Not exactly Traditional Campaign Hat

[1961MJS]

Hi

I want to get a non-traditional Campaign hat. In short, I don't want to go with an Olive Montana Peaked hat with a completely flat brim because I already have one. I don't plan on wearing this hat every day, therefore I don't want to blow the bucks to have Hatman Jack to make me a 50% beaver one ($500), or even go by the Beaver brand factory and try that ($300). I have two options, the first is a Stratton in Tan (3 inch brim). A second option appears to be buying an Akubra Sombrero (4 and a half inch brim with a 6 inch crown).

I'm looking at something on the order of a 4 inch brim with a normal Montana Peak crown of 5.5 inches or more. I measured the Stratton I have and it's 5.5 inch crown and 3 inch brim. These are something like the style I'm after:

Possibly with a brim shape like:

I'm having a problem uploading the two pictures, but a link to the page they're on is:

http://www.northvalleyhatco.com/oldwest.html

I have a couple of questions about the Akubra Sombrero. How much does the crown taper? I'd like to have a fairly wide (1.5 inches) ribbon. From visiting with Hatman Jack, I know that a hat with a lot of taper doesn't allow for a wide Ribbon. How stiff is the felt on an Akubra?

I'm looking at a Whiskey colored Campaign hat at the darkest, and a beige one at the lightest. I plan on a dark brown, Olive (to match the Centennial Scout uniform) or Deep Maroon 1.5 inch wide ribbon with a two loop bow. I also plan on a trimmed Pencil curl brim if I get the Akubra.

It appears that the Stratton will work, and I can get one for around $100.00 in Kansas City. Binding the brim and adding a new ribbon will be another $30 or so. I'd rather have the Akubra Sombrero if it the taper is right and if it's stiff enough. The brim on the Stratton isn't wide enough to do a pencil curl.

So, how much taper does an Akubra have? Can I put a 1.5 inch ribbon on it?

How stiff is the Akubra? The Stratton's are stiff as a board seem to be very thick felt.

Thanks

 

[hatophile]

Hi Mike,

I honestly don't have any experience with the Akubra sombrero... On the other hand, I do have 3 Campdrafts. One option is to get a campdraft in
tawny fawn, add a wide ribbon, and crease it in the Montana peak style. The brim would already be bound, but the width would be a little smaller at about 2 7/8 than the 3 inches of the Stratton. The brim is also stiff, yet pliable enough to apply a pencil curl. I think the crown height would work also.

Just a thought. I really like the Campdrafts, and find them to be sturdy, versatile hats.

 

[AlterEgo]

Interesting the topic of this hat should come up today, for just last night I was thumbing through my long-ago deceased grandfather's old (copyright 1920) World Book Encyclopaedia and perused the pictures of campaign hats atop the heads of WW I U.S. soldiers.

That was the standard-issue hat in those days, so there were lots of photos, some quite good close-ups, and from every conceivable angle. These campaign hats were noticeably different from the modern Smoky-the Bear/Royal Canadian Mounted Police/Drill Sargent hats I'm familiar with.

First, they appeared to be much softer and more pliable than the super-stiff campaigns I know, and, second, the brims did not seem quite so wide as later iterations. Perhaps they were softened by the rough-and-tumble of war, and maybe it was just my perception that made the brims look narrower, but I really don't think so.

Any Army hat experts here who know for sure?

 

[Trotsky]

If you want a grey Stratton cheap, I have one in 7 3/8 for $20 shipped.

I bought it thinking it would work for me, but it doesn't look right on my head. I can't do much of anything with it to make it work, so I want to get of the damn thing!

I was thinking of replacing it with a Kiwi Lemon Squeezer Slouch from What Price Glory, smaller brim would most likely work well for me.

 

[1961MJS]

If you want a grey Stratton cheap, I have one in 7 3/8 for $20 shipped.

I bought it thinking it would work for me, but it doesn't look right on my head. I can't do much of anything with it to make it work, so I want to get of the damn thing!

