British Guards Grenadier Enlisted Bearskin
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $250.00

Original era manufacture. A classic piece of headgear, recognizable to anyone having visited London and seen the changing of the guard.No idea as to actual date of manufacture of this bushy hat, the classic construction materials used are timeless, and it appears that it is made from real fur. I trimmed a few hairs away and placed them on our outdoor grill and struck a match, the hairs burned and turned to ash, not a melted blob. Not quite sure of the era, but would guess the 1950's-60's.The interior of the hat has a wicker frame over which the leather  hide is stretched, with a black leather sweatband and liner. Two black painted metal hooks are inside providing a mounting point for a brass linked chinstrap, not included.The Bearskin is quite sound, and in a fairly large size, say  7 1/4. Doing a bit of online research regarding this distinctive piece of headdress, I read that the government pays around $1000 each for these, and their life expectancy is around 40 years.