kepi cloth

[fallstoomuch]

I have been reading another thread about types of cloth and colors used for rd IIs...i have also read cadet grey and butternut brown and own copies of echoes of glory...In my opinion at times-most often-the confederate government used any(jean, sattinette, cassmere, and some that was desrcibed as wool cotton twill-which might mean jeans but not sure, etc.) cloth that was available-would thid apply to kepis as well? The caps that most fascinate me in EoG are i think both artillery caps....and I am infantry-one looks like blue on blue jean with red kersey band and another is red painted cloth. I would love to get a blue on blue jean cap and even a painted cloth cap but since the only examples I have seen are art. caps how "authentic" would it be for a generic infantry impression?

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

Well, lets take a look at the ration of sloch hats to kepis. In the North South Trader Magazine volume 18 no. 6 it discusses CS issue slouch hats and the ratio of slouch hats to kepis as well as common types of slouch hats seen. In the photograph of the Confederate prisoners at Cold Harbor, VA, about 2/3 or more are wearing some form of slouch hat. So, a kepi is good and all, but if you want a generic Confederate uniform, go with either a documented civillian hat or a common Beehive hat. Although, the beehive would only work if you were representing either troops who recieved these hats from the Quartermasters depot or from home. So from the Gettysburg campaign and on would work. I do not see many Beehive style hats until post Antietam.

So, a kepi would be moderately authentic. Display caution when buying a kepi.

I would just go with a good civillian style hat and then get a kepi if that is what you want. Remember, kepis, while under represented, are not the best when it gets rainy or very bright outside.

[fallstoomuch]

I have a slouch hat thats why i was asking about a kepi-mostly about the cloth used....Theres always fine grey/butternut kepis but what other colors wouldhave been used-and I understand that it may be close to impossible to answer.

[The Chesterfield Rifleman]

Kepi colors would generally be the dyes available at the time. There is no way to tell what colors would have been the most common.

When in doubt, choose a solid color.

[dixieflyer]

Philip,
As with many things about our impressions, there's not going to be a "one size fits most" answer to this, and again, it's a matter of time, location, unit, etc. Some units were issued kepis, others not. Some men that were issued kepis like them, others loathed the things. The best thing you are going to be able to do about this is determine the theater and unit(s) you will most often be portraying. After that, see if any of those were issued kepis based on surviving examples, period images, etc., and go from there.