Uniforms Hardee hat feather

[DuckNachos99]

I have a hardee hat I was hoping to attach a feather to. How do I do that?

 

[SethJ]

I have a hardee hat I was hoping to attach a feather to. How do I do that?

View attachment 510132

Would you be able to wedge it into the cap cord?

 

[DuckNachos99]

Would you be able to wedge it into the cap cord?

Yes, but I was hoping for something a bit more permanent. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use glue or sew it or what.

 

[SethJ]

Yes, but I was hoping for something a bit more permanent. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use glue or sew it or what.

Unfortunately, I don't own a hardee. However, from a non-professional standpoint, I'd think sewing it is a good idea. If you ever want to remove it for any reason, you can simply cut the thread. There is the problem with glue becoming a permanate fixture if you decide to go that route.
As far as sewing it on, I'm sure there is some way to get a small and very fine needle through the feather and hide the visible stitches in the hat cord if you "sew" desire.
Just an idea. I'm sure there are other professionals here who can help more.

 

[DuckNachos99]

Unfortunately, I don't own a hardee. However, from a non-professional standpoint, I'd think sewing it is a good idea. If you ever want to remove it for any reason, you can simply cut the thread. There is the problem with glue becoming a permanate fixture if you decide to go that route.
As far as sewing it on, I'm sure there is some way to get a small and very fine needle through the feather and hide the visible stitches in the hat cord if you "sew" desire.
Just an idea. I'm sure there are other professionals here who can help more.

Thanks. Appreciate the help.

 

[captaindrew]

It just tucks into the hat cord, you can put a stitch on it if you'd like but don't glue it. You'll want to be able to take it out easily. Remember these hats were intended for dress occasions.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

I know of two surviving Confederate slouch hats where beeswax was used to attach feathers.

Europe’s Stone Age fishers used beeswax to make a point

Late Stone Age Europeans made spears with beeswax adhesive.

www.sciencenews.org

"Northern Europeans attached a barbed bone point to a handle of some kind with a beeswax adhesive around 13,000 years ago, scientists say. The result: a fishing spear. Using beeswax glue to make tools was common in Africa as early as 40,000 years ago."

 

[RedRover]

 

[7thWisconsin]

You just stick it under the hat cord. Feathers really weren´t permanent. They were issued new before just about every dress parade, so that tells you that they got lost, misplaced and bedraggled pretty easily. They continued to be issued to the IB regiments all throughout the war, even after the brigade was broken up.

 

[Dan Kohli]

Just a thing to remember; back in the day everything that attached to those hats were expected to be removable.

 

[Package4]

I have a hardee hat I was hoping to attach a feather to. How do I do that?

View attachment 510132

Somewhere around here I have an unissued feather in the original wrapping, it came with an unissued Hardee I purchased many years ago. As I recall, there are a couple of feathers attached together at the "quill" end. The feathers were tucked behind the the very small hat band and usually tacked in with a couple pieces of thread. Hat bands were simply there to hide the sweatband stitching in wide brim hats.

Just a suggestion, for more authenticity I would get feathers that were more like below, I found my original. There is a metal pin either for holding the two feathers together or for attachment. You can see how the feathers loop or curve front to back.

 

[Package4]

So according to an artifact in the NYSHS archives, the feather was originally intended to be placed within a crocheted holder as pictured:

I have to imagine that this was the original intent, in 1858, but was not very cost effective or expedient when it came to furnishing gear to hundreds and thousands of troops in 1861.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Yeah - I bet very few of those crocheted holders saw the light of day!

 

[Package4]

I guess the crocheted feather holder went the way of the knapsack frame. Many do not know that the original double bag actually were issued with an internal wooden frame. The frame made the bag look more like a hard pack, but it was very uncomfortable; thus they were very short lived. Most ended up as kindling and are very rare today.

 

[SethJ]

I guess the crocheted feather holder went the way of the knapsack frame. Many do not know that the original double bag actually were issued with an internal wooden frame. The frame made the bag look more like a hard pack, but it was very uncomfortable; thus they were very short lived. Most ended up as kindling and are very rare today.

Not on hardee topic, but would that be historically accurate for, let's say... early war impressions?

 

[Package4]

Not on hardee topic, but would that be historically accurate for, let's say... early war impressions?

I believe it would, but I would not go to that much trouble and discomfort. You could go with a hard pack if you wanted an early war impression, it's just that you would need others to go along. You don't want to be "that guy". Would be a great topic for around the campfire when discussing more realistic impressions, but you need buy in from your pards.

 

[Dan Kohli]

If they made it to the late war time period, it probably would have been issued to a heavy artillery regiment early on.

 

[Trooper "D"]

I have a hardee hat I was hoping to attach a feather to. How do I do that?

View attachment 510132

Is there not supposed to be 2 feathers for enlisted?
I find that putting the feather tips into those little brass bolo ends helps. They then can be sewed to the hat or even just pushing the ball end of the brass tip through the hat band will work to keep them steady.