Campaign Hat Blues

I get special requests for historical hats. One of the first was the "Boss of the Plains" that I made for my old friend  Rodney. If you don't know what I'm talking about your probably not a big hat person. The first popular "cowboy" hat was Stetson's "Boss of the Plains" first produced in 1865. It was a light weight, weather proof open crowned hat that was virtually indestructible. It was a challenge to build for Rodney, because the "Boss" had straight sides and my blocks are tapered. I got her done though and it has had some major testing, since Rodney wears his hats year around and in all weather. He tells me his lid is holding up well even with all the recent rain.


It's the hat Jimmy Rodgers was talking about when he sang:
"I'm going to town honey what you want me to bring you back?
Bring a bottle of booze and a John B. Stetson hat."

I sing that to myself quit frequently when I am in the shop alone for long periods of time.

I've been working on a campaign hat for my friend Cody. Actually two campaign hats. For you non-military types, this is a hat issued to the United States military for use in the field and on campaign. The one you might be most familiar with is the drill instructors hat, aka the “Smokey the Bear” hat. probably wouldn't call it that in front of  R. Lee Ermey.

Cody wants an 1876 and a 1883 campaign hat. The first one is black and the other is in a “drab” or tan color.  If have both of them blocked out and I await the shipment of some ribbon to complete the hats. Your probably asking yourself, "what's the most interesting thing about making campaign hats?" You probably won't believe this, but its the vents.

The what?

Probably scratching your head right now and wondering if I spend too many long hours in my little shop trying to think up new ways of making bows, discussing politics with Leroy the hat dummy. I do that, but its not why I like the vents on a 1883 campaign hat.

Some models of this hat had screen vents similar to those you would find on a modern “Boonie” hat our service people are wearing this very moment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Venting a hat to allow air is an old practice. I have seen Civil War era lids with holes poked in the crown to allow air in to cool the wearers head and give some relief in the heat. 

Some later campaign hats hat little fan blades in the vents. This is a classic example of someone who had way too much time on his hands. You are the officer in charge of designing this new hat, and your out at a fort on the plains of Kansas and you are pretty bored. "Why don't we just put little fans in our hats?" you say to yourself. Probably promoted the guy to colonel for that idea.

 The 1883 also had vent holes that were arranged  in a pattern, either a star or a snowflake configuration. This is how I've done the vent holes in Cody's hat, in the snowflake. Here is Leroy the Hat dummy modeling the 1883.

I really like the way this looks combined with the simple crease. I think I could put this pattern in a modern hat and it would look cool.

The other complicated issue in the 1883 was that two lines of machine stitching is run along the edge of the brim for stiffness. The Singer Slant-O-Matic has been giving me fits these days due to thread tension. It is a temperamental beast on a good day, but I finally got the brim stitched. My battles with the Singer "Rocketeer" as the old timers called this model of machine are the subject of another blog.

The final touch is going to be the ribbon and a very ornamental bow that was on the original hats. got to wait on that since I have to order the correct color. Finished, it should resemble this hat.

Thanks to Cody for another challenge.