Here is a collection of my favorite hat-related links. For your convenience (or irritation), each link will open in a new browser window.
Hat collections
Research and history
Dealers
Hat manufacturers
Larry’s Military Hat Collection
http://www.military-collections.com
Without question, one of the most extensive hat sites on the Internet! Emphasis on
WWII German visor caps, although more and more "exotic" caps have been added in
recent months—check out the extensive Rumanian collection! If you like fancy visor decorations,
this is the place to go!
Alex and Mac’s Military Hat Collection
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/2383/index.html
Another good site, primarily featuring European hats of recent vintage. Includes a
great group of Italian military and Carabinieri caps with brief descriptions—truly
the best collection of Italian headgear on the Web!
Peter's Uniformmützensammlung
http://member.aol.com/kawapit/Home/Index.htm
Peter's Uniform Cap Collection. Good site (in German and English) with military and
police caps from around the world.
Greg's Hat Collection
http://users.swing.be/gvg/caps/caps.htm
My good friend, Gregory from Belgium, now has his own on-line collection, including
an impressive array of Belgian and French caps.
Javier Porras’ Spanish Hat Collection
http://www.arrakis.es/~porrasgo/index.htm
Here is absolutely the web’s best collection of Spanish hats. Loads of
pictures and great links. Even though this is a Spanish-language site, it really is worth
a visit!
Mike’s Police Hat Collection
http://www.gms.lu/~riesm/hats.htm
This is a sub-page of Mike Ries’ police site. Mike is an officer in the Gendarmerie
Grand-Ducale of Luxembourg, the equivalent of the U.S. State Police. The navigation was
recently revamped, making it much easier to find pictures of the individual hats, though
there are problems when accessing the site from a Mac. Great stuff!
Cal's Police Hats Gallery
http://www.p-c-news.com/police_hat_gallery.htm
Calvin Chow is an officer with the San Francisco Police Department and regularly
brings back interesting headgear from cities he's visited around the world. Great photos
of about 50 police caps and antique helmets.
Glen’s Soviet Hats
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/5153/main.htm
Enormous collection of Soviet headgear with good descriptions of what these hats
represent. There’s also an excellent reference page with Soviet badges.
Unfortunately, the site hasn't been updated in over a year so take Glen's promise to
provide better scans "in a week or two" with a large grain of salt!
Rienk
Halma
http://home-1.worldonline.nl/~halma/
Mr. Halma is a police officer in Holland with a nice on-line
collection of police hats, primarily from the DDR and the Netherlands.
National Cap Hall of Fame
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/8993/index.html
Fun site with loads of baseball-type caps. Requires a Java-enabled browser to see
the pictures. Unfortunately, each time you view a cap, an irritating pop-up ad appears.
The Pickelhaube Page
http://pickelhaube.csolve.net/
Fabulous site created by an advanced collector of German spiked helmets. OK,
they’re not hats, but I like ’em. Photos of about 30 different models. Good
links.
Before 1919
http://gallery.uunet.be/ww1/
Terrific collection of articles pertaining to WWI-vintage uniforms and equipment. Make
sure to check out the outstanding articles on British trench headgear by J. Sweeney.
There's also loads of great information on Imperial German hats and the various color
combinations.
Headgear of Hitler’s Germany
http://home1.gte.net/bayless/hohg.html
This is a sub-page to Eddie Bruner’s homepage. He seems to be a very
knowledgeable collector and has some first-rate information to share with the rest of us.
I hope he’ll add more hats sometime.
Kelley’s Military Headgear ID Page
http://www.militaryantiques.com/id/headgear/Headgear.htm
I guess the idea here was to create some kind of a multimedia catalog, but the site
is still very small and hasn’t been updated in over a year. Check it out if you get a
chance.
The NKVD and KGB Homepage http://members.tripod.com/~otlichnik/index.html
Outstanding information about Soviet uniforms and their history. Well worth a
visit.
The German Pickelhaube
http://www.worldwar1.com/sfgph.htm
Superb article on the history and development of these helmets, written by Ralph
Reiley. In fact, Ralph was the one who turned me on to Great War (see dealers) when I
needed pickelhaube parts. Located within the outstanding Trenches On the Web site, which is filled
with historical info about the First World War.
PanzerTruppe Headgear
http://bart.northnet.com.au/~ruralpos/headgear.html
Subpage of Mark Stevens’ Web site in Australia. He’s a devoted collector of
panzer-related items and has great photos of WWII German uniforms and headgear.
Die Panzertruppe
http://www.videon.wave.ca/~redward2/
Bob Edwards is another panzer collector. He used to have extensive information about
German caps, but has dropped them due to a lack of server space. Check back occasionally
since he may reinstate them sometime. Outstanding links page.
RZM Codes
http://www.comnet.ca/~bernieb/rzmcodes.htm
Detailed list of most of the RZM codes that relate to the manufacture of metal
items—all those RZM codes that begin with the letter "M."
Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
http://www.regiments.org
Truly outstanding site and a prime source of British Army regimental history.
Highly recommended.
