Now Forming! the Campaign Hat Corps

[Kodiak]

Well... since deanglen told me my pic didn't come through, here it is again:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/DSC_0363.jpg

Maybe just the link will work better. If not, let me know.

 

[deanglen]

Well... since deanglen told me my pic didn't come through, here it is again:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/DSC_0363.jpg

Maybe just the link will work better. If not, let me know.

Well I did find this:

But I'm not sure this is what you had in mindlol Go ahed and PM the picture and I'll put it up for you.

dean

 

[Mojave Jack]

Hey, I want in! For now I can just offer my avatar pic. It's an Aussie slouch, but has served me well so far.

 

[deanglen]

Hey, I want in! For now I can just offer my avatar pic. It's an Aussie slouch, but has served me well so far.

MJ, you are so-o-o- in! Aussies have great campaign covers! (BTW did the ribbon show up yet?)

dean

 

[Mojave Jack]

Not yet, but I sure am looking forward to it!

 

[deanglen]

Not yet, but I sure am looking forward to it!

It went out Monday. I would have expected it yesterday, but it was First Class not Priority. That's probably it, I hope.

dean

 

[Mark G]

Maybe I can be in MJ's brigade.

 

[Pat_H]

MJ, you are so-o-o- in! Aussies have great campaign covers! (BTW did the ribbon show up yet?)

dean

I was looking on Akuba's website the other day and noted that they sell an Akuba Australian slouch hat. That is, they sell the Australian military campaign hat, or at least they market a hat as being that.

I wonder if that's just a collectors item, or a private purchase item for those Australian units that still wear that hat as a dress item?

 

[Pat_H]

Maybe I can be in MJ's brigade.

That's a nice one!

 

[deanglen]

Maybe I can be in MJ's brigade./QUOTE]

You're in! Waltzing Matilda and all!

dean

 

[Kodiak]

Maybe I can be in MJ's brigade.

You're in! Waltzing Matilda and all!

dean

Hey! Me too! That's the same hat I tried to post a pic of earlier. Mine's one of those Akubras you were talking about Pat_H. They are for anybody to purchase. If you want to put down the bucks, one can become your very own!

I vote Mojave for Colonel, and would like to nominate myself as first lieutenant. Any objections? lol

 

[deanglen]

Hey! Me too! That's the same hat I tried to post a pic of earlier. Mine's one of those Akubras you were talking about Pat_H. They are for anybody to purchase. If you want to put down the bucks, one can become your very own!

I vote Mojave for Colonel, and would like to nominate myself as first lieutenant. Any objections? lol

You're commissioned! Welcome to the Corps, and g'day as a member of the digger regiment.

dean

 

[Mojave Jack]

Hey! Me too! That's the same hat I tried to post a pic of earlier. Mine's one of those Akubras you were talking about Pat_H. They are for anybody to purchase. If you want to put down the bucks, one can become your very own!

I vote Mojave for Colonel, and would like to nominate myself as first lieutenant. Any objections? lol

Thanks for the vote of confidence, my friend! But I would have to cast my vote for Dean or Mark for their superb hat making skills. Mark gets an extra vote for his real world safari experience, and Mike K. both his own excellent hat skills and safari experience. I'm a novice in both those arenas!

 

[up196]

Campaign hat specs, 1883 and 1889

From the Eureka Arsenal website, good info andf links:

http://www.eureka-arsenal.com/

M1883 Campaign Hats

Fur Campaign Hats Specification No. 98


Mixture.—To be composed of two-thirds best coney and one third fine blown nutria.

Weight.—Hat bodies to be weighed 4 ¾ ounces heavy.

Shape.—Block to be 5 ¾ inches deep to center of tip.

Brim.—To be 2 ¾ inches wide in front and rear, and three (3) inches wide at sides; to be of double thickness, and to have two rows of stitching as shown on sample.

Color.—To be drab or other suitable color, as per sample.

Trimmings.—To be trimmed with 8-ligne union band—same quality as on sample hat—to be sewed on by hand. Sweat to be of imported lined leather, 2 ¼ inches wide, sewed to the reed by zigzag stitch. A wire-gauze ventilator to be on each side of the hat, 3 ½ inches from brim—to be the size as on sample hat.
The hats to be doe-finished, as per sample.
To be packed three hats in each box.

