Jim Keller's Military Accoutrements
Contact: Email is the best way using the Email address above.
When Ordering:
· For a shako or hat, I will need the circumference of your head just above the ears.
· For belting, I typically need an idea of height & waist.
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Stovepipe Shako - Privates Shako uses heavy wool felt stretched and formed and then stiffened with white shellac. Brim is of heavy vegetable tanned leather. A leather pocket is sewn in behind the brass plate for the tuft or plume. There is an internal hat band of soft suede leather with a natural linen liner bag to adjust hat height. There is also a 1/2 inch wool lace outer band along the edge of the brim. Brims are sewn rough or flesh side up as per original British design. Tufts: Line was normally white over red wool tuft. Grenadier was normally all white wool tuft. Light Company was normally all green wool tuft.
Please specify tuft colour if ordering one with shako. The officer’s shako normally had a feather plume of the same colour combinations above. |
Basic Stovepipe Shako Wool Tuft (specify colour) Feather Plume (specify colour) Leather Rosette Plain Button Unit Button Light Infantry Button Universal Brass Plate Light Infantry Pewter Badge Light Infantry Green Cording |
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Light Infantry Pewter Badge |
Stovepipe Shako Light Infantry Brass Badge |
Square Bill Stovepipe Shako (95th) Light Infantry Brass Badge |
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Light Infantry Officer Stovepipe Shako
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Belgique Shako - Private Shakos use heavy wool felt stretched and formed and then stiffened with white shellac. Brim is of heavy vegetable tanned leather. A leather pocket is sewn inside the hat on the left for the tuft or plume. There is an internal hat band is of soft suede leather with a natural linen liner bag to adjust hat height. There is also a 1/2 inch wool lace outer band along the edge of the brim. The edge of the shield has hand sewn cotton edging. Brims are rough or flesh side up as per original. Hooks are sewn on to attach the wool braid cording. Normally white wool braid was for line and grenadier companies and green wool braid for a light company. |
Basic Belgique Shako Wool Tuft (specify colour) Universal Brass Plate Light Infantry/Rifleman Brass Badge Wool Cording Leather Rosette Plain Button Unit Button Light Infantry Button
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Belgique Shako - Officer Shakos use 3mm wool felt stretched and formed and then stiffened with white shellac. Brim is of heavy vegetable tanned leather. A leather pocket is sewn inside the hat on the right for a plume. There is an internal hat band is of soft suede leather with a natural linen liner bag to adjust hat height. There is also a 1/2 inch wool lace outer band along the edge of the peak. The edge of the shield has hand sewn edging. Brims are rough or flesh side up as per original. Hooks are sewn on to attach the cording. Cording is gold with red stripe braid. The officer plate has the background dimpled as per original. Unit button is usually gold plated. |
Basic Belgique Shako Feather Plume (specify colour) Officer Universal Brass Plate Gold/Red Cording with Tassels Green Cording with Tassels Leather Rosette Gold officer button is required for the rosette. Note that some regiments had their own unique plume colours. |
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Belgique Shako - Royal Artillery Shakos use heavy wool felt stretched and formed and then stiffened with shellac. Brim is of heavy vegetable tanned leather rough or flesh side up. A leather pocket is sewn inside the hat on the right for a plume. There is an internal hat band is of soft suede leather with a natural linen liner bag to adjust hat height. There is also a 1/2 inch wool lace outer band along the edge of the peak. The edge of the shield has hand sewn cotton edging. Hooks are sewn on to attach the cording. Cording is a deep yellow for artillery. The plate is unique to the British Royal Artillery as well. |
Basic Belgique Shako White Wool Tuft Royal Artillery Brass Plate Yellow Cording with Tassels Leather Rosette Artillery Button
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Bell Top Shako These varied in size depending on the time period. Typically 11 inch diameter top covered with leather overlapped on the side by one inch. Height varied but about 6 ¾ inches to 7 ¼ inches depending on the year. A 7/8 inch band typically sewn both edges is on the lower edge with a buckle at the back. There is a inner leather band with a linen adjustment for height. Everything on the outer shell is hand sewn. A small brass tube is sewn in the front to mount a ball tuft or other plumes and tufts used throughout this period. |
Basic Bell Top I have very limited resources to provide the hardware for this design unless several are ordered. |
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Albert Shako The British Albert Shako is similar to the stovepipe shako except with a smooth leather top and smooth leather brim and rear rain guard. It also has a chin strap held on by rose buttons. The wool tuft was a ball affair with the same colour codes as before.
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Basic Albert Shako Wool Ball Tuft Brass Plate
(I get the brass plates from England and there is a very limited selection of unit numbers unless you are willing to order a bunch). These are only sold with the shako. I have done other regiments by carving out the numbers on the CNC machine and mounting them on a blank plate. An example is just to the left. |
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Shako shown is a 1855 British shako. It has a sunken leather top, heavy felt body stiffened with shellac, and a front and back brim. There is a small chin strap and leather liner with a linen adjustment for height. |
Basic 1855 Shako
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British Quilted Shako This shako is one of the most difficult and time consuming to make. The wool felt shell is covered with a quilted wool with sewing lines made 5/16th of an inch apart. The brim is patented leather with a front edge cover sewn on. There is a ½ inch wide chin strap and a 5/8 inch band along the lower edge. The band is sewn along its edges. There are two options on the venting, (see pictures below). The original design had a gorgon face (also found on earlier shako models) mounted on the back with the eyes and mouth used as vents. The gargon was later replaced with side vents which were screened. The badges are pewter with the gorgon badge plated brass. |
Basic Shako without badges Back Gorgon badge Ball Tuft with Brass base |
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Back showing Gorgon Badge |
Model showing side venting. |
Shako Inside – silk bag to adjust height |
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Caldwell Rangers Shako Shako uses heavy wool felt stretched and formed and then stiffened with white shellac. Brim is of heavy vegetable tanned leather. There is an internal hat band of soft suede leather with a natural linen liner bag to adjust hat height. These are basically a British stovepipe shako cut down to a 5 inch height. There is also a 1/2 inch wool lace outer band along the edge of the brim. |
Shako |
