Description
Reproduction of the m/22 Field Hat.
History
m/22 Field Hat was the first widely issued hat of the Finnish military. The first models were issued in 1919 and continued to be made until about 1928. The hat went through some changes over time and there is great variation between the different manufacturers and years, all still following the basic style. Most notably, the early hats had a vent in the back with hooks, allowing for the sides to be folded down. Later the vent disappeared and the hat got lower in profile. Even though the hat was officially not in use during the Second World War, it saw plenty of use early war and occasionally later in the war.
The grey wool version without any fancy things is officially known as infantry type, but is often referred to as “generic branch” hat. This means that any units that did not have a specific style would use this type.
Our reproduction
We’ve opted to make a later style m/22 Field Hat, which is more suitable for World War 2 impressions. The hat has been patterned from a few originals from our collections. The side panels are faux and don’t really fold down, being mostly cosmetic. The side panels are fastened with two copper coat of arms buttons and there is a large copper coat of arms button in the front. The liner is grey cotton and has the manufacturer and size stamped to it, similar to originals.
It’s highly recommended to order one size smaller if you want to use the hat cocked to one side. Enlisted men would use the sheet metal national cockade with the hat, where as the NCOs would use enamel national cockades.