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Hey its Vintage.....

pmclaine

pmclaine

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Nov 6, 2011
    34,932
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    MA
    So I have a hat fetish.....better than ball gags and rubber boots.

    7117623


    7117624


    7117625


    7117626


    Just my size.

    Brown hat strap is on wrong but its being brown is likely correct for the Pre WWII era.

    Company it came from looks to have went out of business in the 1950s so it is old.

    Unsure what branch of service the hat cord comes from but I doubt its USMC related.

    Ill be looking to buy a WWI era EGA to adorn the front of it.

    @MarinePMI


    saw this there......

    Minty....

    www.ebay.com

    Helmet, Sun U.S. Issue in 1942 Original Pith Helmet for North Africa Troops | eBay

    The surface is khaki cotton cloth. This was issued but never worn. is still new as when made in perfect condition. It has the classic chin strap. it is very large in size. the inside band is adjustable from very large to very small.
    www.ebay.com

    7117629



    Wore mine to the Fort Devens ranges earlier this minth when it was 90 plus degrees and all I could do was spot for others. It actually kept the heat of the sun off the crown of my head. Probably take it down the Cape this summer and let it be my boat hat when I rent a Whaler to rip around Pleasant Bay.

    EBAY has been tough on my wallet during my recuperation. With little to do but sit on the puter Ive been going deep in the auctions and finding neat stuff.

    One more purchase pending that Im reallly hoping for.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: sandwarrior, deltawiskey, Charlie112 and 3 others
    Dan M said:
    That is an Army Officer's hat cord... interwoven black and gold
    Click to expand...


    Thank you.

    Looks pretty well made.

    Most hat cords made these days have some shitty representations of Acorns.

    I was never and officer so I will only adorn it with a dismounted strap for wearing behind the nape of the skull.

    Original period USMC EGA appear available for the $100 range. Might be inclined to go repro at $18 to save some money.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: sandwarrior and Dan M
    Check out Miller Hats. They have some nice ones. Leaning towards a slouch or a Ft. Sill hat.

    pmclaine said:
    So I have a hat fetish.....better than ball gags and rubber boots.

    View attachment 7117623

    View attachment 7117624

    View attachment 7117625

    View attachment 7117626

    Just my size.

    Brown hat strap is on wrong but its being brown is likely correct for the Pre WWII era.

    Company it came from looks to have went out of business in the 1950s so it is old.

    Unsure what branch of service the hat cord comes from but I doubt its USMC related.

    Ill be looking to buy a WWI era EGA to adorn the front of it.

    @MarinePMI


    saw this there......

    Minty....

    www.ebay.com

    Helmet, Sun U.S. Issue in 1942 Original Pith Helmet for North Africa Troops | eBay

    The surface is khaki cotton cloth. This was issued but never worn. is still new as when made in perfect condition. It has the classic chin strap. it is very large in size. the inside band is adjustable from very large to very small.
    www.ebay.com

    View attachment 7117629


    Wore mine to the Fort Devens ranges earlier this minth when it was 90 plus degrees and all I could do was spot for others. It actually kept the heat of the sun off the crown of my head. Probably take it down the Cape this summer and let it be my boat hat when I rent a Whaler to rip around Pleasant Bay.

    EBAY has been tough on my wallet during my recuperation. With little to do but sit on the puter Ive been going deep in the auctions and finding neat stuff.

    One more purchase pending that Im reallly hoping for.
    Click to expand...
     
    Dougie308 said:
    Check out Miller Hats. They have some nice ones. Leaning towards a slouch or a Ft. Sill hat.
    Click to expand...

    Sweet looking hat shop.

    Nice thing about that place is they offer some better quality fur blend materials.

    I have a version of the campaign hat prior to the Montana Peaked 1911 style.

    M1899 or M1909 I think is the nomenclature. Its a center crease hat.

    Thing with Campaign hats in todays military is that the requirement for "Uniformity" ruins the usefulness of the cover.

    A mortar board flat DI campaign cover looks sweet but its pretty much useless if intended to protect you from the elements.

