I was a Guardsman in the British Army in the late seventies and I can confirm that the correct way to treat and shape a beret was to first give it a good shave followed by 20 mins in first boiling water and then cold ( but not the leather head band) before plonking it on your head and massaging it in to the correct shape. You then let it dry while wearing it. You might have to do this half a dozen times before getting it just right. Beret styles are a personal choice but nobody wants the Helicopter landing pad style that the Ruperts ( officers ) seemed to favour. Favourite styles ranged from the cap badge practically over the left ear in a sort of Foreign legion look to the Albert Steptoe "flat cap" look where the fold of the beret is almost at the front ( favoured by Paratroopers). Hope that helps.
When l joined 1985 the band wasn't leather it was made out of a fabric ribbon and they were a pain to try and shape especially the ones made by Kangol.
Step 1 - get it wet. Step 2 - wring it out. Step 3 - be a man about it and shape it the correct way, by working the shape into it whilst it's drying on your head.
Wore many a beret in a few different colours in the US Army. Always shaved it, soaked it, shaped it, and wore until dry. After that would still smooth it down and fold the creast crease into place.
DibberInTheWind fuckin a. Shave it, wet it wear it. Wet it the first few times you wear it at stroke it into place. Cut that cord off the back and melt it together.
When I was in every beret issued to me was about the same size as a seat on a bar stool. The beret had to be shrunk by immersing in hot and cold water alternately. Once it got down to a size which wasn’t a danger to air traffic it the wind took it off your head you then shaped it. Only having one beret meant that if you started shrinking and shaping just after duties in the afternoon it was almost wearable by breakfast the next day. Wearing it speeded up the drying. The string had to be finished in a neat bow, held in place with a couple of stitches through the centre of the knot.
1) Cut out the lining. 2) Shave it. 3) Dunk in hot water. 4) Dunk in cold water. 5) Dunk in hot water. 6) Dunk in cold water. 7) Dunk in hot water. 8) Dunk in cold water. 9) Ring it out. 10) Insert beret badge and shape it on your head. 11) Leave it on your head all day without touching it. 12) Carefully take it off your head before getting into your pit and leave it on a shelf with the excess hanging over the edge. 13) Don't touch it until it is completely dry.
I was a Green Beret (Special Forces) US Army. We were issued 2 berets and when we completed all phases of training were also issued a flash which represented our Group number (I was in the fifth group). This was sewn on the beret in the appropriate spot. However, most of us removed the liner of the beret and shaped it to our head. After the flash was put on we attached the metal emblem of special forces (de oppresso liber which means to free the oppressed). When I was in Special Forces the Green Beret was the only official beret that was allowed to be worn because we had to earn it! The flash was placed on the beret directly over the left eye. Later, the Army issued other color berets, mostly black ,tan, and red. These I felt these reduced the honor I was given to be issued a Green Beret.
I’m currently trying to prepare my body for SFAS (special forces assessment and selection) I want to earn and dawn the Green Beret. I don’t think any honor has been taken from it.
The best way is to soak it in warm water and put it on your head and pull it into shape. Then take it off and put it down somewhere to dry, or if it's hot outside, keep it on untill it dries.
This is a great video on what not to do. You need to shave it with disposable razors and carefully use a lighter to get fuzzy spots. Try not to shave a hole into your beret. When finished with this hold it up to a light and you should see some light coming through tiny pin sized holes. Next use warm water to soak the beret and shape it to your head. You can do this in the shower. Once you have obtained the desired shape fold the beret and place between a desk or locker to hold the shape and let it dry.
You are in fact correct! Cutting the liner out and shaving it down allows for a thinner beret more easily formed! It looks better and not like you just received it from QM and put it on your head looking like an old school pizza maker!
This popped up on my you tube seems a lot to go through. Finding a small crown beret i,e from du bora or a compton webb I think is a good idea. Hot and cold water and keep it on your head as it drys. Head bands have a habbit of shrinking and leather I found better as you could pull it a bit if it was cutting off the distal circulation of your head. Good idea with the backing plate as you can mold the beret better by grabbing the top of the plate when the beret is in situ. Does give the beret a nice shape from my point of view. No criticism here just a different approach
Cool looking badge. Mine was more or less the same information: cut out inside liner (this does wonders and really helps in molding a beret), cutting or trim out some of the inside cardboard, then once wet, damped, shaved, molded and put inside a freezer over night (yes freezer) then repeat until you reached the desired shaped. It's how we most did it in Air Force tech school (Of course, I was a pipeline student so we had better accommodations) for LE/SP Academy and before my time it is now known as Security Forces becoming more and more infantry then ever before with arrest powers because you're still a cop. Well that's my $.02 worth.
No shaving? When I was in (US Army) we soaked it, put it on our heads, and let it dry there, carefully smoothing it into shape. The one I did this way hasn't lost its shape yet, even when rolled up t put in a pocket- And I've had it for 14 years.
When I was in the 82nd we shaved ours, cut out the liner and soaked it in warm water shaped it on our head, then wore it till dry don't remember what we did with the excess string. I've had mine 32 years and still wear it for funerals. Thanks for serving!
