Bring Back the army Forage / Peak Caps ... ?

[Tracker]

The forage cap sucked, the chin strap sucked even worse.

 

[geo]

I had to acquire mine on my own. I picked up an old Royal Artillery set (cheap, too), then just changed the buttons, shoulder titles and collar dogs. The cap I got for free from a militaria dealer friend of mine - dated February 1962 with a pre-1974 RCEME badge. I had to make the lanyard myself, since the kitshop in Borden no longer carries them. And they don't carry the belt buckles for white stable belts anymore either, so I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for one in my travels. Thus is the saga to find Patrols. Pathetic, I know.

If you are looking for stable belts, lanyards and the rest, you should contact William Scully Ltd.... they've been making military accoutrements for eons and have considerable "old brass" & accoutrements for the old branches.......

try:
http://www.williamscully.ca/

 

[brihard]

I spent my summer doing Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa- for those of you who aren't familiar with it, it's the unit that does the Changing of the Guard parade at Parliament, and sentry duty at Rideau Hall. I was attached to the Canadian Grenadier Guards company out of montreal, and the other company was Governor General's Foot Guards out of Ottawa. Part of our order of dress for DEUs was the forage cap. It looks pretty sharp if yours is in good condition, and actually looks really spiffy with the scarlet uniforms (which are a whole other pain in the ass themselves), but I wouldn't want to have to wear them regularly. That being said, I don't mind them for ceremonial purposes. I think CGG and GGFG wear them at home unit for parades in DEUs. Someone mentioned the GGHG earlier, so I'm assuming that Forage Caps are now used exclusively (in land force, at least) by Guards units. So unless you're a reservist who gets a CG summer tasking, or are a member of one of those units, you shouldn't have to worry about ever wearing one. I still think it looks pretty sexy with the formal scarlets though.

I'm halfway through changing my beret for a balmoral right now, so for some reason headdress seems to have been a real fixture in my military life for the past three months. I really wish the unit transfer process was more streamlined...

 

[geo]

Having trouble puttin those trousers on in the morning eh?

CGG & GGFG do not wear the standard CF forage cap - with their super short peak (beak) they are worn in a decidedly different manner than usual manner.... please feel free to consult CFP201
or CFP 158 dress regs

 

[RangerRay]

The Stetson is a great idea . . . but would we put our ranks on the front, our cap badge, or leave it plain?   Would senior NCO's & senior officers have thicker gold rope crossing over the base of the hat itself?   Oh the possibilities.

I envisioned a Steston with the regimental cap badge.  Like the RCMP, officers would wear forage caps.

The reason I mentioned armour regiments was because Stetsons were worn by their predecessor horse regiments at the turn of the century...

They would even look sharp in combats too! 

But they wouldn't be too practical inside a tank!  :tank:

 

[DG-41]

The pillbox

Rocks.

Nothing says "sexy" like a chinstrap tanline.

DG

 

[onecat]

"I envisioned a Steston with the regimental cap badge."

cowboy hats... man I hope not, sure looks okay on teh RCMP  but lets leave at that.

 

[armyvern]

Nothing says "sexy" like a chinstrap tanline.

I object!! Gotta go with the maroon beret here!!  ;D

 

[geo]

The pillbox
Rocks.
Nothing says "sexy" like a chinstrap tanline.

Ummm - like the one those Capuchin monkeys wear with the organ grinders?
Now - wouldn't you love to be associated with something like that (JK)

 

[Big Foot]

Ah yes, pillbox. I hate them with a passion, after having gotten said "sexy" chinstrap tan...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The pillbox

Rocks.

Nothing says "sexy" like a chinstrap tanline.

DG

Ah yes. Another part of that useless "ringknocker" paraphernalia that effectively separates them from the real world

 

[DG-41]

So spoken by somone who has obviously never experienced the awesome sexual attraction powers of the pilllbox and its associated tanline.



DG

 

[claybot]

Seems some Army pers have forgotten the only good part of having to wear a Forage Cap on parade. It saved the face of anyone who passed out and fell forwards in proper military fashion, with the beret alot more pain is involved.

Other than that I hope it never comes back spent too much time polishing it with tooth paste and shaving cream.

And it was the most uncomfortable piece of headgear I've ever worn in the CF.

 

[long haired civvy]

I hated forage caps, always got a headache after wearing them. Mine got crushed in my kitbag once, and I looked like a U Boat captain after that.

 

[Maverick585]

well.. from an airforce point of view 
the wedge cap is great... other than when it rains.. cause it doesn't keep u dry.. much like a beret... but still.. i think the forage cap would look sharp with any uniform.. my buddy in teh GGFG still wears his with his DEU's... and it looks super cool... at least the officers should still wear then.. i think.. even though i'm a Pte..

and for the record.. the wedge is a great piece of kit.. in fits nicely in your flt suit pocket... what more do u need.. the joys of being air crew.. we get them.. but yah.. i love my wedge.. it's the air force ... i have my beret... and i look like apizza guy in it..c ause i got one of the new ones that's too long ont he side.. and thier is nothing i can do about it... and in the wind... well.. the wedge cap is fine.. if u get the right size.. if u don't.. well that's your own fault for being a hammer head.. come on.. get the thing to fit.. and no probls... geess... like what do u expect... and us air force wear our head dress so little is doesn't matter... from my house to my Jeep to work.. in side the building.. int he pocket.. for the rest of the day.. till work to jeep to home.. then it's off...

that's my two cents.. i expect change back

later
Andrew

 

[geo]

... into the pocket....
which is exactly my point about forage caps.
ever try to sort out a table / shelf full of forage caps priot to a parade..

with respect to your "too big" beret maverick.....  it is possible to shrink the bleeding thing... boil the wool while ensuring the leather does not soak in the hot water. Am certain there are several threads on the various techniques you can use

 

[Glorified Ape]

Ah yes. Another part of that useless "ringknocker" paraphernalia that effectively separates them from the real world

Yes, but it sets them apart so we may know who to point and laugh at.

 

[Stew]

Nope, never bloody again leave 'em where they lie, as well get rid of this useless beret too, 21 yrs of burning my ear tips with frost bite, Beret head, and being down half a quart is enough... as a mtter of fact the whole deu uniform should be scrapped all together ... its a waist of money. Lets get ourselves better and a large quantity of Battle dress uniforms that arent going to fade regardless of the type of detergent  that I wash them in, more troops in uniform (its an old army retiring fast), hey lets scrap the reserves and force them to join the regs to make up our short falls! things like stalwart guardian, arcon eat up alot of money that could be turned elsewhere useful.

 

[Burrows]

Stew,

From where are you coming from?  What experience do you have to back up your post?

At army.ca we like to know what background people have before they go talking smack about a whole bunch of stuff.

Kyle Burrows
Army.ca Staff

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Stew, that was your freebie, make another troll post like that again and you are out of here. Read the Guidelines please.