Big Apples, Newsboys, and such...

[Biltmore Bob]

Does anyone know what the bills of eight panel caps were traditionaly made of in the old timey days? Not the fabric, I mean the hard part of the bill. Were all eight panels equipped with a button on the top? I watched Titanic the other day and some of the caps did not have a button. I realize those caps were costume caps made for the movie, but it got me thinking. I also saw some caps on Ebay that were stitched in kind of a spiral pattern on top. Can't find them now to post a link. Ever see that style?

 

[BellyTank]

Bills...

Cardboard, canvas, or like the WW2 fatigue caps, special purpose bill stiffener- like fat string woven into really fat canvas. You can use a couple of layers of canvas if you're making a cap. Buttons... don't know- it's a finishing touch I guess...
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[Matt Deckard]

I have seen some caps with a grommet hole for ventilation instead of th ebutton. As far as I know, cardboard was in the bill and it got brittle with age.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I cut open the bill of a Miller Newsboy. The bill appears to be made of plastic, but it also resembled slick cardboard. It wasn't papery at all like regular cardboard. Maybe it's cardboard that has been treated or something. Of course it's a modern version too.

 

[BellyTank]

Cardboard/fiberboard/Canvas.
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