First piece of headgear?

[Fenianboy]

Does anyone recall the first hat/cap they wore in the hobby.My first(which I still have)was a kepi sporting a patent lether brim and chinstrap and modern eagle buttons,purchased in 1961 for the princely sum of $5.We had gone the Log Cabin Sprts Shop in Lodi Ohio to check out an 1842 Musket selling for $95!!!Anyway it survived the Centennial and a couple College drunks! Bud

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Does anyone recall the first hat/cap they wore in the hobby.My first(which I still have)was a kepi sporting a patent lether brim and chinstrap and modern eagle buttons,purchased in 1961 for the princely sum of $5.We had gone the Log Cabin Sprts Shop in Lodi Ohio to check out an 1842 Musket selling for $95!!!Anyway it survived the Centennial and a couple College drunks! Bud

When I first started out in the hobby, I was a young civilian, and I wore a mechanics cap for my impression. This was back in 1983, by the way.

How about this..... When I was doing an authentic Federal military impression, I bought my first authentic hat in 1991, and that hat was, an "Army Hat", made by Artifakes. This weathered Hardee hat, is awesome.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Oh, the shame of it.... Mine was a confederate kepi made from gray polyester/wool blend with light blue band around the bottom (of same blend) and it came complete with an infantry horn with regimental number and company letter. You can top off the ensemble with some great post-war Florida buttons and you've got one horrendous cap!

[C.R. Henderson]

Re: First piece of headgear?

My first was a hand-me-down from my dad which was a black slouch which had turned brown from fading. He wore it through all the 125th anny. battles. I only wore it a few times before he made me get my own.

[Michael Comer]

Re: First piece of headgear?

My first chapeau was a blue melton kepi that Bob Serio helped me to make. That was back in about 1977 or 1978 in Little Rock. I would wear it as a captured officer's cap. I also had an old black cowboy hat that I had bent the brim all down into what was a really ugly slouch hat.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Hallo!

Does anyone recall the first hat/cap they wore in the hobby.My first(which I still have)was a kepi sporting a patent lether brim and chinstrap and modern eagle buttons,purchased in 1961 for the princely sum of $5.

Hallo!

Yes, I do...

It wasn't 1961, but I bought my first cap the same kepi with the patent leather (likely vinyl) visor at the Log Cabin Shop too...
Along with my first cartridge box, well actually a Navy Arms folded thin leather "cartridge envelope" and cap box.

(In my second year, I removed the internal stiffner, removed the visor and replace it with a leather one... and then purchased accoutrements from some new company called "C & D Jarnagin.)

Curt
A Walk Down Memory Land Mess

[tenfed1861]

Re: First piece of headgear?

A cheap sutler row kepi.

[DougCooper]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Joe Covais (New Columbia) federal forage cap. My 1sgt would not let me order from Jarnagin or QM shop. I owe him much.

[Chihuahua]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Pards,
My very first Civil War hat was bought at some souvenir shop near Manassas back in the early, early sixties. It was one of those pressed felt navy blue kepis with the crossed muskets and adhesive backed Union shields. Those things are still sold today! I defarbed it by removing the insignia and scratching off the shield (though a trace of the gummy residue remained).
I wore it proudly on many summer nights of skirmishing with the old neighborhood gang.
Mark Warren
Hairy Nation
Bloomfield, Iowa

[rkg]

Re: First piece of headgear?

I guess my first hat would also be the old souvenir shop one as well, but is was a reb one of course (couldn't get a yank hat, I was with my grandpa and his dad fought and wore the grey).
Those hats sure didn't stand up to a rain storm though:cry_smile. Got mine back in the early 60's as well.
Robert Gobtop
Ol Sipley Mess
ONV

[Dignann]

Re: First piece of headgear?

For me, it was a gray kepi made by Buffalo Enterprises of East Berlin, Penn. At my very first battle event (Kernstown 1982), it rained, the hat got soaked and shrank a couple sizes. Soon after that, I went with a butternut Jarnagin forage cap, with a yellow band around it and a turkey buzzard feather stuck to the side. Thank goodness folks like Bill Wickham, Tim Allen and Tim Bender came along.

Eric

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Hallo!

Thanks for the another stroll down Memory Lane!

Carole Roberson of Buffalo Enterprises... (but for 18th century items). Almost had her make up a Federal Navy kit when I was in a dismounted sailor mood Once Upon a Time. ;) :)

Curt

[pipthelimey]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Mine, (as an 8-yr old in a CWSA skirmishing unit) was an all-red cap built on forage cap lines, but with the kepi-type over crown folding. It was made sometime in the 1940's by looking at it. Actually a nice cap, and I still have it.

Now my first uniform was probably a military cadet's uniform from the 1890's or so. Don't know which school. The uniform was made from all wool, but it had faded to the range of an olive drab, so I don't know if that was intentional, or if it was a freaky natural dyejob. Matching shell jacket, military vest, and trousers that came up way too high. (in my 8 yr old opinion). The buttons on the vest were CW military vest buttons, and the buttons on the jacket were solid lead, made by pouring the lead into the shell of a Federal jacket button. You could see the eagle imprint fairly nicely. I will try and dig up some pictures of it if I can. Machine sewn buttonholes, but different from modern machine-sewn buttonholes.

[Rob]

Re: First piece of headgear?

It was a Confederate kepi purchased for me by my dad in 1961 from J.J. Newberry's in Manhasset (the "Miracle Mile" referred to in the Billy Joel song It's Still Rock and Roll to Me). The clerk wrote "1 Reb Hat".

That, and a Kadet musket (with rubber bayonet), and I was all set to go.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: First piece of headgear?

Mine was in 1993: Old Sutler John-purchase Federal foarge cap. Didn't even have anything that even remotely resembled a sweatband in it, let alone anything like correct construction. Of course, most folks in my group back then had similar hats, and the "good ones" were from Jarny. I never wore a brass bugle or company letters on it, but I sure did have one of those nice brass harps pinned to the side with pride... for almost two years, until it came off at an event and I decided to not wear one anymore. Of course, for another coule years, until I replaced that horrid hat, I had a little green shamrock sewn on it--had to show folks I was "Irish" y'know. :)