Beginning in 1872, the plumed shako was replaced by a tall, bell shaped helmet with a deep lobster-back tail and short brim. Mounted soldiers and officers wore cords and flowing plumes in the colors of their branch of service yellow for cavalry, scarlet for artillery, black or orange for signal corps foot soldiers and lower ranking officers wore spikes. Some regiments allowed the use of unadorned white helmets during the summer and tan helmets were worn by enlisted men for fatigue duties.
Because these felt helmets were quite delicate, their survival rate is not high. Over the years, numerous reproductions have been offered to collectors, reenactors and even to military units wearing past uniforms for ceremonial occasions. Many of the reproduction metal parts were struck from original dies and are quite difficult to tell from the originals, as are many of the felt helmets produced in the 1950s and '60s.
Mark Kasal and Don Moore have studied and collected the original Model 1872 and 1881 helmets for years. They used their expertise and collections, as well as those supplied by authorities in the field and museums to explain the history of the development and use of these helmets. They have also described on a part-by-part basis, each component of the helmet and described the differences between original and reproduction parts.
