Jack Hemingway, the first born son of the famous writer, Ernest Hemingway, was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Because he spoke fluent French, Captain Jack Hemingway parachuted into France behind enemy lines on a mission to aid the Maquis or Maquisards (French Resistance). As he jumped from the airplane under the cover of darkness, Jack’s most important “survival gear” included a fly rod and reel, a small assortment of flies and his Papa Nui Long billed cap.
Jack promptly began fishing some of the streams and rivers behind enemy lines whenever he could slip away from his duties. On one occasion he had no sooner wet a line in a promising roadside stream when a German patrol happened by. With the Resistance insignia in plain sight on the shoulder of his jacket, Jack pulled the visor of his Papa cap down on his brow and calmly waved at the passing soldiers as he shielded his arm from their view. He resumed fishing after they had gone.
In homage to Jack and to Ernest, the Papa Nui ‘Pilar’ cap, salutes the war service of these father and son heroes. Modeled in tough GI drab herringbone twill, the Pilar Cap provides the ultimate visor protection for angling a fly on a French stream or drawing a bead on Hitler’s henchmen. At home on the bridge of a Q-Boat off the coast of Santiago or comfortable on a war strewn European river bank, this cap is the result of painstaking research into correct crown shape and visor construction. Forget the malarky and hokem, this isn’t a Ketchum Gas Station find nor a recreation lookalike, this is the real deal, no clever copy writing just the true ‘Gen’.
Whether hunting subs, ripping marlin, or cruising the Gulf Stream with Adriana, this lid has got me covered.
H
Henry L.
Pilar Ahoy!
Feels like a beautiful warm summers day on the beach as soon as the Pilar is on the dome! Super comfortable and great materials. I measure 59cm and the Large is perfect. Great work Papa!
S
Stéphane M.
All good Charly be good
H
Harry S.
Pilar Cap
Loved the cap. I’m a big collector of military/police themed caps and an aquatint brought Papa Nui to my attention. After a quick browse through, I was sadly limited to several hats for my fat head. Settling on the Pilar it was a brave choice given it’s unique brim which I’ve been wearing proudly since. Big fan of the Idaho Duck Hunter camo where now some images of me feeding ducks in it exists! The history/heritage of the brand and the hats themselves is very interesting as well as how they’re made/material choice and I will be purchasing again. I loved the bag it came in too!
Duck hunters are go, thank you Harry, stay in the blind!
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Perfect cap, perfect fit! Feeling a little sorry for my cotton caps. Hopefully they’ll get some head time wher the heat comes. Every other time it’s the A-26 from now on.
Excellent helmet for the casual sun exposure we get here in the old world! I very much enjoy wearing it.. thanks for making & shipping such a great hat across the seven seas.
An awesome cross body sling tote with a fantastic hand machined Bravo Zulu Papa patch, stunning Tiger Stripes, matched with a phenomenal construction, this will become a faithful friend on any journey! 'R&R Forever' x
Glad one of these gorgeous caps found its way to me right in time for the Swiss Winter!
Maine Watch Cap
Stephen M.
Best hat I ever had.
This hat hits every point of interests for me. Fit, quality and historical accuracy. Feels and fits great. Can be worn in any situation, either outside fishing, at the beach, hiking ,or dress it up with a cool look. Packs well in a bag for traveling and can easily pull out and still look great. I have hats from RRL and Kapital and this hat blows them away!! Worth every penny. I love it.
A-3 1940 model 1st Edition Cap.
David D.
A Real Hat for Real Life
This is without question the best fitting cap I have ever purchased or worn.
Exceptionally well-made, this rugged and durable cap fits like a glove and is already the most frequently worn getting-stuff-done cap in my rotation. This is no "fashion" hat. This ain't "gorpcore." It's a real hat for real life.