    These things need bends and folds in order to in the worst case - shed water.

    My M1899/1909 has bends at front rear and sides to shed water at the corners rather than straight down at whatever I dip my head to read/look at or down my back.

    There is a reason in the old pictures of troops wearing campaign hats everyone had a different style shape to their cover.

    Mortar board flat looks good on the parade ground but for the field be prepared to shape that hat to your personal preference.

    My campaign cover will have a turned up bow and stern that will shed water from the Montana Peak to port and starboard sides.
     
    Last edited:
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    My pre M1911 Campaign cover at the range with my no longer mine USMC M1903 with telescope rifle.....

    P5116326_zpscsi96i9i.jpg


    Bend that cocksucker to suit a purpose.

    How I intend to shape my Montana peak.....

    7118404


    A Stetson would not have been USMC issue. More private purchase for someone with Officer pay.

    The USMC Montana peaks differed from the Army covers.

    USMC had the felt material at the brim bent under and sewn to reinforce the edges of the brim.

    Looking at this good Sgts cover judging by the thickness of the brim edge he is wearing an issue USMC campaign cover of the WWI period. The other difference was only three vents on the USMC cover. Grommet in front for emblem and another port and starboard, none aft.

    Still though Marine supply sucking as it did likely many wore Army supply chain covers and Ill be styling with the Stetson stolen from an Army officer.
     
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    sandwarrior said:
    No longer yours???? Pain and misery, :eek: What happended?:unsure: Why did it go?:unsure:
    Click to expand...

    It was a great rifle. It shoots well. Another member on here bought it.

    I needed to clear some room in my safe and wanted to create a need for me to use a NOS pre war Springfield C stock I have on hand.

    I will look for an appropriate barreled receiver to build another one using that beautiful piece of 75 plus year old Springfield walnut I have.

    Shame to let that stock sit unused.
     
    pmclaine said:
    It was a great rifle. It shoots well. Another member on here bought it.

    I needed to clear some room in my safe and wanted to create a need for me to use a NOS pre war Springfield C stock I have on hand.

    I will look for an appropriate barreled receiver to build another one using that beautiful piece of 75 plus year old Springfield walnut I have.

    Shame to let that stock sit unused.
    Click to expand...
    No, No, No.....we let our guns spill out of the safe until the wife say's "Get rid of those or get another safe...(maybe not quite in those words, but you get my gist)." Then you get another safe! ?

    Added: Glad it went to another member here at least! ?
     
    Got my cover...

    As advertised excellent shape for a something no younger than the mid 50s Im guessing.

    This is the softest Felt blend hat I own. Its "luxurious" like a Borsellino dress hat.

    Like everything that undergoes aging there is some shrinkage. More like a 7-1/8 rather than the 7-1/4 I wanted.

    Been using my head as a hat stretcher though and it is fitting well enough.

    I used Pecard leather dressing to help soften the leather lining a little trying to get it back to its original size. The lining is in great shape. Be good to know who CHM was........

    P8038755.JPG


    P8038756.JPG


    The "Dismounted" hat strap was a little "burned" by verdigris where it spent the last who knows how many years in contact with the brass grommets....

    P8038749.JPG


    P8038750.JPG


    again Pecards antique leather dressing to the rescue.

    Im looking for a good "Bow and Aft" bow as the sarge above has. Unfortunately the shrinkage has made it such that the sides of the hat do a funky bend when on my skull. If the front and rear are flapped up the sides bow down. If I flip the front and rear down the sides lay pretty flat.

    Still got it in my "press" trying to get the shape Im looking for....

    P8038751.JPG


    The Ebay sourced WWII EGA. Plenty appropriate for this era "private purchase" campaign cover......

    P8038752.JPG


    Gravity will have the front and rear fall to be more in line with the pictured Sgts cover. Thinking Millners used to use "dope" or something to maintain a "blocking" on these felts. Anyone have any recipes that will allow me to get a good "wave trough" shape to this hat would be appreciated....

