RAF Officers SD Hat - where is the Cardinal Hat Co?

[spectre150]

Boring I know, but hopefully the thread title will allow you to skip over this if you do are not interested.

I need a new SD cap. I have for many years bought these items from the Cardinal Cap Co (my last one has an 071 phone number so you can see how long ago it was!) but I cannot find them through Google. Does anyone know if they went out of business, were taken over or suggest an alternative source? IIRC Bates were popular many moons ago.

[Torque Tonight]

My old man wore a Bates in Aden, Singapore, Hong Kong etc in the 1960s given to him by his father. When I was commissioned he bought me a Bates. When my spawn joins up he or she too will have a Bates (assuming that the RAF and Bates of Jermyn Street still exist then).

Now if I could find the tw@ who pinched my Gieves & Hawkes chip bag hat from the Officers' Mess at MPA while I was having breakfast some time ago....

I realise this completely fails to answer the question but hey!

[Wader2]

Before you go rushing for your pen and cheque book:

Welcome to Cardinal Cap and Jacket Co. - Call Toll Free 800-336-0551 (http://www.cardinalcapandjacketco.com/)

:}

[Wader2]

Bates the Hatter

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21a Jermyn Street (http://www.londontown.com/LondonStreets/jermyn_street_37c.html), Westminster (http://www.londontown.com/LondonStreets/Boro/City%20of%20Westminster%20London%20Boro), London, SW1Y 6HP Telephone:http://pdf.londontown.com/DirectImageProcessor/createTextImage.php?text=020%207734%202722

[Background Noise]

Stores do perfectly acceptable SD hats and at a reasonable price.

[Grabbers]

It's headdress.

[Wader2]

Stores do perfectly acceptable SD hats and at a reasonable price.

That's uniform for goodness sake. If everyone went to Stores, why everyone would look the same.

No more No 1 jackets with scarlet lining.

No more SD hats that look like they are 90 years old.

No more mess Jackets with intricately sewn lining.

My mess jacket even had wipe down lapels to cut down dry cleaning costs.

[BN Boy]

A certain cadre of intrepid young officers at RAF Odiham, led by an officer more intrepid and hirsute than most, have commissioned a bespoke SD hat from Gieves and Hawkes.

This hat singles out the wearer immediately as a gentleman with refined taste, elegance and, it has to be said, panache.

It (the hat) looks quite at home both on the parade square and crumpled into the leg pocket of a flying suit.

Though, ye of shallow pockets need not apply as this garment is reassuringly expensive.

For further details, you may find your sartorial answers from 18 (Bomber) Squadron, RAF Odiham.

[Pontius Navigator]

on the parade square

What's one of them? Even in the 60s they were generally given over to car parks. Now one station doesn't even have that now that they have slammed :) the door.

Or are parades now much back in fashion?

I can guess the RAF way of parading. Sqn goes to Afg. Sqn returns. Guys go on leave. Stay-at-homes march through streets.

Guys on leave very happy - win-win :}


Or maybe not :(

[spectre150]

Wader2 - thank you for the link - priceless! Exactly what I need :-)

Torque Tonight - I too inherited my father's Bates, now long gone (the Bates not my father). I also inherited an unworn chip bag which, bizarrely, does not fit me (and it makes me look even more ridiculous than usual). If you are still on the lookout for a chip bag let me know.

Thanks for your input gentlemen - stores or Bates it is then.

[NutLoose]

BN Boy


A certain cadre of intrepid young officers at RAF Odiham, led by an officer more intrepid and hirsute than most, have commissioned a bespoke SD hat from Gieves and Hawkes.

This hat singles out the wearer immediately as a gentleman with refined taste, elegance and, it has to be said, panache.

It (the hat) looks quite at home both on the parade square and crumpled into the leg pocket of a flying suit.

Though, ye of shallow pockets need not apply as this garment is reassuringly expensive.

For further details, you may find your sartorial answers from 18 (Bomber) Squadron, RAF Odiham.

And here it is...


http://i11.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/e6/7f/4250_1.JPG

And their in theater version

http://www.joyoftech.ca/geekculturestore/webstore/webstoreimages/beanies/boarderbeanie.gif

:}:ok:

[FlapJackMuncher]

I found a chip-bag hat on the road outside the dental centre at Akrotiri recently.
If you want it, ask the mess manager to whom I passed it.