Looking for 5th Dragoon Guards Helmet

P1080862.JPGP1080864.JPGP1080865.JPGP1080866.JPGP1080863.JPGHi Peter,

Attached are some photos of two of my 1871 pattern helmets where the stitching has gone. These show two layers of brown leather. and David Rowe in his book, 'Head Dress of the British Cavalry and Yeomanry' (p99). says that Dragoon Guards Other Ranks had brown leather backed chin chains.

That's a very impressive piece of stitching. I've just lived with these chin chains. as I have no confidence in my stitching ability or my patience!

Patrick
 
Thanks Patrick. I may go to the brown leather at some time in the future but am happy with it for now.

Cheers.

Peter
 
Pete, I hope you were using beeswax on your thread😊. It takes approximately 40 inches of thread to stitch a haube visor.
 
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Was good practise too. Now of course the perfectionist in me wants the brown leather………

Looks like it is a light brown leather.
 
Always run yer thread through a small cake of beeswax Pete! 😊 It protects the thread and decreases friction. Obviously, haube leather is thicker but I would still use it.....even available at Walmart.
 
So I have replaced the black leather on the chin chain with the proper brown. I found some soft leather on Etsy that looked close to the leather in the sample pictures Patrick posted. Found the exact right width as well so just had to cut to length.

I have gained new respect for those that sew leather and I can't imagine what the average working day for the people who made these back in the day (or those in India making reproductions) would have been like. This has to be totally hand sewn.

I used an awl (my new best friend) to carefully punch the holes beforehand for the sewing around the edge of the two pieces and for the holes to attach the chain chain.

I have posted some pictures of the process. I also avoided my mistake from last time where I bunched up the chain by attaching each end of the chin chain first and then working my way from right to left to do the rest of the sewing.

I first sewed one side of the two pieces together. I then sewed the chin chains to the bottom piece of leather. I then finished up by sewing the remainder of the edging for the two pieces of leather.

Enjoy!

Peter

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Thanks Patrick.

Next time we’re on holiday in the UK we’ll swing by Scotland.

Cheers.

Peter
 
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