doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com In praise of the British / European Flat Cap

jOe brings up a good point about the ammo purse. I have one too, but all I carry in it is ammo. 100 rounds. No flat hat tho'.

Real men don't wear ball caps, for god's sake. Any hat that won't stay on in a breeze isn't worth owning. Sure, if you're on a swordfishing or tuna boat for shade on calm days while watching for fins but not for anything else. Even tradition can't keep them on ballplayers' heads.

AM,
I have in years past had one of the British flat caps in the oil cloth like the Barbour, and as a kid I wore them all the time. I have one now in wool, but instead I prefer to wear the paneled "newsboy" style more. It is bigger and doesn't "perch" atop my head as does the flat cap. I have worn mine here in New Mexico as well as all over Europe. It is warm and does a good job of shedding water except in the heaviest of downpours. Now, I am going to call attention to your post to my brother who is also in Amarillo. He hates the flat British caps quite a bit because he also was forced to wear them as a kid. However, he hates something else even worse: yep, you guessed it! Knickers!! He was forced to wear a pair as a kid, and I was then forced to wear those hand-me-downs after him. As shooting attire primarily in Europe where tall rubber boots and long, warm wool socks are the normal attire, knickers (breeks, etc.) make more sense than anything I could think of. However, here in the briar tangles of the swamps as well as some of the uplands, a man might be hard pressed to persevere wearing them with some of the hooligans with which he and I hunt. Of course, it is for this very reason that I continually tell him that I am getting him a pair for Christmas!!! He says he will only wear them if I also give him a European hunting trip too!!!

Now that you've decided to copy the Brits in the matter of headgear why not go all the way and get yourself a deer stalker hat. That way you can shade the eyes in the back of your head too. Why be just half way to silly, go the whole nine yards and be a complete twit.
nial

I thought they were made like that so the deer couldn't tell if you were coming or going.

While we're on the topic of British caps, one of my favorite quotes comes from the Diary of Samuel Pepys, circa 1665:

"He that doth get a wench with child then marry her is like he who would sh*t in his own hat then clap it on his head"

Speaking of deer stalker hats. Where can you get an authentic one? Now that HomelessjOe has explained the rational for the design, I want one all the more! I have done a brief google search in times past, but didn't finding what I was looking for.
Any makers or retailers on the "this side of the pond?"
Lou M

I've never had a wool watch cap blow off my nugget....and I've never had my wool crown cap blow off my nugget either. I just can't do the English driving cap, not my style I guess. The only time I find it acceptable to wear a English driving cap here in the U.S. is if you're tooling around in a old MG, Triumph or Austin Healey. Other than that...giggity giggity gay. Of course, all of you on this board who wears that style of hat is exempt. And the Scottish/English "deerstalker" hat...the only time that thing is acceptable to wear is if your trying to solve a mystery and your holding a giant magnifying glass.
One of the best hats out there is the Afghan Pashtoon wool cap. I love mine, but I'm afraid some goon is gonna cap me anytime I wear it out...and for some reason I never get permission to hunt private land if I'm wearing it. Hmmmmmm.

Dustin

I wore a ball cap all day today, backwards too. Nobody questioned my manhood either, if they did, most likely I'd knock their piano keys out of their mouth.

I wear a ball cap as well, just not backwards- it says, "USS COPELAND, FFG 25" and backwards use is not permitted under naval regulations, so I don't.

I didn't serve on her, but, worked for a company that built her ordinance, including the 5 inch gun and the MK13 missle launcher. The hat was a gift from the original crew, and says "Plankowner" on the reverse.

I have a blaze orange ball cap to wear when hunting, and a blaze orange ball cap with ear flaps, and a string to tie it down with when the wind blows, and it is less than 10 degrees or so.

I tried hunting in a Filson crusher, but, the rim does weird things to my hearing when shooting with it. It is a great rain hat, however, and I am mistaken for a younger Jan Micheal Vincent all the time in it.

I have a Barbour jacket, which, is OK in the rain, but, I'm pretty sure (based on this coat's cold weather performance, or, more correctly, lack thereof) that it doesn't get very cold in England.

That's enough English stuff for me. You guys, I'm sure. must look great in the silly hats. Probably the silly cars, too.
Best,
Ted

You really should get you one ol'chap....after all they were nicknamed for guys like yOu.