WWII-Cold war West Point USMA SHAKO Full Dress Uniform Cap OLD! With Bag, Mint!

Description

WWII-Cold War era. West Point USMA SHAKO Full Dress Uniform Cap OLD! With Cotton Storage Bag,
Mint!! Full Dress Shako as worn by the Corps of Cadets, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.
RARE in this CONDITION!!
The design, construction, materials used in THIS particular SHAKO remained unchanged from
1923
until the
late-1960s
when plastics, vinyl were substituted for
LEATHER
, Pressed
FIBER
, and
BRASS!!
REAL LEATHER throughout! TRUE STAMPED BRASS Chain-link Chin Strap! TRUE ALL-WOOL Pom-Pom!
WWII-era West Point USMA SHAKO for wear with then Full Parade Dress Uniform.
Complete with
Black
COTTON
Draw
-
string
STORAGE
BAG
!
SHAKO only! (NOTE: The Uniform, Red Sash, Sword Sling, and Cadet Sword are NOT included in this sale.
NOTE! This is NOT a current molded PLASTIC SHAKO!!!
This is an SUPERIOR, vintage, older generatio, 66-year-old
SHAKO!!
Unlike many SHAKOES, the large plate USMA Crest
INSIGNE (the "Fried Egg"), th
e
BRASS
VISOR
TRIM
, and the
CHINSTRAP BUTTONS
are
GLEAMING
!
This
VINTAGE
example dates from the Post- WWI through the Cold War era before
“BAYLY
and SON, Inc. of Philadelphia, Penna. “
began using entirely different materials in the
Cap’s
construction!
Pershing, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Westmoreland, Schwarzkopf, Pompeo wore one of these first!
This Full Dress Cap was was issued in June 1955 to a cadet in "
M"
Company (named inside),
a “flanker” company — being a taller Cadet— and was commissioned initially in
Armor
, but ended up in the
Corps of Engineers
.
The
WEST POINT SHAKO
is an often overlooked piece of headgear by WWI, WWII, KW headgear collectors!
No plastic, no polyester, no vinyl whatsoever!!
This Shako is made of
WOOL
over
Pressed Fiber
,
LEATHER,
and
BRASS
. This is a SUPERB vintage piece whose basic design has remained unchanged for generations!
- True CALFSKIN Top
!
- True stamped BRASS (not plastic) CHAIN LINK Decorative Chin Strap!
- The interior of the crown is lined in a fine BLACK COTTON!
- The Liner is of Black CALFSKIN, not Vinyl! The interior Lambskin LINER is supple and is in an amazing state of preservation! The Leather LINER is intact— with NO ‘crazing' or flaking of the the Black Finish
- This
SHAKO
retrains the
ORIGINAL intact
Black Paper
SIZE TAG
(“
7
”).
This is a complete West Point
USMA SHAKO Full Dress Parade Cap
!! This is the
SHAKO
design adopted in 1898 (along with the Insigne with the Academy’s Coat of Arms).
The one significant change to the Shako over the past century and a half was to the brass
Insigne Plate
: The direction Athena’s helmet faced was reversed. In deference to the dictates of Heraldry, her helmet was made to face to the wearer’s RIGHT (facing DEXTER) in 1922, not to the wearer’s LEFT (facing SINISTER)!
Affectionately referred to as the “Tar Bucket,” this SHAKO shouts “Tradition!”
The
PATENT LEATHER VISOR
shows ZERO 'crazing,’ only a ‘
line
’ from where the Leather CHIN STRAP rested on it decades ago,
- The
Solid Brass VISOR TRIM
is still solidly attached, unbent, and
shines like a MIRROR!
-The black
WOOL CROWN
retains its excellent shape!!
-
ZERO
moth damage, mildew stains, or damage to the Black Wool exterior or the shape of the crown!
- The black Cotton
Adjustment LACE-STRING
is also present.
- Both painted metal
VENTILATORS
are present.
- The
Patent Leather TRIM
Strips and the
Crown
TOP
are in MINT condition!.
-The GLISTENING Lacquered Adjustable
Black Leather CHINSTRAP
is intact — unbroken— supple, and mirror-smooth.
- Black
POMPOM
(made of
SHORN WOOL
), canted forward, is in PERFECT condition and has the highly polished brass
FERRULE
. (Note: The current Pompom is made of shorn Polyester.)
This will ship, securely wrapped in a heavy, “bomb proof” carton.