The 1829 pattern shako was worn until 1844. It was 2 inches lower than the previous pattern and had no lace band around the top. The shape resembled an upturned bell, made of black beaver. The top was sunken black leather, covering the top edge to a depth of one inch. There was a leather strip around the base and up each side. The peak was of lacquered leather.
From 1829 to 1835 the shako was worn with a plume of swan feathers, white over red for battalion companies, white for grenadiers and green for the light company (the plume on this example was incorrect and the photo has been cropped). The plume was discontinued in 1835 when a ball tuft was worn. This example has a regimental plate worn by officers of the 25th Kings Own Borderers from 1829 to 1832. The dating is determined by the cypher of King George IV in the left-hand oval in the centre (the King died on 26 June 1830). George’s cypher was replaced by the badge of Edinburgh Castle in 1832, authorised on 8 March.
The photo is borrowed with thanks to Hiram Dunn, KOSB Regimental Historian, artist, author and collector.
