Jeep cap
Encyclopedia
The jeep cap originally the US Army issued M1941 wool knit cap is generally like a toboggan cap (or some sources also describe it as a beanie
) with a short, baseball cap
-like brim
attached to it, made mostly from knitted
yarn
, originally wool
but now more often acrylic
. Also sometimes referred to as a "skull cap" due to its popularity with skateboarders (although the term "skull cap" is also used for a variety of completely different caps), or a "Radar cap" due to the cap being made famous by the character Radar O'Reilly from the hit sitcom M*A*S*H.
in February 1942 during World War II
; the purpose of the jeep cap was to be worn underneath the heavy combat helmets to offer soldiers both extra padding, and warmth. The jeep cap was originally knitted close to the head, with a six-stitch "starfish pattern" on top (supposedly to support the webbing suspension inside the helmets), with a cuff coming out like a V from the top center of the brim, and around the rest of the cap, which soldiers could pull down over their ears for even more warmth. The cap was issued in four different sizes - small, medium, large, and extra large - and made of olive drab brown (O.D. #3) wool; perfect examples of these original jeep caps can be found being worn by Staff Sergeant Kinchloe from the sitcom Hogan's Heroes
(he wore his with the brim folded up), and Radar O'Reilly from M*A*S*H (who was seldom seen without one). The cap was only issued to enlisted men, and it quickly became popular with troops, with some simply wearing them for the sake of wearing them. Officers felt the cap was slovenly, which eventually led to the cap being superseded by the standardized cotton field cap. Since then, the original jeep cap has become tremendously scarce.
, manufacture their own version of the jeep caps: these are generally made to resemble the one issued by the government, but are made cheaply out of acrylic, rather than wool, and are also manufactured in an endless variety of commercial colors, and some cases, also have embroidery
designs on them; Wal-Mart
even stocks jeep caps that have brown brims and cuffs, and a Camouflage
cap made from fleece. These are also manufactured in "one-size-fits-all", but in most cases, because of their tighter knit, they are labeled "one size fits most". These caps are usually found in department stores as seasonal items (for autumn and winter), or sporting goods stores and stores that sell outdoor clothing.
Beanie
A beanie is a head-hugging brimless cap with or without a visor that was once popular among school boys.-Description:In the United States of America, beanies are made by triangular sections of cloth joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides.They can also be made from...
) with a short, baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
-like brim
Brim
Brim refers to an edge or border*Brim *Brim , a defunct brand of decaffeinated coffee*Brim, Victoria is a town in Australia*Undercurrent, an award-winning 2010 Icelandic film...
attached to it, made mostly from knitted
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
, originally wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
but now more often acrylic
Acrylic fiber
Acrylic fibers are synthetic fibers made from a polymer with an average molecular weight of ~100,000, about 1900 monomer units. To be called acrylic in the U.S, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitrile monomer. Typical comonomers are vinyl acetate or methyl acrylate...
. Also sometimes referred to as a "skull cap" due to its popularity with skateboarders (although the term "skull cap" is also used for a variety of completely different caps), or a "Radar cap" due to the cap being made famous by the character Radar O'Reilly from the hit sitcom M*A*S*H.
Origin
The "jeep cap" was first issued by the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in February 1942 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; the purpose of the jeep cap was to be worn underneath the heavy combat helmets to offer soldiers both extra padding, and warmth. The jeep cap was originally knitted close to the head, with a six-stitch "starfish pattern" on top (supposedly to support the webbing suspension inside the helmets), with a cuff coming out like a V from the top center of the brim, and around the rest of the cap, which soldiers could pull down over their ears for even more warmth. The cap was issued in four different sizes - small, medium, large, and extra large - and made of olive drab brown (O.D. #3) wool; perfect examples of these original jeep caps can be found being worn by Staff Sergeant Kinchloe from the sitcom Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
(he wore his with the brim folded up), and Radar O'Reilly from M*A*S*H (who was seldom seen without one). The cap was only issued to enlisted men, and it quickly became popular with troops, with some simply wearing them for the sake of wearing them. Officers felt the cap was slovenly, which eventually led to the cap being superseded by the standardized cotton field cap. Since then, the original jeep cap has become tremendously scarce.
Authentic government issued
The jeep cap has been continued to be manufactured by the U.S. Army, however, many significant changes have been made to the cap since the original issue. For one thing, the cap is now knitted very loose and deep so it can be pulled down even lower over a soldier's head and ears for more warmth (the cuff doesn't necessarily have to be pulled down to achieve this), and instead of the old six-stitch "starfish pattern" on top, it now features a simple, more modern four-stitch topping. The cuff is now knitted completely around the entire cap, rather than coming out like a V at the center of the brim; also gone are the days of the cap being issued in four different sizes, as modern yarns are elastic enough that they are "one-size-fits-all". Another significant change that has been made is that the cap is no longer made in the color brown, but rather standard olive drab green (to match the rest of the Army's uniforms), and is also available in navy blue, and black. Probably the only thing that is the same about these and the original jeep caps are the short brims, and that they are made from knitted wool. Today's model are labeled "Cap, Knit Watch RN-93084".Imitations
Due the rising popularity of the jeep cap (mostly by rappers, rollerbladers, and outdoorsmen), various sports companies, such as NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, manufacture their own version of the jeep caps: these are generally made to resemble the one issued by the government, but are made cheaply out of acrylic, rather than wool, and are also manufactured in an endless variety of commercial colors, and some cases, also have embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
designs on them; Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
even stocks jeep caps that have brown brims and cuffs, and a Camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
cap made from fleece. These are also manufactured in "one-size-fits-all", but in most cases, because of their tighter knit, they are labeled "one size fits most". These caps are usually found in department stores as seasonal items (for autumn and winter), or sporting goods stores and stores that sell outdoor clothing.