Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone here knows of sources for the Kromer cap? The Kromer cap is made of wool and has a short retractable ear flap. It was once sold by the Kromer cap company (who makes many other types of caps) and was later sold to a company based in Michigan's Upper Peninsula called Stormy Kromer. It was widely used by train crews in the upper Midwest.

This company will only sell a Kromer cap with the "The Original Stormy Kromer Blizzard Cap" embroidered on the rear brim. I have called and asked and they will not make an exception. This bit of advertisement is not at all helpful if one is looking to replicate a period look. I don't think the embroidery will come out without marring the fabric.

Does anyone here know of a source selling these without the large advertisement? Does anyone know of a hat that has a similar look?

Here is the website for the current company:
https://www.stormykromer.com/the-origin ... romer-cap/

Have you tried taking the cap to a seamstress and getting his-her opinion on whether they can remove the embroidery? A skilled person can do wonders.

Try Duluth Trading. Thought I saw something similar in their catalog recently. As a matter of fact, it was advertised as a Kromer.

Stormy Kromer is the only vendor I am aware of for the wool "winter Kromer" caps. I have one in black and the embroidery is not noticeable, as it is in black too. Plus, it's at the back of the hat. How many people are looking at the back of your head? I also have a red one, but even with the contrasting embroidery, it's not that noticeable.

In the past, Beaver Brand or Bailey made the winter Kromer had. Used and NOS versions of this show up on eBay on occasion.

There is also a line of cotton Kromer caps made by Kromer, a Mutual Industries Company, out of Baltimore.

This device (called a seam ripper) will make quick work of the offending stitching, the business end is about half an inch, the whole thing is about four inches long. You can find one for a few dollars anywhere sewing supplies are sold.

Styles are a bit different but there are other hats besides Kromer. Searching Men's Mackinaw Wool Cap turned this up.

www.sierratradingpost.com/filson-double ... p~p~216ju/

There is a hardware store in Shipshawana in Thad carries a wide avriety of the caps try Checking them out,

L.L. Bean offers them.

As a retired railroader I wore Kromer hats for years and still have a couple I wear in retirement especially my black one in winter.

The fact that there is the name Stormy Kromer on the back does not take away it's value at all...it increases it.

exprail

No embroidery on my blizzard cap.
Oh wait.....I bought it 40 years ago!
It got cold working the third trick humper at Oak Island on the Lehigh Valley RR.

Keith

I have a black one that I purchased online from Stormy Kromer about a year ago. It has "Stormy Kromer 1903" in subtle dark grey stitching on the back of the pull-down ear flap--not distracting at all.

I used to love those things... wore them all the time. The really nice thing about the design is the ear flaps don't fold over, they slide down. That means when your working and it starts to rain or sleet, when you finally decide it's time to cover your ears, the flaps are nice and dry, not all covered with slush.

Unfortunately, when I started wearing hearing aids, the winter Kromer was a no go... pull the flaps down and enter a world of constant feed-back. Stocking caps are more open and less of a problem. But the old Kromers are very good at what they were made for.

My son bought one last week at Kittery Trading Post in Maine. They do have an online site. http://www.kitterytradingpost.com

Amazon dot com has some.

Bob H

The only place to find legit blizzard caps is when they come up on eBay. The newly manufactured ones don't fit right and have the tacky stitching on the back.

This was the only real one that I found on the first page of eBay searches:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Black- ... SweUFajPrl