"1813 Prussian Shakos" Topic

These are my homemade Prussian shakos that would be from a Fusilier Battalion. Officer on left and Fusilier on right. The Fusilier I will use if ever get to go shooting with my replica Brown Bess. The Officer shako will be my gaming hat as I play a Prussian Officer mostly. Its missing the chain and spread eagle medallions on side but don't know if ever will find something like them.

Whomever started the gaming hat is to blame, but can't complain how they turned out never done anything like it.

I think they look great. Well done.

Two other things, I regret not painting chin straps much on my 15 mm Napoleonic army men, that thing weighs a bit, and someone will be styling at Historicon this summer.

The Fusileer has a adjustable lining since it was much talker and had to be cut closer to size. Saw a website on making one and it showed doing same thing. The officer's I remade my wood former to fit my head size so just needed a leather sweat band.

Looking good!

Jim

That's impressive, mate. Is there an amateur crafts and jewellery club near you? They may be able to help with the eagles and chain at a reasonable price.

One thing didn't mention was cost was very reasonable. First top leather I had and have more, been wanting to make a cartridge box for years and now will be even more motivated to make one. The felt is cheap, had enough for both for under $3 USD but wanted originally the heavy felt I ended up using for the officers shako. The front visor leather I bout at a craft store but got way more than needed ( maybe some for box) for $16. USD Cloth trim was $5 USD but wasted much on experiment so had to buy the officers again. Gold spray paint was another but use it for holiday so only a slight expense. Tried felt stiffened but didn't do exactly what I expected and as say the officers was heavy felt so there is cardboard stiffened inside. Cord for officers cockade was about another $5. USD All together a few hours but really cheaply made in costs.

Really clever work and great results.

Now remember that the real thing was always protected with an oilskin cover, for a very good reason. Felt, cardboard etc would not react well to a downpour! I gather rain is not unknown in Pennsylvania.

Imagine the weight of that with an oilskin cover on it. Presumably the advantage of a bearskin was you didn't need a cover…although the Scots Greys had them so maybe you did. Then again, were all bearskins made of bears? I've read here that many if not most were made of goats.

Have to agree. I have several Barbour jackets and they are both heavy and surprisingly ineffective at keeping the rain out after two years of wear. (Still love them though).

The goats idea I also recall. Definitely. Cheaper too.

Seems in paintings of uniforms, the eagle is mandatory but chains not. Forgot to mention these are 7 5/8" a bit over regulation 7", but close enough.

Further investigation on shakos, a oil skin is not hard to make, black cloth, few oils.
A Russian shako isn't hard and cords can be bought.

Could you make the shako plate using brass sheet and scissors?

Looking on line a Grenadier 3 flame medallion can be had but bet could carve and cast one. Cords set can be had also. But how it's made is quite different to a Prussian shako

link

I carved in a block of quick set spackle, it needs to get much dryer before trying to cast it. Need 2 so hope 2st comes out and doesn't destroy it.
2 inches wide.

Picture makes it look raised but eagle is carved into the block.
If this works, and not back to the drawing board planning on a Russian Artillery officer kiwer

What base sizes are you using?

As no measurements I have found taking a wild guess from pictures and the drawing I am going by. Even different pictures this medallion is not all the same size. Probably it's not just made by 1 manufacturer and going through a government agency

@ 4th Cuirassier
Whether made of bear or goat they will gain a lot of weight when wet as the fur soaks up water, so I'd want an oilskin. When on the bear the fur is oily but that gets washed out in hat making, just like the lanolin gets washed out of wool.

My understanding felt in the period was wool, is what we use today felt same? No idea but all close enough. My officers is heavy felt, the enlisted thinner but can get it in rolls.

Making a oil skin cover, not that I think it will ever get wet, reads its fairly easy to make.

felt was not necessarily made from wool – in case of surviving items, those are very light in comparisson of re constructions.

14Bore

Cast 2 eagles out of plumbing solder using 2 plaster Paris blocks, the relief carved into on the other as a stop and made ports to pour in the solder at the sword, helmet and septer. Made at least 6 these were the best, but the plaster block is holding up so wondering what else I could cast.

All finished, one down.
Didn't find a exact picture of the Heraldic Eagle so guessing. Biggest question is what is the correct object in its left claw. Most have sword but size in drawings it looks more the the pool question. But closer than I thought ever would get to it.
Casted the eagle in a block of plaster paris and used none lead plumbing solder.

Couldn't see any point in two Fusileer shakos even if they have two purposes and not wearing them at same time. So decided to make a Grenadier Shako. No idea really how or where to get the large bush plume that all my Grenadiers have.

Forgot, eagle is from David Nash's booklet, and cast it also with non lead plumbing solder.

Hello, I found this forum while I was making one of my Prussian shakos and I have a few bits of advice.
1. Widen your visor, the visor goes around the circumference of the front of the shako almost to the middle point.
2. For the fusilier cockade, cut a black leather circle at the full size you want it to be, and then stitch white wool broadcloath on the edge.
3. 3d print plates if you want them to be top quality.

You can spray paint the plates a brass/gold color

I always like advice
I have yet to do 3D printing but tried at first to do as close to original as could get at time.
The now Grenadier shako was first try, and was to be only but didn't even finish it and thought I could do better.
All embossing can be removed in seconds as they are bolted through so could try that cockade as will be very soon on my Russian Kiver
If nothing else it would lighten it that little bit, these shakos weigh a bit more than your simple baseball hat

Certainly lighten it up a tiny bit

Anyone have a clue how to make a big busch plume?

Horse hair for enlists, rooster feathers for officers

That is what the grenadier plate I 3d printed looks like. After I curve it a bit, I will spray paint it brass, drill small thread holes into the body, and then sew it into the shako.

I take it there were different versions, my drawing and cast were taken from Nash's booklet. It was the officers side medallions I took a bit of guess as it's the big orb or smaller, even looked at the flag of the period.
That does look awesome

Thin horsehair plumes can actually bought
Can't imagine how much horsehair if that's what is used it would take.

The officer's eagles are different.

For the rankers's plume, it is not as dense as many sources show. I recommend looking at this plate by I believe Herbert Knötel for an accurate depiction of the plume.

The wood form I had to make for these and my Russian Kiver @
TMP link

Looked again at Nash and convinced I am correct but in no way means all were exactly the same, he even states the one I used was a alternative.

According to one of my reference books from the period, the officers had "heraldischen Adler" (heraldic eagles) while the grenadiers had "fliegender Adler" (flying eagles.) Heraldic eagles are the ones you see on the flag of Prussia for example. A flying eagle I assumed is similar to the eagle that Fusiliers wore on their czakots until the 23rd of October, 1808, as they were also described as flying eagles in contemporary sources.