First piece of headgear?

[DJCasey]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Technically, my first hat was was a Chicago Cubs cap that I pinned down the front onto the visor to make it fold down like a forage cap and cover the red "C." This was running around the neighborhood as an 8 year old playing Civil War with my friends. My first reenacting hat was a horrible black felt slouch hat with a bendable wire in the brim and an ostrich plume. I wore it to an event or two when a guy in my unit had enough and gave me an old, but quality hardee. Its still a mainstay and I have had it for 11 years.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Gents-
Mine was a pure wool, all black Citadel cadet uniform "Fatigue Kepi" with SC Militia buttons. It was issued by The Citadel's Palmetto Battery reenacting group for Lexington, SC's reenactment in 1997 (which is no longer held).

See you at Outpost! -Johnny

[WestTN_reb]

Re: First piece of headgear?

A Winchester Hat from Dixie Gun Works. Got it on special for $20, IIRC almost 7 years ago. Still have it sitting in the entertainment center at home, only now it looks like one of those "shapeless hillbilly hat blanks".

[pipthelimey]

Here you go

Here is the wunderbar first uniform I had at age 8, courtesy of that idiot "WIldman" in downtown Kennesaw, GA. No idea on what it was.

[thad gallagher]

Re: First piece of headgear?

A good old Jarnigan forage cap for the 125th's. It was wool, and had a leather brim, neither of which were the correct type.

[ephraim_zook]

Re: First piece of headgear?

My first was a kepi handmade by a guy in my unit; he gave it to me to get me started. It had a very small disc on top, and although it was not a pillbox and it had a brim, for no particular reason it made me think of a hat an organ-grinder's monkey might wear. I bought a new sutler's row forage cap at my earliest convenience, then moved on up from there.

Ron Myzie

[unclefrank]

Re: First piece of headgear?

A Fall Creek black "slouch hat" that came with the Union private special. The outfit consisted of the hat, pants, and a heavy purple Barney jacket thick enough to stop an arrow. At the first rain, the hat turned into a shapeless mass that a poor hillbilly would refuse to wear, and the pants fell apart after one season. The jacket I gave to a young lady friend. It didn't look too bad on her. :tounge_sm

[oldsecesh]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Mine was an grey jean kepi with a red service band, made by Mick Bradley, back in 1981. Mick used to be out in California, and later moved somewhere in the mid west.

[Arthur Stone]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Bud,
The frist real cap I bought was from you! It was that great looking kepi made by J.J. Newberry. I've gottin a lot of complements on that cap. I only wear it when I do gigs with the 69th N.Y. The only thing I regret is that we didn't know each other at the time, maybe I could have gottin a discount! :D

Your Pard,
Art

[pvtbordonaro]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Bud,
My first 19th century cap was a felt blue kepi that came as part of a cavalry outfit that I got for Christmas when I was seven! I even got my mom to sew yellow stripes on my blue jeans! That cap was probably about as authentic as the first reenacting cap I got when I got into the hobby from a mainstream sutler :)
-Joe Bordonaro

[clconboy]

Re: First piece of headgear?

my first was one of the "depot" hats that lasted about a year when i bought a starbuck which i just sold to a friend for his first hat.

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Re: First piece of headgear?

my first was one of the "depot" hats that lasted about a year when i bought a starbuck which i just sold to a friend for his first hat.

Hey, who knows.....Maybe that friend will chime in with... "the rest of the story"...

:thumbs_up

[tomp40]

Re: First piece of headgear?

My first was the felt souvenir cap bought for me by my grandpa at Gettysburg around 1977-78.. Being from NJ I got the federal version. I credit the man with giving me a lifelong interest in the Civil War..

tom ragno

[BigRonFH]

Re: First piece of headgear?

I can remember my first hat was the blue felt kepi with the vinyl visor & strap. It had the crossed rifles and the Union shield sticker (which, even as a child, I knew was wrong and quickly peeled off!). I think I wore that thing everywhere until it just gave up the ghost and crumbled to pieces. Looking back, that was when it probably looked the most authentic!

Ron Hopkins
Unity Lodge #130

PS:... those things are STILL around! I saw a couple of kids wearing 'em at Fortesque, Mo last weekend!!!!! The shame...the shame....

[DJCasey]

Re: First piece of headgear?

PS:... those things are STILL around! I saw a couple of kids wearing 'em at Fortesque, Mo last weekend!!!!! The shame...the shame....

It's not too much of a shame if kids are still running around with those hats on. Obviously it was the first step for many people on this board!