Tag Archives: Headwear

Glengarry Light Infantry shako, visor up and down positions shown

The Stovepipe Shako

Part 1 of the History of the British Infantry Shako

Since the middle of the seventeenth century, soldiers had been wearing broad brimmed felt hats.  The decline of armour as a result of the increased use of firearms had moved headwear into this more practical direction.  For the next one hundred and fifty years the broad brimmed felt hat stayed in use.  Its sides were turned up in various ways, but it retained its essential design.

Continue reading

Commissariat Chapeau, Building a Reproduction

Peter’s access to authentic period artifacts gives him the unique ability to recreate period clothing, as they would have been, right down to the last, hand-made stitch.

Many of the projects that Peter creates for museums start with an original artifact such as the one documented in this article. Peter goes to great lengths to ensure that colours, materials and even hand-made stitch lengths are as close to the original as is possible, based on the original artifact and his extensive knowledge of the period.

The first step in any recreation is the detailed examination of the original. This chapeau was held in the Lundy’s Lane Historical Society’s care. Continue reading