summersdogs Posted April 4, 2011 Share #1 Posted April 4, 2011 Hi to all. We've had this cap hanging up in our retail store for at least 15 years, as best as husband and I can remember. It appears to be an item of issue for the Easter Island statues. I was thinking of using it for a beach umbrella. But, really, is this US military? I mean, it's a size 9 3/4 for heaven's sake. Would fit over a vintage afro-do maybe. The remaining label reads: Certificate No. B-1523-CF Ace Mfg. Co. Inc. San Antonio, Texas Thank you, Lynne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted April 4, 2011 Share #2 Posted April 4, 2011 Holy Moly! That has to be a one-of-a-kind, I've never seen a hat that big. Just FYI, US hat sizes are the circumference of the head divided by pi, so 9 3/4 equals a head that is 30.6 inches around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_pickrall Posted April 4, 2011 Share #3 Posted April 4, 2011 Using TM 10-227 FITTING OF MEN'S UNIFORMS dated October, 1967 as my reference I checked standard hat sizes used by the Army at that time. The smallest was 6 3/8 and the largest was 7 7/8. I have seen cases where manufacturers made sample items in larger than standard sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jose ramon Posted April 4, 2011 Share #4 Posted April 4, 2011 I am truly amazed. Maybe I will say something stupid. Maybe not made for a human being, but for some sports mascot or something similar. :think: JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattOravik Posted April 4, 2011 Share #5 Posted April 4, 2011 Is it normal to have a "certificate No." instead of a contract number? -Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMCRECON Posted April 4, 2011 Share #6 Posted April 4, 2011 Hi to all. We've had this cap hanging up in our retail store for at least 15 years, as best as husband and I can remember. It appears to be an item of issue for the Easter Island statues. I was thinking of using it for a beach umbrella. But, really, is this US military? I mean, it's a size 9 3/4 for heaven's sake. Would fit over a vintage afro-do maybe. The remaining label reads: Certificate No. B-1523-CF Ace Mfg. Co. Inc. San Antonio, Texas Thank you, Lynne I think that hat belonged to Andre The Giant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted April 5, 2011 Share #7 Posted April 5, 2011 Is it normal to have a "certificate No." instead of a contract number? -Matt. I'm not sure, but if it wasn't a contracted cap, but they did hold a certificate to produce caps for the military they might use that number?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersdogs Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted April 5, 2011 All responses were greatly appreciated. Even the Andre The Giant one. I just found an old topic here which references the same certificate number as on my hat's label. Post #27 and Post # 30 of that thread refer to the certificate number. Nothing on this humongous size of course. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...31518&st=20 Lynne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B229 Posted April 5, 2011 Share #9 Posted April 5, 2011 This is a private purchase cap, which would explain the size being outside the normal range produced by the Army. The certificate number indicates that Ace has met certification to produce material conforming to Army specs and it's safe for soldiers to purchase and wear with their uniforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summersdogs Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted April 5, 2011 Thank you, B229, for the concise explanation. I'm thinking that the 9 3/4 size was to allow for big hair moreso than big head. Couldn't be pure cranium, could it ? Lynne This is a private purchase cap, which would explain the size being outside the normal range produced by the Army. The certificate number indicates that Ace has met certification to produce material conforming to Army specs and it's safe for soldiers to purchase and wear with their uniforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B229 Posted April 6, 2011 Share #11 Posted April 6, 2011 Thank you, B229, for the concise explanation. I'm thinking that the 9 3/4 size was to allow for big hair moreso than big head. Couldn't be pure cranium, could it ?Lynne You're probably right about that. It makes more sense that it was to fit over an afro or something along those lines. Ahh, the Army in the 1970's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjones5452 Posted April 6, 2011 Share #12 Posted April 6, 2011 It just might be a novelty item, something like the 4 foot wide overalls that used to be tacked up on the walls of the small town Mom&Pop stores that were still around in the 70s and to some extent the 80s. The thing that the factory reps would give to their vendors to bring attention to their items. I'm not saying a store sold that specific cap, but that the manf. also was the maker of other items and this cap was to get attention from customers. Used to be a lot of things like this in farm supply stores in the south and more than likely our members in the midwest have seen things similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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