Adopted December 14, 1883.


M1889 Campaign Hats

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Quartermaster General’s Office

Specifications for Fur Campaign Hats.

Mixture.—To be composed of fur in the following proportions and kinds, for twenty-four (24) dozen hats: Fifteen (15) pounds Y. C. Ex. Ex. coney; thirty (30) pounds Y. C. No. 1 coney; sixteen (16) pounds W. C. No. 1 coney; twelve (12) pounds W. C. mottled coney; five (5) pounds W. C. hare’s bellies; ten pounds blown nutria; ten (10) pounds American rabbit.

Weight.—Hat bodies to be weighed, four and three-fourths (4 ¾) ounces heavy.

Shape.—Block to be five and three-fourths (5 ¾) inches deep to center of tip.

Brim.—To be two and three-fourths (2 ¾) inches wide in front and rear, and three (3) inches at sides; and to have three rows of stitching on edge.

Color.—To be drab, shade of standard sample.

Trimmings.—To be trimmed with eight-ligne union band, same quality and style as on hat, to be sewed on by hand. Sweat to be an imported lined leather, two and one-forth (2 ¼) inches wide, sewed to the reed by zigzag stitch. Each side of hat to have an opening for ventilation consisting of small punched holes of size, and arranged in design, as on standard sample hat; the center of design to be about three and one-quarter (3 ¼) inches from brim.
The hats to be doe-finished, as per sample.
To be packed three hats in each band-box.

Adopted February 8 1889, in lieu of specifications of December 14, 1883, which are hereby canceled.

S. B. HOLABIRD,
Quartermaster General, U. S. A.

 

[Kodiak]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, my friend! But I would have to cast my vote for Dean or Mark for their superb hat making skills. Mark gets an extra vote for his real world safari experience, and Mike K. both his own excellent hat skills and safari experience. I'm a novice in both those arenas!

Ahh... perhaps I was misunderstood. Sorry to knock you down a notch, but I was thinking more along the lines of Col. Mojave, head of the Digger Regiment. I already figured everyone knew that Dean was General by default. I mean... heck... he started this thread!

 

[deanglen]

Most appropriately, I should be a Captain, my father said most chaplains were Captains when he was in the army in 1954-1956. I consider myself a recruiter, and Corps chaplain, I think Mojave would be my vote for Acting Commandant of the Corps, ably assisted by Kodiak as his Lt. BTW, up196, your link to the Eureka Arsenal with hat specs was great. Loved the reenactment links, too. Not many groups, not much interest in the period. Too bad.

dean

 

[Joel Tunnah]

Weight.—Hat bodies to be weighed, four and three-fourths (4 ¾) ounces heavy.
Shape.—Block to be five and three-fourths (5 ¾) inches deep to center of tip.
Brim.—To be two and three-fourths (2 ¾) inches wide in front and rear, and three (3) inches at sides; and to have three rows of stitching on edge.
Trimmings.—To be trimmed with eight-ligne union band.

Wow, it doesn't get more specific than that. So, now we know: 5 3/4" crown, 8 ligne band (between 5/8 and 3/4"??), and a dimensional cut brim!

 

[deanglen]

Does any 1883-1889 reproduction have the dimensional brim? I'd strongly doubt it. 1/4" variance, and the wide parts are on the sides. And why didn't they just specify a 6" crown/ 5 3/4"? Cost? And how do you calulate "ligne" (lines) into ribbon sizes we have today? [huh] Great info, some of which I've seen at the SMH site:

http://www.militaryhorse.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7091

I think I can tell that this brim is dimensional:

dean

 

[Joel Tunnah]

It's 11.4 lignes to the inch roughly, if I'm not mistaken.

And Dean, the spec stated the wide part (3") at the sides. That pic looks like a dimensional brim to me.

 

[Mark G]

I could see the 5 3/4" crown, a lot of hats had that, but I can't figure out why they would have the difference in brim width. What would the value in that be?