IDF bush hats...

[Legion Etrangere]

www.israelmilitary.com/raful-bush-p-1385.html?cPath=2&osCsid=ce552b24aee2202146

www.zahal.org/gear/p1.htm

www.plugot.com/sg_product~1095~16~0.htm

Also check out the one for $40 that Jeff is selling at the SWAT SHOP:

members.fortunecity.com/swatshop/page13.htm

similar or close to the British WWII far east style bush?

[Legion Etrangere]

are any of those IDF hats correct?

[marsouin]

Sorry but I'd say no.....

[cookie]

Yeah thats a big no Mick. Maybe for Suez canal... 1956, Moshe Dayan, Ariel Sharon... Israeli paras in the desert, French 2e REP jumping over port fuad...

[Legion Etrangere]

Cookie,

Thanks.

I had heard someone in the last unit I was in say that IDF bush hats were correct for FICW ... thanks for dispelling that myth!

[woodard]

It may be that you see a lot of FICW bush hats with Zahal (IDF) stamps. These were part of a big uniform gift to the Israelis in the 60's. They show up in lots of photos of the 67' war (along w/ the "lizard suit" camo) and disappear by the early 70's. It's just a FICW boonie cap with Israeli stamps, I used carpet cleaner to remove the stamps. The Rafal caps in the above links aren't in widespread use until the 70'/80's.

This is the hat I'm talking about. www.omahas.com/product_info.php?products_id=700

[Legion Etrangere]

woodard,

That is exactly what I meant. My bush hat is an original and had a Zahal stamp on it that the first owner attempted to remove. In some pics on my website you can see the faint ink stamp on the front brim. Thanks for making the point! I think some of the emerging Israeli equipment / surplus dealers will have thousands of original bush hats for sale. I've seen several online for pretty good prices, but you have to order directly from Israel, and I am told that, like Hong Kong, your lucky to get your product.

[woodard]

I was in Israel this summer and the surplus situation is kinda weird, most of what they sell is for tourists, but I haven't actually ordered anything from there. The one militaria store I managed to track down had more US and Brit WWII stuff than IDF. I get the feeling there isn't much of a collector market there, so hopefully most of will get routed here.

[Legion Etrangere]

Gents,

I am in Los Angeles on Christmas vacation (see relatives who live near L.A.) and to pick up some CEC's for personal training at a conference; I was having lunch with several trainer's when a homeless guy trundles up .... wearing an authentic, mint chapeau de brousse. I asked him if he knew what he was wearing; he didnt respond. I told him what it was (mistake) and asked him if he wanted to sell it. He said sure, for $300. Several hours later, I am eating again and an old gentleman on a bicycle rides up to the restaurant were at (a retiree I guess) and he is also wearing a French bush hat. I was with guests so I couldn't ask him about his hat. Two cdb's in a week. In L.A. In excellent condition. Worn by two people who haven't a clue. Sigh.

[Étienne]

Although this is many years late as a "reply," when I was in L.A. in the 1990s many of the surplus stores had the French bush hats in green or tan, and in even wearable sizes, for around $4 to $7.

[craigtx]

Tranchee Militaria currently has the chapeau de brousse. But they're a lot more than $4 to $7... :-)

[Étienne]

yeah...saw those (yowza). I was looking for a new one (I apparently got rid of the ones I used to have) to wear for FIW but they're too expensive for me now (and/or are too small for my le grande noggin') ! Perhaps I'll just make one...hmmm...

[lew]

They're €21 on ebay.fr, plus shipping. Not a bad price, and the one's I have are indistinguishable from the originals except for acceptance stamps. Tranchee's look good, but they're the lighter, almost white color, which was never very common. It would work, but the tan/sable chapeau would be more appropriate for Indo. Both sable and OD work for Algérie.