WHAT PRICE GLORY B-1 CAP REVIEW AND DRESS UP

[Anonymous]

The main concern for some might be the absence of a spec label, also the band is made from a what looks like a vegetable tanned, rather than the shiny finished leather used by Eastman, and Mash.co (sorry if my the terms I am using are a little off as I am not expert). However the overall construction is very good in my humble opinion, and a price one third that of other manufacturers, I bought three to mess around with. The bill constuction looks to be some kind of plastic, and the stitches and wool cover, are done well and snug with no lose gaps, or wrinkling. I also could find no weak stitching or issues with the rest of the cap including the band. To give it a better fit out of the bag, I dampened the leather band, and set it on a hat block over night, to flatten out the leather for a more comfortable fit. At 35.00 I would recommend this B-1 to anyone, it's a good buy if you want to mess around without the 100.00 investment.

 

[dmar836]

I can see a few differences from the originals in construction but for $35, that's not bad at all.
I added a name tag like that to my A-3 and really like the look.
Tell us, is this a "summer cap"? I find them rather warm.
Thanks for the quick review!
Dave

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's the wool version, and yes, for California it's a winter cap.

 

[Falcon_52]

I've always wondered what WPG's B-1 cap looked like - I've never seen a decent photo before. It looks pretty good and very similar to my Eastman. Interesting about the sweatband: is there any finish on the leather or is it unfinished altogether?

Thanks for the photos.

Noel

 

[deand]

I can see a few differences from the originals in construction but for $35, that's not bad at all.
I added a name tag like that to my A-3 and really like the look.
Tell us, is this a "summer cap"? I find them rather warm.
Thanks for the quick review!
Dave

I own one of these and I like it. Yet compared to DMAR CAPS, Co. reproduction, the weight and feel of the wool is very different, the color is very different, as well. The sweatband leather is a bit heavier than the DMAR, and the wool does not have the supple quality that the DMAR cap has. The DMAR cap practically stretches and shapes as you pull it on, the WPG cap wool not so much. Not saying one is superior to the other, though I suspect the DMAR cap benefits from being reproduced from an actual vintage B-1. The WPG cap is great for the price.

I added some stitching on the body where the panel meets the brim along the front to match the originals I"ve seen in photos.

And I reconfigured the rear seam where the top panels meet the side panels, because originally it just looked strange.

dean

 

[dmar836]

I think they might use a different type of wool gabardine. I had a hard time finding it and am currently in a drought. That crisp stuff is much easier to find but isn't right IMO. I have both kinds of wool gab twill but it's the "fuzzier" kind you want. I think the top stitching on Chitchat's cap looks okay. Was it missing altogether on yours, Dean? Incidentally, the sweatband should be something like .032" thick(can't remember off the top of my head - no pun intended). On my originals the sweatband is sewn much closer to the edge f the crown - not up inside. Also the stitching Dean mentions around the back of the bill is how the headband is attached there. I tried to hide that stitch too when I first made these but it is absolutely necessary to give the right "flare" from the bill to the crown.
Now that everyone knows how to make one...........
A member purchased the B-1 from my blog. Hopefully he has seen others and will weigh in. I have yet to hold another repro.
Dave

 

[deand]

The stitching was fine on the original cap, actually. What was weird was the way the two top panels and the two side panels met at the rear top, not giving a nice curved line, but extruded outward with a slight "lip" or "nose". I thought it should be more shaped in a gentle curve with the top panels meeting to follow the rounding of the side panels, not pushing outward in a more pointed fashion. It wasn't extremely distorted, but it bugged me so I fixed it.






dean

 

[Andrew]

Just in case anyone makes the same mistake as me,WPG only sell sz 7 3/8- I didn't check when I ordered (clever huh?) so I now have a cap that doesn't fit and so I'm gonna move it. If anyone's after a new one I'll sell it for $30 plus postage (they cost $35 pp and are shipped from Dubai and it took weeks to arrive). Only been unpacked and wishfully tried on. I'm a sz 58 head 7 1/4 US.

So I'm now on the hunt for a B-1 to fit so if anyone has one to sell, otherwise I'll lash out and get a MASH.