The Game is Afoot: a History of the Deerstalker



Originally a hunting hat for, as the name indicates, the sport of deer stalking, popular in Scotland and the north of England, the Deerstalker is now best known for its association with famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, and by extension has become an attribute of the stereotypical detective.

Version française: (mise en ligne le 15 août) https://youtu.be/7dObSU23STE

The deerstalker i am wearing was given to me by my sister

Title sequence designed by Alexandre Mahler
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This video was done for entertainment and educational purposes. No copyright infringement of any sort was intended.

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30 thoughts on “The Game is Afoot: a History of the Deerstalker”

  1. I say, you've done it, old boy! Once again, you're both informative and entertaining.
    But you haven't addressed the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.

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  2. I'm suddenly curious about something: are any deerstalker caps possible to comfortably wear back-to-front? If you have identical visors at the front and the back, and earflaps on both sides… it seems like it would work. But I don't know.

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  3. my deerstalker was stolen from me I am very dangerous criminal, very much like Tonga from the sine of four. When you came back months later to do it again I shot him with a mark four Webley 45 caliber just like Dr. Watson uses in the movies. Talk about sherlock holmes adventure.

    I didn't get my hat back though.

    Sometimes those cloth caps were called a hunting helmet. If the peaks are set up correctly it actually looks like a police helmet or home service helmet or foreign service helmet. They're designed to function the same way. This cap is just made out of cloth. Putting your flaps on a cap with a peak or what Americans call a visor on the front shows up during the English Civil War in the early 1600s, usually made of leather and worn by sharp shooters who actually had a rifled musket. At a glance they look a lot like the German army M 43 cap. Having a feature to protect your ears if you need to is a great idea when it's cold and windy outside.

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  4. I wear one of these most days in the Autumn and Winter – pretty much identical to the one you are wearing in this video. I manage a small estate in the northwest Highlands and find it practical and warm – except when driving a vehicle with seat headrests. I was given to understand many years ago, that before the term 'Deerstalker' was used to describe both styles you mention, this particular style was known as a 'Fore and Aft'.

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  5. Bravo! Wonderful information and delivery as always. How do you not have more subscribers? Whenever I have a hat question, I always look to see if you have covered it first. (Go ahead, enjoy the pun)😅

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