While the sun/pith helmet originated in India, as we have noted the British were not alone in considering the importance of such headgear in tropical climates. By the end of the 1870s France had adopted its own version and it does seem that these were influenced, and perhaps even copied, from the British pattern. However, as with the helmets made in London, the French Model 1878 pattern was made of cork, likely supplied by Portugal, and produced in Metropolitan France. Throughout its Africa and Southeast Asia colonies the French military used helmets made of cork, and this remained the case until after the Second World War.
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Pith vs. Cork – Not One and the Same
While the term “pith helmet” is commonly used to describe any sun or summer helmet, it isn’t exactly accurate. Pith has entered the lexicon much as “Xerox” means “photocopy” or “Kleenex” means “facial tissue” – at least in English. The difference is that while some corporate brands have become generic terms, pith is not a brand but a material. Continue reading