Sabrejet Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share #26 Posted November 20, 2011 So it's vinyl? I suppose that makes sense? Cheaper to manufacture and procure in quantity than real leather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchInfid3l Posted November 20, 2011 Share #27 Posted November 20, 2011 Here's another that I have, THIS one is leather... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchInfid3l Posted November 20, 2011 Share #28 Posted November 20, 2011 Belonged to Colonel Leslie W. Brockwell I didn't win this one back in the day to go with the other, but I kept the screen shot... Same cap but in orange. More beat up too, must've worn this one more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share #29 Posted November 20, 2011 Now we're talkin'! So there were leather ones too? Virtually impossible to differentiate between them in old b&w pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchInfid3l Posted November 20, 2011 Share #30 Posted November 20, 2011 I stumbled upon this site... here. Had these two close up photos... 70th BS, 42nd BW even had the exact same photo of my grandfather's crew, better quality though. here. I can spend some time in this website... looks like my day is shot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchInfid3l Posted November 20, 2011 Share #31 Posted November 20, 2011 One more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wailuna Posted December 6, 2011 Share #32 Posted December 6, 2011 De-code this one! A B-36 aft left gunner ("LG") transiting the crew tunnel. From Tennessee ("Tenn.") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share #33 Posted December 6, 2011 We have a cryptographer in our midst!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkdriver Posted December 6, 2011 Share #34 Posted December 6, 2011 Also available in white! I guess the mens hair grooming standards were pretty lax back in the day, that hair is most definitely touching the collar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share #35 Posted December 6, 2011 I guess the mens hair grooming standards were pretty lax back in the day, that hair is most definitely touching the collar. And check out those SAC men above...surprisingly mature, grizzled, unshaven. Must've been a long mission! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robswashashore Posted December 6, 2011 Share #36 Posted December 6, 2011 I remember my dad had a cap just like that in the late fifties/early sixties. His was civilian and naugahide, which was very trendy back then. I shudder to think how many innocent naugas were sacrificed in the name of fashion in that era. I also shudder to think what was considered fashionable back then. Those caps are really ugly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_pickrall Posted December 6, 2011 Share #37 Posted December 6, 2011 They may be ugly but I would much rather have them than the double knits, bell bottoms, foot wide ties, etc. from the 70's. Now that was ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted December 6, 2011 Share #38 Posted December 6, 2011 Vintage Productions has the most inventory I have ever seen of this type of cap . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lothrop Posted December 7, 2011 Share #39 Posted December 7, 2011 Those guys look grizzled and angry because they were stationed at Loring! Ever been there? I have. I live on the southern coast of Maine and it's like a different country up there, an artic one in the winter. They probably kept their hair that long to stay warm! That and the days of the 24hr airborne bombers, alert crews etc probably kept the strain on hot and heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cscmc1 Posted December 7, 2011 Share #40 Posted December 7, 2011 I guess the mens hair grooming standards were pretty lax back in the day, that hair is most definitely touching the collar. That's assuming that's a man! :w00t: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbunny Posted December 12, 2011 Share #41 Posted December 12, 2011 Here's a shot of some 340th Bomb Squadron guys. These caps have no "chin straps" as seen on some of the other caps shown on this thread. Man on the right looks sad because he's stuck with just a baseball cap! A closer look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share #42 Posted December 12, 2011 That's a great shot...shame we can't determine the actual colour of those caps! They appear to be styled on the army's "Ridgeway" cap. Thanks for adding it to the thread. I'm still intrigued as to why these USAF caps seem to show up so infrequently in collecting circles as they were evidently quite widely worn back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpster Diver Posted September 16, 2014 Share #43 Posted September 16, 2014 My first post here, and Im not a huge fan of the format of this forum so far to be honest... but its great to be here and be in touch with you. looking forward to meeting you all. This thread and post are both useless to me and you because I have no photobucket and cant upload URL or CtrC and CtrV any links to my thread over at www.thefedoralounge.com BUT...If one of you finds it and knows how to properly paste a link to my thread... That would be excellent! I do have a thread over there you might want to check out under the section- HATS - entitled *1950s B-1 Style hat of the 96th air refueling Squadron.