For
many of us, pith helmets connote old movies where British explorers were
whacking their way through African or Indian jungles in their khaki clothes
and pith
helmets. And it is true that the technology used to make these very
functional helmets was developed by European colonialists during occupation
of these, at the time, more remote expanses of the world.
The pith, or cork, of certain trees lent itself as the basis of a headgear that was strong and protective and at the same time lightweight and comfortable. Furthermore, the absorbing property of this natural material provided the bonus feature of allowing the wearer to immerse the hat in water keeping him or her cool during evaporation. When dry, the helmet does not lose its stiffness or shape. Today, for all the same reasons, the pith helmet it a great choice for outdoor use. Other than our selection of straw pith helmets, we import these hats from Vietnam, our (USA) new trading partner. The French developed the technology over 100 years ago (when Vietnam was known as French Indochina to much of the world) and today these hats provide a great exporting opportunity for the people and great headgear for Village Hat Shop customers.