Official British Army Home Page
http://www.army.mod.uk/army/organise/a-z.htm#s
This is actually a subpage to British Army home page with links to regimental
information, all arranged in alphabetical order. A wonderful reference, but tough to find
if you’re using the site’s own navigation.
Army Lessons Learned Centre
http://www.allc.com/website/english/links/canada/caarmyunit.htm
Excellent site with valuable information about Canadian Army regimental structure,
plus individual unit histories. Many of the regimental badges are also pictured,
which is extremely helpful for collectors.
Gary Tate’s European Military Page
http://www.seanet.com/Users/gtate/mileur.htm
Just about every official and unofficial military site is listed here—and
there are links to similar pages covering North and South American military, Asian, etc..
Terrific reference source!
Police sites all over the world
http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/E.D.L.de.Jong/police.htm
Here’s a good collection of links to local and regional police departments
throughout the world, assembled by a Dutch enthusiast. You might find this useful if you
have a cap you can’t identify through any of the on-line collections.
History and meaning of hats in Canada
http://www.civilization.ca/membrs/canhist/hats/hat00eng.html#menu
Really interesting illustrated site from Canada. A terrific piece of social
commentary with lots of native headdresses—but probably pretty dull to hard-core
collectors of militaria.
The Constabulary
http://www.constabulary.com/hats.htm
John B. Taylor is an advanced collector of British police items and has a wonderfully
informative site. I took the liberty of jumping right to the hat page since it’s a
little difficult to find. Great FAQ.
Atlantic Crossroads
http://www.collectrussia.com/
A dealer with a fabulous assortment of all things Soviet, including headgear. Good
photos of rare items. I’m saving my pennies!
Brandenburg Historica
http://www.brandenburghistorica.com/welcome.html
Loads of rare German militaria and some excellent photos! Unfortunately, there's a
lot of click-here-for-next-page navigation, which can be tiresome.
Dirty Billy’s Hats
http://www.dirtybillyshats.com/index.htm
Without question, Dirty Billy has one of the best sites on the Internet for American Civil
War reenactor’s hats—and not just kepis, but shakos, Hardee hats, and loads of
other rarities, too! The many pictures make this site a great reference source.
The Discriminating General
http://www.militaryheritage.com/home.htm
First-rate reproduction uniforms and headgear for historical reenactors. Nice photos of
rare shakos, busbys, and bearskins—primarily French Napoleonic headdress—plus
Napoleon's own trademark bicorn.
Doug Drabik
http://helius.carroll.com/p/dadrabik
Mr. Drabik is a dealer of high-end Soviet militaria. His on-line catalog contains
some truly priceless items—which may be why there are no prices listed.
Gowan Military
http://members.xoom.com/gowenmil/main.html
The Gowan family advertises themselves as America’s Original East German
Specialists. A good reference source, even if you’re not out to buy something.
Unfortunately there are no pictures of items for sale and updates seem to be semi-annual
at best.
George Johns Militaria
http://www.teleport.com/~geojohns/
Great dealer site with lots of detailed pictures of German headgear. I’ve
purchased items from George in the past and was very, very pleased with his service.
Great War Militaria
http://www.greatwar.com/greatwar/gwmdx.htm
Absolutely the best site on the Internet for WW I-era uniforms, hats, helmets,
fieldgear, etc. Also a good source for spare parts for spiked helmets. Good descriptions,
but alas, no pictures whatsoever.
Military Badges and Insignia
http://www.arbeia.demon.co.uk/srs/collect/milsig.htm
Excellent site with scans of hundreds of different British and Commonwealth cap
badges—all of which are for sale. A superb reference, too.
Der Rittmeister Militaria
http://www.DerRittmeister.com/
A first-class source of Imperial German items. Ken is extremely knowledgeable and
very helpful. I highly recommend him.
The Ruptured Duck
http://www.therupturedduck.com/
Bill Shea is one of the old, well-respected dealers of WWII German military. His
excellent site features loads of good hat photos.
Rudy Sauro
http://www.fortunecity.com/business/discount/776/german.html
Great source for spiked helmet parts and in particular, cockades. Good photos of virtually
all the various Imperial German color combinations.
Thin Red Line
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~thinred/catalogue.htm
Outstanding range of historical British uniforms, headgear, embroidered items,
belts and pouches—well, you name it! A reenactor’s dream.
Unique Soviet Souviners
http://www.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/ussr
Both common and rare Soviet militaria. Donald and Larisa are extremely helpful and
I simply can’t say enough nice things about them. Lots of photos, too!
Militaria on the Net
http://www.militaria-online.com/index.htm
Here is (was) a fantastic collection of links to auction houses, collectors,
dealers, etc. A real labor of love by the site owner, Marc Privett. Alas, Mr. Privett
seems to have gotten bored with the project since the site hasn't been updated since May
9, 1999. Not surprisingly, many of the links no longer function.
Olive-drab
http://www.olive-drab.com/
Great collection of military links. Frequently updated and very useful. It looks
like this site will eventually replace Militaria on the Net as the place to come for
collecting information.
The Military Collector’s Exchange
http://www.tmcx.com/index.html
A well-maintained forum for dealers and collectors. Great site!