* The hats for many reasons are unobtanium, and need to be back in production as has been stated here by the started of this thread. Again, Im making some of these, because Otherwise the originals are all going to be worn to rats nests and fall apart...we all know it. if you have any requests on colours, insignia and so on please E-mail or get in touch with me. Im new to the sewing machine, but I am going to be putting food on my plate making these hats eventually. These hats are so cool I know people wont know what they are and will Just wear them out and ruin them all. Its better to get reproductions out into circulation again. Im hard nosed to the grindstone as we speak. I will forge some of these, so check and see the thread I started at the fedora lounge to see pics. What Im having trouble with materialistically are matching the textiles closely as I can with modern ingredients. Its hard to determine the materials and liners of these hats when all you have to go on is grainy old photographs of guys wearing them. Thank you. be in touch -Jules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpster Diver Posted September 16, 2014 Share #44 Posted September 16, 2014 to further confim, Yes I see some being made from Vinyl or naughahide, along with cotton cloth versions, as well as Real leather. There were many different contract makers for these hats over a period of years, rest assured these are out there, but the numbers are few. My hat is indeed smelling of an Ashtray, blackened with grease and sweat and ready to fray to peices like wet kleenex around the edge of the brim inside the liner. Its very safe to assume a lot of these hats have not survived well. The one I bought came from a thriftstore...tells me everything I need to know about them. They are mostly exctinct. While some of you may Pooh-pooh the post WWII Nightmarish and somewhat Grotuesque appearance and style of these hats..theres Just something about them. I dont know what, but I do know that You NEED one of these hats!!! the way you look in your Newschool nylon flight Jackets...Its not right without one of these. Ugly duckling or not, they look and *GO* with the Nylon Bomber Jackets I see all over town and back. Its Just ignorance that most people dont even know why its called a *Bomber* Jacket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodymyster Posted September 16, 2014 Share #45 Posted September 16, 2014 This one belonged to a B-52 pilot in the early 60's. He flew Chrome Dome missions until he was transfered to an Air Rescue Squadron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumpster Diver Posted September 16, 2014 Share #46 Posted September 16, 2014 theres one of those Red ones on ebay right now if you hurry! WAY too small for me, but the pins on it look Korean era. (seller couldnt tell me if it was real leather or not but I assume not) Ebay and type--Vintage Leather Hat LOOK! ... and you will find it, I saved the pics, gonna make a red one too. theres like 10 hours to go on it now so I didnt wanna post that cuz everyone will be mad at me they missed it. I just Checked last minute, as I should have been doing for the last 20 years. as for that one...I saved the pics at least. Its got Cordurouy (spelled wrong) under the brim. (partly because sewing machines couldnt handle 4 ply leather) The faux Fur liner of the ear flap on the red one looks like the faux fur on the collar of a nylon shell bomber Jacket, with Black quilted Rayon. good refference pics for anyone who wants to see the liner on a hat like this. The actual liner from my hat looks like Fire-retardant material inside the liner, wouldnt suprise me, considering they flew KC-90 stratotankers (Mammoth flying gas tanks) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmar836 Posted November 20, 2014 Share #47 Posted November 20, 2014 Its got Cordurouy (spelled wrong) under the brim. (partly because sewing machines couldnt handle 4 ply leather) The proper machine, even back before these were made, had no problem with 4-ply leather. JME, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted November 21, 2014 Share #48 Posted November 21, 2014 The ones that just sold on the sale section were amazing. Back in the day when I collected 50s flight jackets I could never find these caps…... They are sooooo cool. And RARE. owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian1green Posted August 14, 2015 Share #49 Posted August 14, 2015 I'd like to share these with you guys. Picked up 5 of these hats today and after researching them, stumbled upon this older thread. Any comments or info would be great, so far I've determined that they are all most likely Air Refueling Squadron caps. They are made of vinyl and I'm just flipping out having found so many in one place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmar836 Posted January 23, 2017 Share #50 Posted January 23, 2017 Good stuff! Do you have any inside pics? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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