Now Forming! the Campaign Hat Corps

[SgtRick]

Campaign covers (Smokey the Bears for some)

I have a Stetson campaign cover I wore when I was on the Marine Corps Shooting Team in the 80's. I have it still and it is in a hat holder that keeps the brim flat. When I return hoem on R&R in July I will post pics of it if I am able to. So far I guess I dont meet the requirements. Show us pictures of yours, I would like to see them and any history it may have.

 

[Lefty]

 

[ÉIREGOBRÁCH1922]

Great pictures of Old School Marines
Thats me on leave with my dress blues. I was stationed at MACS Futenma Base USMC

Great photos. Campaign hats are my favourite hat.

 

[DNO]

I have a couple of old campaign hats. This one is from the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and was worn by a Canadian while serving with the Cape Town Highlanders. The inside of the hat is plain: no sweatband etc.

I've had this one for years. A very exciting find.

 

[DNO]

This is my other one. It has a first world war Canadian army badge on the front. It certainly wasn't an issue item but many soldiers picked up their own hats, sweaters etc., especially during the early days of the war. The leather sweatband is intact and is marked "Eaton's" in script. Eaton's was a large department store in Toronto at that time.

 

[Lone_Ranger]

Can anyone tell me if the current production Stratton F-40 Campaign Hat is a fur felt, or wool? I have an Army surplus DI hat in wool, but I’m pretty unimpressed with the quality, and I’m wondering what might be a reasonably priced equivalent in fur.

-Dave

The "F" is Stratton's way of designating a Felt hat. The "S" 40 would be the straw version of the same Hat.

 

[David Conwill]

The "F" is Stratton's way of designating a Felt hat. The "S" 40 would be the straw version of the same Hat.

Yeah, but that doesn't clarify if the felt is fur or wool. Thanks, though.

-Dave

 

[gtdean48]

Yeah, but that doesn't clarify if the felt is fur or wool. Thanks, though.

-Dave

At $124.60 retail, I doubt that is wool. Winchester Hat makes all the felt bodies for Stratton since they are owned by Stratton. These uniform hats are made to specs per the military to meet & exceed the "fade" tests. I remember Greg telling us that they mix in nutria for the uniform hats to make them tougher.
http://www.strattonhats.com/f40.html

 

[Harry Gooch]

US National Parks Service Hat Band

I really like the leather band on the USNPS felt campaign hat. I understand that it is illegal in the US to wear one of these bands unless you work for the service, so presumably they are difficult to come by. Do any of the US loungers know of suppliers that make similar bands. They don't have to say "USNPS" on them, its just the style I like, especially the way the leather thongs are wrapped to customize the fit.

Cheers,

Harry.

 

[Dinerman]

Not exactly, but close
http://www.wrtcleather.com/cl-hatbands/popup_hatband-001.html
http://oldwestholsters.com/old_west_products/accessories/hat_bands.html
http://www.wrtcleather.com/cl-hatbands/hatbands_main.shtml


Some Originals:

Info on the NPS hatbands

You'll also find similar bands on old BSA hats.

 

[Oldsarge]

Dinerman, you have made my day. Jim Green is going to get an order for a tooled hatband with sequoia cones and needles all around. What a wonderful band! And custom to your taste for $115? Soch ha deel!

 

[Harry Gooch]

Dinerman, you have made my day. Jim Green is going to get an order for a tooled hatband with sequoia cones and needles all around. What a wonderful band! And custom to your taste for $115? Soch ha deel!

What hat are you planning this band for, Sarge?

(And my thanks to Dinerman for the links.)

Harry.

 

[Oldsarge]

I have a Resistol 4X beaver that I bought on sale (or rather my wife bought on sale for me) that I took to a hatter and had reblocked to fit my long-to-extra-long oval head and rebashed into a Montana peak. I rarely wear it though now that I'm learning to fly fish, it may see more use on the Owens and up in the Sierra. The band in entirely inadequate, a measly little leather thong. Perhaps that's why I never wore it. With a new band I will feel much more confident about having it on my head. I was going to shoot a photo to post but the battery on the most available camera is dead so I will post it when the recharge is complete. :eusa_doh:

There, that's better!

 

[SgtRick]

My campaign cover is a Stetson, size 6 7/8. I have had it since 1985 when I first joined the Marine Corps Shooting Team at Quantico, Va. It was, and still is, the official head gear for the shooting teams. The black band is now brittle and broken but the hat is still in good shape for being 26 years old.

 

[Arizona]

Greetings All,
Here is my submission to the Corps, and my first post to the Lounge. It began life as one of those $25 souvenir hats one finds in western tourist stops (I just can't seem to resist a cheap buy, must be the Scot in me). My first step was to remove the silly concho hat band and replace it with a thong for a wind string.

Then I carefully cut the stitched brim edge and tossed out the wire rim support. Afterward I restitched the brim on a sewing machine. To reshape the hat I used the Tom Mix method: wearing it in the shower 'til it was pliable like clay (roughly 5 minutes under medium warm water). I pushed, pulled, rolled, and pinched it for an hour and a half while watching 'Secretariat'. After it had 24 hours to dry I put on 3 or 4 coats of Kahl, per the suggestions on the lounge.

I wanted the hat to be of practical use, as my plan is to use as my 'trail hat' as a cowboy would call it. Because it needs to be a very practical hat I thought long on the bash that would genuinely suit it. After going through all the great period photos on this thread, and watching the Rough riders film several times I decided on the front and back roll that Captain Capron used in the film. I was struck by the scene when Capron is in the prone position during the ambush at Las Guasimas and the brim of the hat was not interfering with his firing position.

 

[RBH]

Here are a few shots of some bands I made at the Majors shop last weekend.

 

[Oldsarge]

Very nice!

 

[Arizona]

Here are a few shots of some bands I made at the Majors shop last weekend.

Very nice. Those would be the sort of adjustable hat bands found on the early Scouting hats, yes?

 

[CoveredPate]

Here's another link to a custom leather hat band maker: http://www.madrileatherworks.com/custom-leather-accessories.htm

The leathersmith is Richard Madri and he has a Ranger style band that can be stamped, lettered, tooled, etc. If you're looking for something similar to the National Park Ranger Service bands, this is the place to go. Good luck!

 

[hatophile]

Very nice!

+1, sharp, RBH