Gussied up Privately Purchased Sun Helmet

[Grapeshot]

Finally some close-ups.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/Grapeshot_2006/CowboyStuff037.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/Grapeshot_2006/CowboyStuff040.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/Grapeshot_2006/CowboyStuff039.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m53/Grapeshot_2006/CowboyStuff038.jpg

[River City John]

Cool!

[Forty Rod]

I'm guessin' that ain't a Stetson. 

Very nice helmet.

[Dr. Bob]

Forty Rod,

Impressive reasoning!!!!!     

[Forty Rod]

I guess I'm just naturally intuitive. 

[RattlesnakeJack]

Grapeshot:

Impressive, indeed!

Do I detect some marking/staining from a former puggaree or the like .... or is it just a photographic effect ...?  If the helmet is stained, I assume you are likely aware that, in the British Army at least, such helmets were kept whitened by the application of "blanco" ... and I assume that a similar practice existed in the US forces, since it is otherwise quite impossible to keep these beasties from getting grubby eventually.  Blanco does result in a bit of a "coating" building up on the item, but of course that is entirely "correct" ....   

I was able to get some white blanco awhile ago from Jerry Lee at "What Price Glory" in California, but it doesn't seem to be listed on his website any longer, so he must have sold out of it ...   
(Although the expression "white blanco" may seem rather redundant - in effect meaning "white whitener" - the term "blanco" continued to be used for the similar stuff developed later on for 20th Century web gear ... so there was also "khaki blanco", "green blanco" and so on ...  )

However, a very passable modern substitute is available - liiquid white shoe polish.  It will serve on its own (though it can be a bit thin for covering bad stains) or can be thickened by the addition of white chalk dust, such as you buy at building supply stores for use with chalk-lines.  Adding the chalk dust makes the consistency more like the original blanco, which actually came in solid cakes and was used by putting water on the top surface of the cake and working up a paste, which was then applied to the article to be blancoed ...

I have also heard of people using white latex paint ... though I don't think it is as good an option, since blanco (or the shoepolish/chalkdust substitute) can be removed by brushing when it starts to build up too thickly .... whereas latex paint is there for keeps! 

(Needless to say, the blanco treatment necessitates removal of all the hardware, then replacing it afterwards ...      )

[Grapeshot]

Rattlesnake Jack,

You are correct.  There was a glue that originally held on the puggaree and dry cleaning solven didn't get all of it off.  I am thinking seriously of removing the hardware and getting the light tan liguid shoe polish to make the color uniform overall.

[Captain Barrett]

Grapeshot,

Where did you get the chain at? It looks better than what S&S sells...

[St. George]

In the 1890's, while writing the article titled 'An Army Uniform' for the 'Journal of the United States Cavalry Association', Captain H.F. Kendall of the 8th Cavalry stated:

"Beginning with the head, we have the forage cap, the helmet and the campaign hat.  The two former offer us object lessons on the military supremacy of the two leading nations of Europe, which is just about the limit of their utility".

Apparently, he wasn't a fan, nor were many others - but they remained in Service until General Order 197, War Department, 31 December, 1904 - which directed that both white and khaki helmets be "issued until exhausted, then discontinued".

Despite several Trials and experiments with drab or khaki coverings, there was no general issue of other than white helmets until the turn of the century.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Grapeshot]

Grapeshot,

Where did you get the chain at? It looks better than what S&S sells...

Back in 1988 I came home from Germany and had been talking to a friend of mine about getting a US Army vintage Sun Helmet.  He knew of a dealer on Cape Cod that had several.  We called the man and went up there to see what he had.  Of the three or four he had on hand I picked the one that was in the best condition.  It was decked out with a spike, base, Infantry Officer's M1881 Eagle Helmet Plate with a silver # 3 soldered to the Shield, and this chain link chin strap.

I had the helmet in my attic for years.  I even wore it to a couple of shoots with a White Duck uniform, after I stripped off all the ornimentation.

I still have the helmet.  I had to have the sweatband replaced by Dirty Billy's Hats after I ruined it wearing it one day during a particularly hot day.