I was thinking of replacing it with a Kiwi Lemon Squeezer Slouch from What Price Glory, smaller brim would most likely work well for me.

Hi

If that puppy was Tan, I'd have already sweat through it at least once. I have an olive green one and turned both the front and back of the brim down an inch so it looks less formal.

The Campdraft brim is too small for what I'm after. Considering the $120 plus for a Sombrero, I'm considering a Jaxonbilt for $165 plus $20 shipping.

Thanks guys

 

[hatophile]

Hey Mike,

How about some photos when you get this creation?

 

[1961MJS]

Well, given my original post WITH NO PICTURES :rage: that may be problematic. I won't give up though. I posted the two pictures on my myYahoo page, but when I right clicked on them as defined in the directions nothing happened. In theory, I also have cox.net places to store things, but I haven't ever used them before. I'll email and ask about that when I get home. I don't have facebook or myspace, and I also had trouble posting the pics from my hard drive.

I just returned from Hatman Jack's where a very nice lady blocked as C bash on a new 6 inch crown 3 inch brim Sunbody Fedora. It's getting a really great 1.5 inch bow on it in a VERY VERY deep maroon. When I get the non-traditional Campaign hat, that color is almost certainly the ribbon choice.

Later

 

[Mid-fogey]

If you...

...want a campaign hat that isn't OD, look on-line they make them in many colors for rangers, state troopers, etc. They come in fur felt, wool, and straw.

 

[hatophile]

Well, given my original post WITH NO PICTURES :rage: that may be problematic. I won't give up though. I posted the two pictures on my myYahoo page, but when I right clicked on them as defined in the directions nothing happened. In theory, I also have cox.net places to store things, but I haven't ever used them before. I'll email and ask about that when I get home. I don't have facebook or myspace, and I also had trouble posting the pics from my hard drive.

I just returned from Hatman Jack's where a very nice lady blocked as C bash on a new 6 inch crown 3 inch brim Sunbody Fedora. It's getting a really great 1.5 inch bow on it in a VERY VERY deep maroon. When I get the non-traditional Campaign hat, that color is almost certainly the ribbon choice.

Later

Something must have worked, because the pics are up now. I had trouble myself in the beginning. Would like to see what you end up with, I like campaign hat styles.

 

[scottyrocks]

I need a little clarity. The the hat in the top two pictures look like what Ive always heard referred to as a 'mountie' hat. The white one underneath has become known as a 'Gus,' after the character in Lonesome Dove.

I realize that the Gus style was around before Lonesome Dove, but why are these two differently bashed western hats both referred to as 'campaign' hats? Thanks muchly in advance.

 

[hatophile]

Hi Scotty,

I am certainly not an expert here, but this is my understanding of the hat as described by Mike. The campaign hat as we now know it began life as crease or bash used by cowboys in the late 1800's. The bash appears as it does in the first picture, as 4 dents, resulting in front and back pinches, and a peak at the top of the crown, called the "montana peak" crease.

Early campaign hats on the other hand, from the Indian wars to Spanish-American war were wide brim slouch type hats, usually with a deep center crease and side dents.

Somewhere about the time of the First World War, the hat used by service men morphed into the stiff brim, Montana peak crease now seen used by
drill sergeants, boy scouts, and many state highway patrolmen.

The "mountie" crease is actually modelled after the Canadian Force, which is also a stiff wide brim hat, but the dents are fore and aft, and on the sides.

The second hat shown is indeed a Gus or Tom horn crease, I think Mike was using that as an example of how he wanted to shape the brim.

There are some threads throughout the forum which talk about both campaign hats and different creases, although they may be long buried by now.

 

[1961MJS]

Something must have worked, because the pics are up now. I had trouble myself in the beginning. Would like to see what you end up with, I like campaign hat styles.

Hi

I was able to edit my post and was also able to find where I have space on Cox Communications. I'd never used it before in 12 years.