    P8038754.JPG
     

    Attachments

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    Some of the other specimens my wife has shelves of shoes.......I have hats.....

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    @buffalowinter

    Please PM me your address I want to send you something more in tune with your life choices and station in the service.
     
    sandwarrior said:
    Steam from a teapot and hot air hair blowdryer. That's how they block them in Western stores out west.
    Click to expand...

    Yep,

    Have steamed some of my other covers.

    Going to get this stretched out first than try that route.

    I wet the felt last night and let it dry to shape.

    My wife has a sweet clothes steamer that I think I can use to get the sides in shape and lock down the curl I'm looking for "bow and aft".

    My straw work campaign actually has the shape I'm looking for though having such at work is kind of not the norm.

    Norm is mortar board flat.

    For the most part I am uniform and go beyond to a degree disdaining "Corcoran Field Boots" we are issued for the earlier original style because I can spit shine the whole thing not just toe cap and heel.

    I'll maintain my salty field cover at work with its slight front and rear up turn.

    I had it in a press last week before attending a funeral but after getting caught in the rain it returned to the "fuck you" shape so I guess it was meant to be.
     
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    Hats never seem to stay exactly the way we want. They take on a life of their own, and we just share it with them.?...?
     
    sandwarrior said:
    Yeah! Cmon pmc! Get yo duds on?
    Click to expand...


    Mine would tend toward eagles and anchors no USA seal.

    I do wear a USMC P41 field blouse on occasion. It's patch pockets are great for dropping shit into and retrieving from.

    Old canvas leggings are fantastic in the wet and exceedingly fantastic in tick country when treated with permethrin.

    For the most part I buy what is old in new condition - solid wool field gear from Filson.
     
    VSP968 said:
    Don’t ask.....

    View attachment 7123912
    Click to expand...


    I think I still have an M60 model, motorized, with a midnight sun mounted above the barrel, a T34, perhaps a German 88 with crew, all up in the attic.

    I have an unfinished larger than 1/35 scale Model of a Tiger 1 up there.

    I was working on it when I went in the mil circa 1986.

    I had the hull and road wheels all done.

    While I was away my Mother threw that stuff out.

    All I have left is the box containing all the pieces for everything North of the tracks and some track pieces.

    I bought the kit at about $50 back than, I see now it's over a $100.
     
    Best thing going for hat blocking and right in my residence courtesy of the wife......

    image.jpg


    Made in the USA since 1940.

    The aroma of old emanated as I steamed my Stetson.
     
    Steaming the shit out of the brim has released the memories.

    My head smells like a 75 year old ash tray now.

    Id like to think of it as the aroma of camels unfiltered smoked in a pre WWII wooden barracks with ship lap siding and white paint.

    The hat was either worn outside for a smoke on warm nights while sitting on the steps or inside by the small potbelly stove in winter.
     
    Damn!

    Installed the brown one piece chinstrap.

    The "burning" was too deep.

    Lasted about a half hour behind the back of the head and snapped.

    Cue Prairie Flower Leather Company

    www.pflco.com

    Military Reproductions | United States | 308-728-7046

    Praire Flower Leather Co. expertly crafts WWI and WWII military reproductions on the machines that were originally used to make them.
    www.pflco.com www.pflco.com

    He sells a copy of the early brown leather chin strap.

    Just got off the phone with him, great to talk to, a one man shop. Very historically sensitive.

    He makes a great repro of both the USA and USMC campaign cover.

    In addition he makes a copy of the Pre WWI and Post WWI USMC EGA.

    He casts them himself in bronze using the lost wax method.

    Interesting story the CO of a unit with 4th Marines called him a few years ago and he cast 40 "Droop Wing" EGA like the 4th Marines would have worn in China Pre WWII.

    The Co wanted them as motivation boosters for guys that deserved reward.

    They were authorized to wear the "Droop Wing" EGA's and it was a coveted prize to earn.

    4th Marines is a tight unit.

    They lost their colors at Bataan.

    I think since their reactivation they have been trying to show the world they wont follow surrender orders ever again.
     
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