWII type helmet, a French style repro, and one of the seagrass types, but can't seem to get up the nerve to wear any of them. I'm closest to wearing the fiber one, and in fact I promised a friend at work, Chuck, that was wearing his that I'd wear mine, too. Then he stopped wearing his. The Marine Corps primary marksmanship instructors still wear them, and they seem to think that it is their headgear. Chuck is a retired Navy officer, and had put the Navy officer insignia on the front. The Navy has just as long a tradition of wearing those helmets as the Marine Corps, but he got a couple comments from some PMIs about wearing it. He's not very confrontational, so he just decided not to wear it anymore. He looked pretty sharp in it, too, and I was looking forward to wearing mine...with my Marine Corps insignia, of course, which probably really would have set off the PMIs!

 

[DanielJones]

Wow! That there is one interesting looking pith-helmet. Very fascinating!

Cheers!

Dan

 

[BellyTank]

Cool.

And the people who make this style make a few others as well, a French style and a later, British Wolseley helmet.
They're are good because of the fact that they are a pith helmet- a helmet made from pith and covered in cloth. Price is great too.
They're all over the internet.

Now you need to do away with the velcro and fashion your own custom sweatband.

Another Pith Helmet club member.

PS- I have one of these too.

B
T

 

[Speedster]

Pith Helmet Club or?

We have the:
- Borsalino Brotherhood
- Open Road Guild
- Stratoliner Society
- Brotherhood of the Thin Ribbon
- Campaign Hat Corps

How about an official one for the Pith Helmets?
- Pith Helmet Club (as suggested by BellyTank)
- The Pithiful Few
or any other suggestions or ideas?

 

[Thunderbolt]

Pith helmet

Where can I find a USAF Pith Helmet? I've searched the internet but no luck.

 

[jkingrph]

Try the Sportsman's Warehouse , Brigade Quartermaster, or Cheaper-than-dirt.com for on line sources. Sometimes the Army-Navy surplus stores have them

 

[dhermann1]

You might try RangerSurplus.com. I got a British style pith helmet at their store in Vienna Va last year. It's made in Vietnam. Quite nice. Their website doesn't show any pith helmets, but you might email them.

 

[Fredthecat]

What makes it a USAF pith helmet? As opposed to Army

I have a spare deadstock war surplus US Army issue pith helmet from Vietnam era I might part with to a good home. Tan colored, adjustable sweatband, vent holes, chin strap, with green underside.

Also have WWII German Africa Korps (3 types), several British and a few others but keeping them.

Very pithy

Fred

 

[BellyTank]

Thunderbolt-
do you mean the Blue one?
the fiber one?

B
T

 

[Fredthecat]

US Post Office used to also use blue fibre piths. Canadian post wears blue/grey straw fedoras, some are Biltmores.

US Army 1960s are tan fibre.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Wow a blue one?

I'm not too sure about the helmet's material as I've never seen one in person. All I know is that in the 50's and 60's they had pith helmets to go with their summer khakis. My uncle went through basic at San Antonio in the summer sometime in the 1960's and he was issued a pith helmet. I'm not sure if there is a difference between the AF's or Army's but they have the AF's insignia on the front of them, circled if enlisted, larger with no circle for commissioned. I just thought it would be an interesting item to have.

 

[green papaya]

Where can I find a USAF Pith Helmet? I've searched the internet but no luck.

http://www.ljmilitaria.com/headgear.htm

I found a Vietnam era US sun helmet , these are 1966 dated

unissued $40

this is probably the helmet your uncle was issued at Lackland AFB

you can add your own AF helmet badge insignia on the front , it has a hole for the screw back to fit into

heres one with a brass army insignia badge

 

[Thunderbolt]

Gee Whiz!

That's just what I'm looking for! I bet they were standard accrossed the DoD. That's swell! Thanks a lot!

 

[Fredthecat]

That's the same ones I have. 1960s khaki unissued marked: Helmet, sun, rigid fibre.

No badges. Grommet hole in front to add one.

I scored them about 15 years ago, handed them out to graduate student field crews. Silly but effective.

I do a lot of work in the desert.

They work great if you dip them in water. Like a Swamp cooler!

$25 if you want the extra.
Fred

 

[JEEP]

Pith helmet

I found this pith helmet dirt cheap at an online auction:

I have no idea about how old it is - but I suspect it to be of some age.

Unfortunally it is way too small for me - but it maks a nice display piece.

Close up of the label inside the helmet - yes, it is lined with christmas wrapping paper. Maybe the manufacturer thought it would have a cooling effect


/Jakob

 

[David Conwill]

Fascinating. It's not often you see civilian pith helmets. Mine, for example, is a beat-up old Navy model that I got at a gun show for $3.00. I do love it, though. It makes me wish I had a rotary mower so I could wear it while trimming the lawn (they don't work very well with ear protection).

I have a special affinity for pith helmets as I have a few pictures of my grandfather wearing one in Louisiana before The War.

-Dave

 

[dr greg]

old hat

I've had this one for about 30 years, and it's a bit tired but so would you be if you'd been around since 1941 and seen active service in Injah old chap.
It is lined with foil in a couple of layers as well as the layer that's fallen out over time, so as this was military issue, we can assume that's what they did for tropical kit.