# Hat badge fasteners?



## moonspenders (May 7, 2012)

I'm making a few replica hat badges to put on my railroad hat. They're a simple plate design with two slots on either end to affix them to the hat, but I'm not sure how they would've been attached or what would've been used. Does anyone know what would've held them in place? Some sort of brad or ribbon? I'm at a loss, and I want to be historically accurate.


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

In the fire service our hat badges, which were shaped like a medallion, have a threaded post on the back mounted at 12 o'clock and a pin the size of a tack mounted at 6 o'clock. The threaded post is slightly larger than 2/56". When the nut is threaded down the pin snugs in and keeps it from spinning on the hat. 

My original hat badge is from the 20's so i would assume that railroad hat badges from that era would be made the same way. 

Terry


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## moonspenders (May 7, 2012)

I know what you're talking about, but these badges are a bit different. I've seen some pinned in place or using ribbon, but I'm not sure what originally would've been used. These ones don't have pin backs and look like this:


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

That looks like it would mount to the band on the front of the hat.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

What can I say?

John


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## moonspenders (May 7, 2012)

Thanks, John. Would a railroadman in 1890 have actually worn a badge on a bowler? Because I do have a black one...


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

If I remember correctly both hat and badge are in a museum. Precuser to the stripped job? Probably. 

My guess. 

John


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

The bowler was the hat that won the west!!! There are more bowlers in historical pictures than any other type of hat. 

So, since the employees supplied their own clothing I would suspect that at some time you would see a badge fastened to a bowler. Cannot offer proof though.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

It does look like the badge was made to fit that kind of hat, the ribbon would fall off in the back of a billed cap. The full round brim would help with cinders too. 
John


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## moonspenders (May 7, 2012)

Makes a lot of sense, especially for a small railroad when bowlers were still very popular. In all the old Valley Railway photographs I've found pre-1900, I can't find one with anyone wearing a "trainman's hat"... but tons of bowlers! Even without seeing the hat badge on anyone's hat, I have a strong suspicion you may be on to something with the bowler... I'm putting it to good use this fall!


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I'm happy to have helped. 

John


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## ddevoto (Jan 22, 2008)

Here's something of interest concerning Bowlers from Wikipedia. 

In the Americas 

The bowler, not the cowboy hat or sombrero, was the most popular hat in the American West, prompting Lucius Beebe to call it "the hat that won the West".[7] Both cowboys and railroad workers preferred the hat because it would not blow off easily in strong wind, or when sticking one's head out the window of a speeding train. It was worn by both lawmen and outlaws, including Bat Masterson, Butch Cassidy, Black Bart, and Billy the Kid. It is in America the hat came to be commonly known as the "Derby",[3] and Wild West outlaw Marion Hedgepeth was commonly referred to as "the Derby Kid".


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