Now Forming! the Campaign Hat Corps

[carter]

Those railroad tracks look *suspiciously* like USMC issue. When the hat shows up, if the bars have beveled edges, they are Army. If they are just straight edges with no bevels, then they are USMC/USN issue.
I could be mistaken, but I believe the Campaign Cover is strictly enlisted gear for USMC, so the bars would be an add-on.

The railroad tracks have a continuous diagonal line inscribed that rises to the right. There is a thin border that may be slightly beveled. They were punched through
the crown.
The hat is approximately the same color as pictured but I question it's authenticity. It is 100% wool and the black sweatband is a piece of garbage with Campaign the only discernible word on it. It is sewn in but feels like paper rather than leather. The only tag under the sweatband is gold with 7 1/2 WPL 5923 100% Wool below the size. The ribbon is 1 1/4" grosgrain OD Green. There are four grommets in the crown and two logitudinal grommets in the brim on the right and left center near the ribbon. There is no liner nor any manufacturer's mark. There is a sticker on the sweatband that reads "LOT/IJ".

I'm not sure what to do with this hat as I like the color and shape but not the material or the sweatband. Is this worth spending time and money on to replace the sweatband and get it cleaned up?

The cord with acorns that I posted is a dull golden color and in very good condition. It looks good on the hat. (Actually, the hat looks better under the cord.)

I purchased the item below from a BIN sale on Ebay today. Could/is this authentic as stated by the seller?

Thanks for lending your expertise.
Carter

 

[deelovely]

I will never, ever again use OFAS in a post as long as I live. Never ever.
dean

That is kinda sad. [huh] I think you should continue using it! Yes, some will ask but then once you explain.... they will then use it in their posts as well!

 

[deanglen]

That is kinda sad. [huh] I think you should continue using it! Yes, some will ask but then once you explain.... they will then use it in their posts as well!

S'okay, Dee, fear not, I was just being my usual droll self. I'm the droll that lives under the bridge.




dean

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

I don't care for the general use of the black beret either. Indeed, I really dislike the beret in American military use. It's a hat that has no function, as it doesn't even have the brim that a newsboy hat does. It just sits there on your head. I sort of understand why European armies adopted it, as it would have some utility in heavily wooded, fairly damp, regions, but the US Army serves in a lot of areas that don't meet that criteria.

Interestingly (at least for me ) enough, same generalization in the use of black berets happened in the Italian Army in the '70/'80s raising the same reactions.

Beret never was an italian military tradition; only italian tankers adopted balck berets during WWI for matter of praciticity and following the british exemple. Since then, black beret always meant "tankers".
Other troops wore some kind of kepis or, later, peaked or garrison caps; Bersaglieri and Alpini had, and thank God still have, their characteristic hats (they also have caharcteristic "fatigue cap": a rde fez for Bersaglieri and a wool mountain cap for Alpini).

After September '43 the legitimate Italian Army was the so-called "co-belligerant" one, i.e. the one that sided with the Allies, receiving British and American uniforms (as the major part of industries, including clothing ones, were in the North occupied by the Germans and their puppet Social Italian Republic):
his ended the tradition of the italian "grigioverde" (gray-green) replaced, as its still is, by "british" kaki (before then, italian troops wore kaki only in the colonies);
but on the other hand didn't begin a generalized use of berets, as, for some weird reason, berets were widely in use in the army of the RSI (Italian Social Republic) and new democratic army after the war didn't want to look like the fascists.

So beret were some kind of distinctive gear (black for tankers, green for special forces, red for paratroopers etc.) till the '80s, when they extended balck beret to "normal" infantry, artillery, cavalry etc.
Still can't figure why.

Now, they are trying to reconsidere the whole uniform concept, maybe returning to "gray-green" (someone suggest the idea behind that is to look more similar and "relatives" with French and Germans, in the perspective of building a real European army... which raises a lot of contrariety in italian generals, who are generally speaking more "american oriented" than "european enthusiasts").

Sorry for the off-topic!!

Ciao!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I'll ask, why?

It's a conversation starter, and conversation is what this forum is all about.

 

[carter]

S'okay, Dee, fear not, I was just being my usual droll self. I'm the droll that lives under the bridge. dean

That, my friend, is a real groaner. lol

 

[Pat_H]

The railroad tracks have a continuous diagonal line inscribed that rises to the right. There is a thin border that may be slightly beveled. They were punched through
the crown.
The hat is approximately the same color as pictured but I question it's authenticity. It is 100% wool and the black sweatband is a piece of garbage with Campaign the only discernible word on it. It is sewn in but feels like paper rather than leather. The only tag under the sweatband is gold with 7 1/2 WPL 5923 100% Wool below the size. The ribbon is 1 1/4" grosgrain OD Green. There are four grommets in the crown and two logitudinal grommets in the brim on the right and left center near the ribbon. There is no liner nor any manufacturer's mark. There is a sticker on the sweatband that reads "LOT/IJ".

