Giant Pith Helmet Thread of Doom

Vampyre Master · Jan 16, 2013

Mojave Jack said:
I'm afraid the chin strap isn't a chin strap at all; it's just a decoration. In fact, if you pull the chin strap down, it is inside out, which not only shows that it is vinyl, not leather, but also puts the buckles the wrong way against your neck, which is not comfortable. :eusa_doh:

I can't verify that it is actual pith or not, though it feels like it through the cloth. The suspension is actually stapled to the helmet, which I doubt would take any real wear before pulling out. I can't tell if the staples are folded over or not, but it doesn't seem like it, and I didn't want to pull very hard!

In all, I don't think this helmet would stand up to real wear. I bought it for a murder mystery dinner, thinking it might also be good for real use, but after wearing it around, I discovered I really didn't like it much!

If you are open to other styles, I have two suggestions that work pretty well for me. The first is this helmet:

http://www.villagehatshop.com/french-pith-helmet.html

It has the cotton suspension, with the cotton-wrapped sweatband. The cotton on the sweatband is very thin, but it does keep sweat from flowing down into your eyes when a vinyl one just pools the sweat on your forehead until you take it off, at which point it streams straight into your eyes! The downside of this helmet is that it is also a bit on the cheap side, and may not take any real wear. I've worn this for short trips out to the field, but not for days at a time and it has held up, but I'm not sure how tough it is. It is also quite wide. It looks a bit like I have a serving platter on my head!

The second option is the military helmet (http://www.armynavysales.com/products/g.i.-khaki-pith-helmet-). I wear one of these all the time at work, and it is great. I've modified it two ways, however. I've used my tent awl to attach cotton webbing to the vinyl sweatband to make my own suspension, and I've added an M-1 helmet sweatband (http://www.charleyssurplus.com/army_military_collectibles/hats_and_helmets/m1_steel_pot_helmet_liner_sweatband) which just clips right to the vinyl sweatband. It works great! The only don side is that the leather sweatband makes the helmet smaller. I wear a 7-1/8, and it fits perfectly, but I don't know how much larger it will go. An alternative to the M-1 sweatband is the terycloth removable (and washable) sweatbands they make for hard hats (http://www.constructiongear.com/hahatswtesn.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=22942695690&utm_content=pla&gclid=CISjz-2W6bQCFUxxQgodbi4Atw). I've never tried that, but have thought about it.

I used to be a welder and always used the terry covers, saved that line round your head at the end of the day.
VM

Binary Blue · Jan 18, 2013

So in that case, how is the village hat shop version of the foreign service pith?

http://www.villagehatshop.com/british-pith-helmet-khaki.html

Oldsarge · Jan 18, 2013

Looks kind of 'full-dress' to me. Mine is the khaki color, much better in the bush.

Edward_Lindey · Jan 21, 2013

I have one and the "Headband" is very cheap. IT has an adjustable back but is mounted with plastic that became very brittle.

Edward

KilroyCD · Jan 23, 2013

BB, the Village Hat Shop's example is only going to fit to a size 7 3/8. If your hat size is a bit larger than that, I'd go with the IMA helmet. I have the IMA helmet and it fits my pumpkin head (7 3/4). I bought mine for shooting with the Victorian Riflemen, and unlike Mohave Jack, I didn't have any problem with it when firing from the prone position.

Binary Blue · Jan 24, 2013

KilroyCD said:
BB, the Village Hat Shop's example is only going to fit to a size 7 3/8. If your hat size is a bit larger than that, I'd go with the IMA helmet. I have the IMA helmet and it fits my pumpkin head (7 3/4). I bought mine for shooting with the Victorian Riflemen, and unlike Mohave Jack, I didn't have any problem with it when firing from the prone position.

My head size is slightly smaller (around 7 1/8). Will it still work?

Mike K. · Jan 30, 2013

Hmmmm....facepalm or stroke of genius?

Pith Helmet Lamp

$%28KGrHqJ,!o4FDOHHfh6qBRBVf5om5!~~60_57.JPG

Vampyre Master · Jan 30, 2013

Mike K. said:
Hmmmm....facepalm or stroke of genius?

Pith Helmet Lamp

Agggggg!!! heresy
VM

Oldsarge · Jan 30, 2013

Beyond facepalm. Grieving outrage, more like.

Atticus Finch · Apr 12, 2013

I've decided that I want a USN pith helmet to wear while I'm mowing grass this summer. I'd like it to be complete with a decent sweat band and I'd like the helmet to be in wearable condition. I'm not terribly concerned about whether or not it has a chin strap because I probably wouldn’t use it if it were there. I know very little about USN pith helmets except that they were issued in WWII and maybe through the Vietnam conflict. This helmet will be for me to actually use doing sweaty yard work, so I'm not looking for mint condition.

I see them on e-bay in the fifty buck range. Too high? About right?

AF

Atticus Finch · Apr 12, 2013

Never mind. Within an hour of my above post, I found a Vietnam-era pith helmet that should meet my needs exactly. The price was a tad less than half of what I noted above.

AF

Harry Gooch · Apr 15, 2013

Different times!

Pith helmets might stop the sun, but they're pretty useless as "armour."

They look pretty cool, pun intended.

Oldsarge · Apr 16, 2013

Damned noisy in the bush, though.

Mr. Godfrey · Apr 20, 2013

Oldsarge said:
Damned noisy in the bush, though.

Quite so,! but then there is STYLE and boy the Pith has is it, just like you Oldsarge ;-)

Oldsarge · Apr 21, 2013

Mr. Godfrey · Jun 25, 2013

The Queen’s own Cameron Highlanders, wearing kilts and pith helmets, prepare to leave Darmali for Atbara in Sudan during the march of the British Brigade from Abu Dis to confront Mahdi forces at Atbara.

Mojave Jack · Jun 26, 2013

Oldsarge said:
Damned noisy in the bush, though.

You ain't a woofin'. I had my military fiber pith on out in the field the other day, and the wind just whistles through it. We were working along the edge of a dry lake bed, and the wind was about 15 to 20 knots. I had to take my pith off a few times to hear what my co-worker was saying to me.

Mr. Godfrey · Aug 25, 2013

Just looking at Jim Hatzells photos and I am sure I have found oldsarge's avatar as a young chap !!!

Oldsarge · Aug 25, 2013

And doesn't he look splendidly dashing, what?

de Stokesay · Aug 26, 2013

I tried to grow the 19th century British cavalry whiskers (well I did actually grow them or rather I shaved off the chin and underneath-my-jawbone part of my beard) one spring and had these cool whiskers for a matter of hours until I was forced to shave them off. My wife is fine with a full beard or clean-shaven look, but anything in between is just not kosher as far as she is concerned. So, in the interests of domestic diplomacy we compromised and I shaved the spiffy whiskers off.

de Stokesay

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