Is this a standard issue boonie hat?

I've had this a while and don't know where I got it. Is this standard issue or something less usual or commercial?





Thanks!

Steve

Never seen one ?

Looks custom or summat as Brits use tropical non ripstop cloth.

The cut looks very American I must add.

OK, I thought it wasn't standard. It's a pretty common design these days, but you're correct it isn't typical British. The cloth label is, to me, quite interesting. Normally when someone makes a knockoff the label, if there is one, is cheap plastic. This is like issued British stuff. Plus, the fabric appears to be correct ripstop cloth.

Hmmmm!

Steve

A very interesting label Steve ,Vero and Everitt have been around since 1896 and as far as I can work out ended production in 2010, they most famously made the liners for the MK2 Brodie lids, so therefore a genuine company with a long military manufacturing hertitage.

But I have not seen a Ripstop Jungle hat like this one before, so maybe the company diversified into commercial products......BUT, I searched for the NSN on the label, and the numbers matched "CAP,CAMOUFLAGE PATT", so the NSN relates to a Camo cap.....very interesting indeed

Oooooo... I like the sounds of that Maybe they made it as a sample in order to illicit some more business from the MoD?

Steve

CollectinSteve wrote:Oooooo... I like the sounds of that Maybe they made it as a sample in order to illicit some more business from the MoD?

Steve

Could be,could be!!!! it's not the first time I have seen a " commercial looking" Brit item, that was made by an MoD prime contractor like your Boonie , my thoughts are that it may well be a sample/trial piece...who knows,I hope it is anyway Mate

I have a Dutch Army DPM boonie made by a German manufacturer with commercial tags. Commercial? Well, not according to the dutch military tags fixed onto it by metal seal It was probably a solicitation for a bid on manufacturing an already established pattern was a sample to prove their competence. I've also seen a number of items put out by Seyntex (huge contractor) that mismatch camouflage clothes with national designs. Again, they are sample pieces designed to get some business from someone.

I'll go on that assumption regarding this boonie for now.

Steve

Maybe its a sample to lure Govt business at a trade show ?

Yup, that's my assumption for now. This company was looking for business so they made some samples and sent them to the MoD. Obviously nothing came of it, but the samples made their way out into the collector's market.

I wish I remember where I got this hat!

Steve

It would appear to be the case Steve,I can not think of another logical reason for non-standard issued kit to be NSN'd.
This opens up new discussions regarding other such " commercial" looking British clothing items, which also have the correct NSN labels.........now where did I put that SAS windproof, that was dissed as being nothing more than commercial crap?

Personally I really appreciate these non-standard looking items, as the discovery to correctly identify them can be a very interesting journey indeed, I look forward to seeing more of your unusual British items

One does have to be careful, though, since there are a lot of crap items out there with faked NSNs or other information. I'll keep something like this hat because it might be "interesting" until I find out it isn't. If that day never comes, I'm fine with that too

Steve

CollectinSteve wrote:One does have to be careful, though, since there are a lot of crap items out there with faked NSNs or other information. I'll keep something like this hat because it might be "interesting" until I find out it isn't. If that day never comes, I'm fine with that too

Steve

Good philosophy Steve, at the end of the day if it's a trials piece ..super cool, if not, well it will keep the sun off your head if nothing else