Later

 

[1961MJS]

Hi Scotty,

I am certainly not an expert here, but this is my understanding of the hat as described by Mike. The campaign hat as we now know it began life as crease or bash used by cowboys in the late 1800's. The bash appears as it does in the first picture, as 4 dents, resulting in front and back pinches, and a peak at the top of the crown, called the "montana peak" crease.

Early campaign hats on the other hand, from the Indian wars to Spanish-American war were wide brim slouch type hats, usually with a deep center crease and side dents.

Somewhere about the time of the First World War, the hat used by service men morphed into the stiff brim, Montana peak crease now seen used by
drill sergeants, boy scouts, and many state highway patrolmen.

The "mountie" crease is actually modelled after the Canadian Force, which is also a stiff wide brim hat, but the dents are fore and aft, and on the sides.

The second hat shown is indeed a Gus or Tom horn crease, I think Mike was using that as an example of how he wanted to shape the brim.

There are some threads throughout the forum which talk about both campaign hats and different creases, although they may be long buried by now.

Hi

I'm a Scout leader, and am looking at a Montana Peaked hat, not in Olive drab. Other than that, I own a Stratton, which has a 3 inch brim and a 5.5 inch crown. I'd like a 6 inch crown, my head hits the four peaks. I'd also like to get a slightly larger, brim and curl it a little. I may also get the original Spanish American war Campaign hat, they look pretty good, but that's a far future idea. I have a Gus Sunbody that I sat on, but at least it was 5 years old.

Mike

 

[hatophile]

Hi Mike,

I have always liked the look of the campaign style hat, I actually have a Mountie creased hat in silverbelly made by a hatter in Cody, Wyoming. It has about a 4 1/2- 5 inch crown, and 2 3//4 brim, much like an open road, but with a wide ribbon. The size looks OK on me since I'm a smaller stature.

I like the looks of the hats you're looking at and think something like that would make a nice "alternative" to the traditional scout hat, especially in a different color, and with a bound brim.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[hatophile]

By the way, I'm having trouble with my iPhoto transferring images right now, when I get that fixed, I will try to post a picture of above described hat.

 

[scottyrocks]

Hi Scotty,

I think Mike was using that as an example of how he wanted to shape the brim.

Yes, I believe youre right. I musta missed this:

<< Possibly with a brim shape like: >>

Thanks muchly.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I have a couple of questions about which quality of hat to get, and possible hatters. I plan on wearing the hat a lot, mostly outdoors. I wore my $65 WPG Bush hat in a downpour last weekend, and it turned into a shapeless blob in about 3 minutes. (I got it dried out and shaped again). How much beaver fur do I need to have a decent hat. I have trouble buying a $400.00 hat to wear in the woods.

Jaxonbilt:

5X Genuine fur felt (Beaver blend) $165.00
10X 50% Pure Beaver $265.00
50X 100% Pure Beaver $365.00

Beaver Brand has somewhat higher prices, but for different amounts of beaver fur. Their pure beaver fur is over $400.00. On the other hand, Beaver brand is on the way to my parent's house in Illinois.

What fur quality do I need to get? The Jaxonbilt 5x is a NICE price, but will it last well enough?

Thanks

 

[007]

The Akubra Sombrero isn't really suitable for your project. It has a dimensional brim with a deep curl to it. The Akubra Overseer would work well though. Thanks for the link to the North Valley Hat Co.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

I received my hat in early March, but forgot to post here. I ended up with a 50% beaver from Roy Jackson. I wear it a lot, mainly at the gun range. I haven't been on a campout since January 2011 (only got down to 20 degrees F).

6 inch crown, 4 inch brim, undyed Natural felt with a field brown ribbon.

Later

 

[hatophile]

Hi

I received my hat in early March, but forgot to post here. I ended up with a 50% beaver from Roy Jackson. I wear it a lot, mainly at the gun range. I haven't been on a campout since January 2011 (only got down to 20 degrees F).

6 inch crown, 4 inch brim, undyed Natural felt with a field brown ribbon.

Later

Shame on you for not posting this sooner, Very nice looking hat. Hope you can wear it camping soon.