Confederate infantry kepi. Dark gray jean with painted cloth visor and chinstrap. 7 3/8 or 23 inch head measurement. $79.95 plus $8.00 shipping.

Close up of my research books

Research

Here are a couple of my favorite research books. The one on the left lists military contractors from pre- to post-Civil War and everything in between. If you are interested in details like how many eagle cuff buttons a particular manufacturer produced during the war, then this is your book. It also has some cool Union makers labels. The most interesting thing I learned from this book was that most contractors who made uniforms didn't make headgear to go with them. Quite often kepi makers made other items, such as harness, saddles, bridles, and the like.

Lining material

These are but a few of the many different types of cottons available for linings. These mostly go with Confederate kepis, while Federal caps usually have a simple black or brown polished cotton.

Maker's label

I use this label for my Confederate kepis. I have only the one, because extant labels of Confederate manufacture are scarce as hens' teeth. I have a few different labels for Union caps, which I will be posting very soon.

Lining material

I have a lot of different cotton material for lining. Pillow ticking (pictured) is very popular in Confederate caps. I will take some photos of the many types of lining available and post them here later.