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Shako chin straps


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This topic came up last evening before putting on an exhibition at the CYO tribute show. In the 1960's, just about all drum corps wore shakos. Today, many still do. Traditionally, drum corp shako wearers position their chin straps just below the bottom lip, at the top of the chin. Most band members who wear shakos, position the strap under the chin so as to keep the hat from blowing off in the wind. This looks odd to me as I am so used to seeing the shakos worn drum corps style. I believe the military cadets at West Point wear the strap on the chin as drum corps do. Any theories as to why the difference?

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As one who wore the shako strap under the chin, I can say I hated that, since it greatly affects the air generated while playing a brass instrument.

Here ya go. I wore shakos in both St. Joseph Patron Cadets and St. Rita's Brassmen. Two different types of straps - one adjustable with the little buckle and the other metal links that once adjusted were set. "Chin" straps in true military tradition were not made to keep the shako or helmet on ... that, like in wearing a cowboy hat, was determined by the size of the hat. And no matter how hard you rode or marched, that headpiece was not coming off your head! Cowboys used to test this by flicking the brim with their finger, BTW.

As to the strap. We wore it resting loosely under the bottom lip. And we were taught rigorously to never (especially as a horn player) tilt our heads back while playing because that would be a plume directional issue that was unforgivable. OT (sorta) leaning back was pretty much a thing that happened because somebody decided that would make your horn line sound louder which is pretty much poppycock. Even the Bb configuration allows for sond to be dispersed in a very wide arc.

Puppet

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REAL shakos were made with a wire or wicker frame and could breathe through the covering fabric, and also often had air vents.There were available in conventional diametrical hat sizes, incremented in 1/8ths.

Today's shakos are built over a plastic pot, with NO ventilation. And they are available in only a few generic sizes S M L XL.

Genuine shakos fit much better, and stayed put.

Plastic shakos flop all over the place, hence the chinstrap is worn Dork-o style.

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REAL shakos were made with a wire or wicker frame and could breathe through the covering fabric, and also often had air vents.There were available in conventional diametrical hat sizes, incremented in 1/8ths.

Today's shakos are built over a plastic pot, with NO ventilation. And they are available in only a few generic sizes S M L XL.

Genuine shakos fit much better, and stayed put.

Plastic shakos flop all over the place, hence the chinstrap is worn Dork-o style.

LOL... the corps I was in didn't wear shako's but my HS band had the Dork-o-style shako's with the cheap plastic chinstrap that resembled an undercooked slice of bacon in the way it kinda curled up on some edges, then curled the other way. Total Dork-O!

Edited by bdon15
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REAL shakos were made with a wire or wicker frame and could breathe through the covering fabric, and also often had air vents.There were available in conventional diametrical hat sizes, incremented in 1/8ths.

Today's shakos are built over a plastic pot, with NO ventilation. And they are available in only a few generic sizes S M L XL.

Genuine shakos fit much better, and stayed put.

Plastic shakos flop all over the place, hence the chinstrap is worn Dork-o style.

So the shakos worn by BD, Cadets, Academy, Colts, etc (which are built over a "plastic pot") aren't real and need the chain/strap worn dorko-style to stay on??? Is that why none of those corps WEAR that chain/strap dorko-style?? Sorry, but given how fast Cadets can move AND that they don't seem to be losing shakos all over the place....your theory seems to be a bit off.

You'd rather have them look like Regiment back when they had that clear strap connected to the chain on their helmets???

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Our horns wore them resting on the chin. Like a lot of drum lines, our battery hyped on chewing the hell out of the straps.

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Our horns wore them resting on the chin. Like a lot of drum lines, our battery hyped on chewing the hell out of the straps.

Did they give the tympanist a spare strap so he wouldn't feel left out??

*nom nom nom nom*

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Did they give the tympanist a spare strap so he wouldn't feel left out??

*nom nom nom nom*

Long answer:

Silly sop, pitheads stopped wearing headgear around 1982! Can you imagine a timp player wearing a shako whilst bending over to check pitches? *BONK* *PLUME*

Short answer:

No, but every once in a while they threw a guard member into my cage...

Nom, nom.

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Can you imagine a timp player wearing a shako whilst bending over to check pitches?

I'd like to see all tymp players wearing overseas caps. No prob bending over.

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