Ample Hats
https://securecom.nsdi.net/amplehats/catalog/index.htm
Hats of every kind. Site seems geared to people looking for theatrical costumes.
Bancroft Cap Company
http://www.bancroftcaps.com
America’s best-known manufacturer!
Bayly, Inc.
http://baylyinc.com/military/military.htm
An old, established manufacturer based in Hollywood, FL. Strictly wholesale.
Bernard Cap Company
http://www.bernardcap.com
Another respected U.S. manufacturer based in Hialeah, Florida (Miami area). This is
strictly a wholesale business, so don't bother to contact them directly.
Borsalino
http://www.modaonline.it/marchi/borsalino/e/default.htm
Borsalino's rather primative home page. Some good historical information, but not
much else.
Clearwater Hats
http://www.clearwaterhats.com
Truly outstanding range of high-quality hats for Revolutionary War reenactors, Fur
Traders, Civil War buffs, Old West types, Victorian Gents, and Hollywood Heros. Don’t
miss this one!
Lancaster Uniform Cap Co.
http://www.lancap.com/
Founded in 1929 and based in Los Angeles since 1945, Lancaster claims to be the
only major manufacturer of uniform headgear west of the Mississippi. Police collectors
will be particularly interested in the fact that Lancaster makes the official LAPD caps.
Los Angeles Fraternal Supply Co.
http://www.lafsco.com/index.html
Terrific site featuring loads of fancy fraternal headgear and regalia. They claim to have
been the first supplier of Masonic items on the World Wide Web.
M. Hand & Company Ltd.
http://www.hand-embroidery.co.uk/
Old established London manufacturer of hand-embroidered military and cerimonial
accoutrements. Neat site!
Hankin Bros. Hat Co.
http://worldlink.net/hankinbros/index.htm
Another wholesale uniform maker, based in Buffalo, NY. Good pictures.
Mike the Hatter
www.mikethehatter.com
The design is kind of a mess, but the site has some great information. Among other
things, this is the only source I've found for hat stretchers and other hatmaking tools.
Miller Hats
www.millerhats.com
World's largest on-line hat store. Terrific selection of civilian hats from
virtually every manufacturer of note, plus a few military styles, too.
Nanjing
Apparel Factory
http://lish0616.363.net/index.htm
This is Uniform Factory 3503 for the China People’s Liberation Army!
There’s one page that has a collection of hats and berets the likes of which
I’ve never seen in private collections! Employing over 3000 people, the company is a
major supplier of military apparel throughout Asia. The company's server is very unstable,
so if you get a "404 Not Found" error, try again later.
The Optimo Hat
Co.
http://www.optimohats.com/
If you’re looking for the very finest Panama hats—the Montechristi is the
most tightly woven straw hat in the world—then you’ve come to the right place.
Located in Chicago, Optimo is one of the last real hatmakers left in the United States.
Saphi
http://www.saphi.co.za
Another high-quality manufacturer located in South Africa. Saphi is an acronym for
"South African Pith Helmet Industries" and was founded back in 1940. No more
helmets, but some interesting pictures of uniform hats for South African police and army
officers.
Stetson Hats
http://www.stetsonhat.com/
Great site for one of the world’s most famous hat makers!
Stratton Hat Co.
http://www.strattonhats.com/
This Bellwood, Illinois based company claims to be the world's largest manufacturer
of uniform hats. I'm not convinced, but they do have a nice selection of cowboy-style hats
for state troopers as well as on-line ordering.
Tonak Hats
http://www.tonakhats.cz
Interesting site from the Czech Republic, now relocated on a new server. Lots of
uniform hats, including those for the palace guards. A U.S. collector has warned me,
though, that these people do not answer their mail—e-mail or snail-mail.
TopHat
http://www.top-hats.com/
Wide variety of hats for theatrical use. As the name suggests, there are lots of
top hats—from Abe Lincoln’s stovepipe to Uncle Sam’s red/white/blue striped
classic.
Try & Lilly Ltd.
http://www.tryandlilly.demon.co.uk/
Located in Liverpool, England, Try and Lilly have manufactured military and
civilian headgear since 1864. Several good photos.
The Hat Center
http://www.hatcenter.com/index1.htm
A meeting point for information about hats and related fashion accessories:
manufacturers, suppliers, trade fairs, museums, publications, etc.—sponsored by a
group of hat manufacturers in Florence, Italy. Great glossary hidden under the unlikely
menu "Outlook."
hatsUK.com
http://www.hatsuk.com/index.htm
Fascinating site from a member of the British Hat Guild. Loads of useful
information on hatters and milliners, plus an outstanding links page. No military or
uniform hats—strictly fashion trade, but interesting nonetheless. Be sure to check
out the “Hat Buyer’s Bible” for articles on hat manufacturing , repair, and
loads of other goodies.
hatsny.com
http://www.hatsny.com/
A comprehensive collection of links to New York hatters and milliners, and the
North American hat industry in general. No uniforms, but still a pretty neat site.
Know of a great hat link? Did one of these get out of date?
Let me know!