I'm not sure what to do with this hat as I like the color and shape but not the material or the sweatband. Is this worth spending time and money on to replace the sweatband and get it cleaned up?

The cord with acorns that I posted is a dull golden color and in very good condition. It looks good on the hat. (Actually, the hat looks better under the cord.)

I purchased the item below from a BIN sale on Ebay today. Could/is this authentic as stated by the seller?

Thanks for lending your expertise.
Carter

I hate to say it, but I wonder if the hat isn't a latter day reproduction, based on your description. What's your opinion?

 

[carter]

I hate to say it, but I wonder if the hat isn't a latter day reproduction, based on your description. What's your opinion?

I honestly don't know. I've never seen a Campaign Hat in this rusty brown color and don't know what the ribbon and sweatband should look like as far as color is concerned.
The sweatband is machine sewn to the crown and could just be extremely old.
I'm hoping to find some information in the threads that will give me a better idea.

 

[Pat_H]

I honestly don't know. I've never seen a Campaign Hat in this rusty brown color and don't know what the ribbon and sweatband should look like as far as color is concerned.
The sweatband is machine sewn to the crown and could just be extremely old.
I'm hoping to find some information in the threads that will give me a better idea.

The inside band, in color and quality, looks incorrect for a per 45 campaign hat at least. I'm not an expert, and not that familiar witih post 45 hats, but I don't think this is a pre 45 hat.

 

[Fatdutchman]

I got this 3X Stetson the other day. Really attractive Taupe/gray sort of color. It's got a few critter bites here and there, mostly on the edge of the brim, but one right in the crown on the left side...I sanded it out to make it somewhat less noticeable. I could have fedoraized it, but I just didn't think it would turn out that great, SO, I did this instead....

I'm ready now to rescue Nell from the clutches of the evil Snidely Whiplash....

 

[RBH]

I'm ready now to rescue Nell from the clutches of the evil Snidely Whiplash....

And be grinning while you do it!
I like it... good job!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Dutchman, Very nice work, as usual!!! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[deanglen]

Still looking very symbolic! Great montana peak!






dean

 

[indycop]

I got this 3X Stetson the other day. Really attractive Taupe/gray sort of color. It's got a few critter bites here and there, mostly on the edge of the brim, but one right in the crown on the left side...I sanded it out to make it somewhat less noticeable. I could have fedoraized it, but I just didn't think it would turn out that great, SO, I did this instead....

I'm ready now to rescue Nell from the clutches of the evil Snidely Whiplash....

Looking very roughrider! :eusa_clap
Is that German in the frame in the background?

 

[carter]

Now that's waht I'm talkin' about!

I'm ready now to rescue Nell from the clutches of the evil Snidely Whiplash....

Oh Yeah! That's a terrific Montana Peak! Very nicely done. Another great job, Fatdutchman. I'd wear that in a heartbeat.

 

[Fatdutchman]

Looking very roughrider! :eusa_clap
Is that German in the frame in the background?

I did that a few years ago. My first real attempt to do a "Fraktur" picture. "Liebet den Herrn mit aller deiner Kraft" - "Love the Lord with all your might". It goes with all my other 18th century PA German stuff (and is good advice to boot )

 

[RBH]

I did that a few years ago. My first real attempt to do a "Fraktur" picture. "Liebet den Herrn mit aller deiner Kraft" - "Love the Lord with all your might". It goes with all my other 18th century PA German stuff (and is good advice to boot )

:eusa_clap

 

[indycop]

I did that a few years ago. My first real attempt to do a "Fraktur" picture. "Liebet den Herrn mit aller deiner Kraft" - "Love the Lord with all your might". It goes with all my other 18th century PA German stuff (and is good advice to boot )

Excellent! Das ist gut!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Pat_H]

I got this 3X Stetson the other day. Really attractive Taupe/gray sort of color. It's got a few critter bites here and there, mostly on the edge of the brim, but one right in the crown on the left side...I sanded it out to make it somewhat less noticeable. I could have fedoraized it, but I just didn't think it would turn out that great, SO, I did this instead....

I'm ready now to rescue Nell from the clutches of the evil Snidely Whiplash....

Excellent hat!

 

[David Conwill]

Last time I was home I looked for, but couldn't find, mine. It's nothing special, just a military surplus Drill Instructor's model that's a shade too small for me (probably 7 1/4 or 7 1/8) but it satisfied a long-held desire. I'd love to get a cavalry or field-artillery hat cord for it. Are these reproduced? Seems like a vintage one would look silly on my nearly new hat. Also, I've got to get the brim into a "cavalry curve" because right now it's bent up in the front so you can tip it way forward on your head and scream at people without getting spittle on the brim.

-Dave