In Singapore we don’t need to do that. We do it like in this video. The person in the video is from Singapore and he is just doing it like how he is told to. If you’re from another country please watch beret instruction videos from your country.
Yup. 1. Cut the liner out. 2. Wash it in hot water. 3. Shave it with a safety razor. 4. Shape to your melon with it draped to the right. If you're not sure, then you're a leg.
No, you shrink the beret first by submerging it in successive buckets of very hot and cold water to reduce the diameter of the crown ensuring the leather band is kept out of the water,, then squeeze out as much water as you can and shape it on your head,.then let It air dry. Former Royal Marine
Damn shame you can't attach pics to these comments. Mine is faded, worn out, and all the inside lining has been torn out. LOL But it is almost 25 years old.
soak it in hot water (but not the leather band) then cold then put it on ur head and shape it, leave it on for a while then take it off and leave it to dry, remember when u use the hot and cold water the beret will shrink in size.
Welcome to another round of RU-vid putting random things in the for you page 2013:nope 2014:ehh kinda not really tho 2015:not just yet 2016:little more but hold off still 2017:nope not time 2018:almost there boys and girls 2019:count down begins 2020:send it boys send it they need this now Why RU-vid I wear a cowboy hat I don’t need this
Hey guys can i get some help? I wore my red beret today during the work and accidently pulled that thing out of the sweatband, is there a way i can put it back in?
My Granddaddy use to tell me about the men who wore the green berets told me no matter how big or bad uu are them boys in the green beret will put uu on yo aas miss his war stories ii love uu granddaddy rip Mr. Ellison 04/28/19 😔😔😔😔😔
@@thoraneh7365 it was rough for someone who is new and followed it it would be wrong but if someone who knew ish what they were doing and needed a little guidance it could help a bit
LOL that is the worst shaped crap hat that I have ever seen! Spent many years in the British army, wearing leather banded berets. You wet it then stick it on your head, shape it on your head, and let the bloody thing dry on your head! If need be you can wrap a tie round the flap to keep it flat to your head. That's it, do this and you will have a good looking beret on your head. You can shave it, cut the lining out, shrink it with hot water etc, that's up to you.
+Mark Stelios nailed it. Shave it, take the liners off and get her hot... in water. Then you have to pet her while she sits on your head.... soft firm strokes. She'll fold into your pocket by morning. Airborne.
+SGT Sandwich PLAYS Give the lad a chance, there isn't really a wrong way, hot and cold water, shaping to your head , rolling it up, all will produce the same effect, although I think some on here are confusing shaping with 'shrinking'.
thomas lock The leather is not a band. It is just a patch where the badge is supposed to be pinned. The leather can be soaked...nothing wrong with it after 3 years
I spent 10 yrs in the British Army...we was taught by my training full screw to first dip beret in hot water then straight into cold and repeat to first shrink the beret no fuker wants a frank spencer special!...then place damp beret on head and shape to disired shape..then leave there till dry!!...
If you were in any way shape or form in full military service, they'd teach you otherwise. It goes; Hot water to called water (depending on who's teaching you back to hot) Then you put it on your head and shape it so it actually fits and doesn't look abysmal.
Ft. LeonardWood, we were shown once by the Drill Sergeant ... actually not shown, more like told whilst in the lovely FrontLeaning rest pos. AND thennnnn we all shaped it like whoever looked best in theirs... I got board coming up, so I'm trying to reshape mine🤣 only wore it once and that was in Basic.
1. Don't tie the strings yet! 2. Soak the beret. 3. While the beret is wet, form it on your head. 4. Walk into a Army recruiters office and get straightened out.
Agreed don't tie the strings, shape it, put it onto a radiator (the old style if you have them) allow it to dry, check it fits ... as it will shrink after soaking and drying. If okay then do it again to perfect your shape.
Absolute bollocks. Put the beret in hot water, squeeze it dry (-ish) then duk it in cold water, then hot/cold/hot/cold, etc. until the crown has shrunk. Place it on the head when still wet, with the bow or knot at the rear-centre of the head and the cap badge over the left eye (or slightly to the left of it, depending on unit custom). Shape it on the head and leave it in place to dry accordingly. Ties off the rear "tails, and trim with scissors as nec. Tuck the excess away. Once dry, remove from the head. Job done. No idea who this nobber is, but he's a prong giving bone advice.
Yes you are correct about that, but it only applies to your country. In our country we do it like this. It’s the way ministry of defense wants us to and you have no say about that. He is not a nobber, he’s just following instructions.
Pull the ribbon out put the cap badge on, soak in hot water, put it on your head, smooth it down the right side and back, twist the front out near the cap badge, sit down and let it dry on your head.
Be warned do not soak leather brim, this isn't a leather brim issue. Also a good idea is give it a damn good shave first to get it proper ally in the finish
ok.... that is a particularly hairy beret ! still....i've never shaved any of mine. but really, wet it, stick it on ya bonce and keep smoothing it down and into shape with your hand.
