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WPG Crusher Cap review and pics (and another one for sale!)

Greg Gale

Well-Known Member
You may have read about my ordeal with WPG. I wanted a budget crusher cap that looks OK. I've read they run large, so I ordered a size smaller than my normal size. This 7 1/4 was too big. I sent it back, they didn't pick it up, and after 3-4 emails they told me the replacement 7 1/8 was on its way. Today I got the pack, along with the original cap I sent back, with a label on it saying "unclaimed". The return postage cost me as much as the cap, so I'm not going to send it back again. This is terribly careless customer service. I decided I will sell the bigger one (7 1/4) to any of you who is interested for 35 GBP plus postage (which may cost just as much)

So the cap is definitely a budget one, but quite well made, great bang for the buck. The first series ran tall they said, but this is an improved run which I don't find too tall at all. Maybe a little wide, but I have nothing to compare it to. The wool elastic is of good quality, perfect color. The leather is, well, OK. All in all it's more than what I hoped for.

Quick question: The inside of the top of the hat is reinforced with a thick-ish transparent plastic, which prevents me from really crushing the cap without it jumping back to its original form. Is this plastic piece present on originals? (see pics) Or should I remove it? There is a silk lining underneath.

Here are some pics, and if you're interested in getting my 7 1/4 (which is more like a 7 3/8), let me know ;)
 

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Brettafett

Well-Known Member
Looks nice Greg, sorry about the returns and replacements hassle. Poor Customer service is such nonsense... in this day and age, one would hope companies pay as much attention to CS as to sales and product development... But sadly... does not often seem to be the case. You are going to have to give us a full gear pic one day.
 

Steve27752

Well-Known Member
You may have read about my ordeal with WPG. I wanted a budget crusher cap that looks OK. I've read they run large, so I ordered a size smaller than my normal size. This 7 1/4 was too big. I sent it back, they didn't pick it up, and after 3-4 emails they told me the replacement 7 1/8 was on its way. Today I got the pack, along with the original cap I sent back, with a label on it saying "unclaimed". The return postage cost me as much as the cap, so I'm not going to send it back again. This is terribly careless customer service. I decided I will sell the bigger one (7 1/4) to any of you who is interested for 35 GBP plus postage (which may cost just as much)

So the cap is definitely a budget one, but quite well made, great bang for the buck. The first series ran tall they said, but this is an improved run which I don't find too tall at all. Maybe a little wide, but I have nothing to compare it to. The wool elastic is of good quality, perfect color. The leather is, well, OK. All in all it's more than what I hoped for.

Quick question: The inside of the top of the hat is reinforced with a thick-ish transparent plastic, which prevents me from really crushing the cap without it jumping back to its original form. Is this plastic piece present on originals? (see pics) Or should I remove it? There is a silk lining underneath.

Here are some pics, and if you're interested in getting my 7 1/4 (which is more like a 7 3/8), let me know ;)

I would leave the plastic in as it protects the inside of the cap and stops sweat stains on the outside of the cap (Not nice).
In the past I have soaked the top of a cap, pulled the sides down and then wrapped a tea towel around the cap, leave on for a long time. This pulls the sides down, you may need to do it several times
Or, put on a foam/glass head and put ear phones over the top to bring the sides down.
Or wear it with a headset on.
Have you taken out the stiffener, that is usually fitted in the top of the crown and runs around the circumference of the crown?
 

Greg Gale

Well-Known Member
The stiffener is out, the problem is that this plastic reaches out to the circumference of the top, and therefore it's pretty hard to have the sides crushed and stay like that. Then again, it may take as much as 50 missions...I'll definitely store it crushed and wrapped. So you say the clear plastic is accurate and should stay?
 

Steve27752

Well-Known Member
The stiffener is out, the problem is that this plastic reaches out to the circumference of the top, and therefore it's pretty hard to have the sides crushed and stay like that. Then again, it may take as much as 50 missions...I'll definitely store it crushed and wrapped. So you say the clear plastic is accurate and should stay?
Yes as per originals. What you could do is something that I have done with very dirty sweat shields. Which is to remove the shield and replace it with the clear covering that we used to put on the covers of school books (WHS or Rymans). It is a lot thiner and still looks okay.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Hi Greg,
sorry but, buy the original...most probably in this size only about 50 Euro Price difference (??) to what you paid...but it´s an original and you will not have all the discussions you are facing right now... Plus originals are always an Investment value...Repros? :) :) :)
(The eagle looks a bit way out...IMHO)
 
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Garylafortuna

Well-Known Member
Greg, try wrapping the cap to the degree of crush you desire, then put it into the deepfreeze for a few days. Some guys use this method to shape their ball caps. Could be like chicken
soup: might not do any good but it won't hurt.
 

Carl

Well-Known Member
Is the visor single ply leather ? If no , then its not going to take that "look" i think you are after . No amount of pulling shaping etc is going to make it look any different to what you have . Sorry if that sounds harsh , but id rather be truthful and shoot from the hip regarding these sort of things .
Pet hate of mine is the word "crusher " :mad: to describe an Officers service visor .
 

Carl

Well-Known Member
Carl, was the body of a service cap originally not made of a thicker material than a 'Crusher' type cap?
i have always took it ,that it was a gaberdine type , there must have been different weights of fabric ?? what could be taken into consideration is the fact that single ply visors were produced independently ,they were not a service issue item that had to be bought by the officer , as we all know officers had to buy their own uniforms from regulated outfitters . So i look at it this way , the likes of Bancroft would have (?) made a "poverty spec" visor then the "Flighter" which was more , to put it in a better way "en vogue" ??
 

Greg Gale

Well-Known Member
Carl, the leather visor is thicker than I expected. Quite pliable, but I guess not a true crusher. I totally get what you mean by "bag with style", so now I'm crushing, twisting, HWT-ing the living hell out of it. Out of curiosity: how rigid is the lighter green side band on yours? Is there any reinforcement inside? Thanks!
 

Carl

Well-Known Member
Yeah , i know what you mean Steve , im pretty sure its the same material . I dont have an example to reference against my own" Flighter" .
With the Flighters etc . There is nothing really in them , hence the term "crush"
I can screw mine up like you wouldnt believe , visor and all !!! Its scary to see !!
 

Carl

Well-Known Member
Carl, the leather visor is thicker than I expected. Quite pliable, but I guess not a true crusher. I totally get what you mean by "bag with style", so now I'm crushing, twisting, HWT-ing the living hell out of it. Out of curiosity: how rigid is the lighter green side band on yours? Is there any reinforcement inside? Thanks!
Il double check when home Greg !
Like i have said to Steve , there is nothing really in the construction of them !
 

dmar836

Well-Known Member
I'll have to disagree that that plastic is as per originals. I have seen them, and may have examples of them, with a smaller triangle of plastic in the center of the crown but I don't think any of them have the whole crown lined in plastic. If it were mine, I'd remove it in a heartbeat to see the result.
I've gone into the rant too many times to comment on the officers cap vs "crusher"(ugh) debate. Any student on the topic should be able to see this as a functional term rather than an actual cap designation. We know what you all mean by the term but it's a more recently made up term by collectors that takes attention from historical caps.
Dave
 

Greg Gale

Well-Known Member
@dmar836 : that's exactly what I thought. I've never seen an original ,but googled some pics, and some did have a plastic piece. However, those didn't cover the whole crown, only the center! This is why I'm looking for input from the experts out there. I guess if I remove it I can still make it smaller and sew it back?
 
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