Original U.S. Model 1881 Artillery Dress Spiked Pith Helmet by Ridabock & Co. Category_Receiver Top Cover Before WWI

Before WWI

Engineering School for change of branch of service

The chin strap does have some cracking

and a mostly bright finish

22 cal Gun Cleaning Kit

Original U.S. Model 1881 Artillery Dress Spiked Pith Helmet by Ridabock & Co. Category_Receiver Top Cover Before WWIOriginal Item: One Only. Much like our European cousins in the 1880s, the U. S. Army started to adopt spiked pith helmets, often in white, with all brass mounts and occasionally plumes. These saw active service in the Spanish American War of 1898 especially in the tropical climate in Cuba. While often referred to as "pith helmets" in the broad sense, it was made from cork, like many European variants, such as the Wolseley pattern used by the British.