"Austrian Hussar unifrom question: fur busbies?" Topic

I am starting my 3mm Austrian army and have a question: did any Austro-Hungarian hussars use fur busbies during the Napoleonic period?

(And before some wag makes the obvious stale commentary, yes, you can tell the difference between busbies and shakos on O8's hussars at am's length.)

I ask because I have some left over cavalry in fur busbies and I need to fill out some Austrian hussar regiments.

I know the French hussars had an elite first company in busbies. Did the Austrians do anything similar? Or did they have entire regiments in busbies? Alternatively, maybe some troopers used busbies and some didn't?

I can't find any on-line sources re: Austrian hussars and busbies, but IIRC, whe I went to the Military Museum in Vienna, I did see some Napoleonic era fur busbies.

So what do the button-counters have to say on thhis topic?

Hi Zakalwe64,

To the best of my knowledge, I do not believe that the Austrian's wore the busby. They either wore a kolbak.. essentially the pre-cursor to the shako (best described as half mirleton, half shako) without a permanent peak for covering the eyes.. during the Revolutionary period or a shako, proper, during the Napoleonic period.

Now that said, you note that you are using 3mm figs. Headgear should not be difficult to convert, no? A few file strokes and you should have a sufficiently reduced busby to pass for a shako. Would that be a possible solution?

I've never seen any reference to Austrians using busbys, either. Shako, or shako-like headgear only!

I've never seen any reference to Austrians using busbys, either.

Same here. All the plates I have and have seen show no busbies.

Cheers,

The Bandit

Thanks! No, the busbies are quite evident on these figs. I suppose I could just paint them shako colors, but at any distance close than 80 cm or so, it would be noticeable.

3mm is cheap enough that I can just order another pack of hussars with shakos. I am just impatient!

Aside from French elite chasseurs / hussar companies you'll want to hold onto those should you wish to expand your collection in the future. At which time they can be used for Polish, Westphalian or Italian elite chasseurs… later British Hussars.. or.. if you come to the dark side where a few of us lurk.. early Prussian Hussars from the Revolutionary period (up-to 1795 at least).

Good luck with your project!