The shako replaced the bicorne as the dominant European military hat between 1800 and 1810 and dominated the next century.
Quick answer. A shako is a tall cylindrical military hat, usually in black felt or leather over a canvas core, worn by European infantry and some cavalry from 1800 to 1914. It carries a brass or pewter plate at the front, a cockade, a plume or pompom, and often side cords and tassels. The French 1806, Austrian 1809, Prussian 1808, British belgic 1812 and American 1810 patterns are the classic forms.
Why the shako replaced the bicorne
The bicorne, a wide brimmed felt hat with the brim cocked up fore and aft, had dominated European military dress since the 1770s. It was practical in bright sun but useless in heavy rain, prone to being blown off, and offered no protection against sabre cuts to the head. The Austrians were the first to replace it, with the 1798 Czapka in cavalry and the 1800 cylindrical shako in infantry.
The French followed in 1806 with the model 1806 shako, cylindrical, 170 mm tall, with a brass front plate bearing an eagle and the regimental number. The Prussians adopted a cylindrical shako after Jena in 1807. The British came last, in 1812, with the belgic shako, which had a raised false front for parade effect. For a wider look at how Napoleonic uniforms came together, see our Napoleonic uniforms complete guide.
The French 1806 and the 1810
The French model 1806 was black felt over a wooden core, cylindrical, 170 mm tall. The front plate was a brass eagle holding a crown over the regimental number, with a cockade above. A black horsehair plume rose from the top left. Side cords, called cordons, were worsted wool for troopers, bullion for officers.
The 1810 pattern added a leather peak, raised the height to 185 mm, and replaced the eagle plate with a simpler brass crown and shield. By 1812 the shako had become unbearably heavy with the addition of brass trim and chin scales, and French soldiers often removed the plates in the field to save weight. For French infantry details, our French Napoleonic infantry tailcoats piece covers the full kit.
The British belgic and the stovepipe
Before 1812 the British wore a cylindrical stovepipe shako: plain, straight sided, 200 mm tall. It was a 1800 pattern copied from the Austrian. The belgic shako of 1812 replaced it: a raised false front with the brass plate mounted on the top edge, giving the hat a tall peaked silhouette for parade.
The belgic was worn through the Peninsular War final years and at Waterloo in 1815. Flank companies (grenadiers and light) added coloured plumes, white for grenadiers and green for light. Officers added gold cords and gilt plates. See our British Napoleonic uniforms piece for the full regimental palette.
Russian, Prussian, Austrian variations
Russian line infantry wore the kiver, a cylindrical black leather shako with a brass plate, cockade and plume, from 1812. Jaeger (light) regiments wore the same shape in a dark green cloth cover. The Imperial Guard had taller shakos with silver plates and the double headed eagle.
Prussian infantry wore the raised front shako from 1808. The Landwehr wore a lower version with a cross symbol. Austrian infantry wore the 1809 pattern cylindrical shako with a corsehead at the front and a yellow and black cockade. Each nation's shako plate carried its heraldic badge.
The shako in the 19th century
The shako survived the Napoleonic Wars and dominated 19th century European dress. The French Line Infantry wore shakos through the 1830s. The British replaced the belgic with the Albert shako in 1844, named for the Prince Consort who designed it, and later with the French shako of 1861. The last British infantry shako was the 1869 blue cloth, replaced by the home service helmet in 1878.
In America, the shako arrived in 1810 and was worn by both armies in the Mexican War and the Civil War, in various cylindrical forms. The German Pickelhaube, the spiked helmet of 1842, started life as a stiffened version of the shako. In Russia, the shako lasted until 1917.
Collecting shakos today
Original Napoleonic shakos in good condition are extremely rare: fewer than 300 surviving examples are known worldwide. Prices start at 2,500 pounds for a battered trooper and reach 25,000 for an Imperial Guard officer complete with plate, plume and cords. Reproductions are made in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, with varying levels of accuracy.
The parts to inspect are the felt or leather of the shell, the plate (always die stamped originally, never cast), the cockade (silk ribbon, not plastic), and the chin scales (brass or leather). Many original shakos survive without their plume, which is almost always replaced. For context, our Napoleonic battles uniforms piece shows the whole look together.
Common questions
What is a shako made of?
Black felt or leather over a canvas or wooden core. The British belgic used black felt; the French 1806 used felt over wood; the Russian kiver used stiffened black leather.
Why did armies move from bicornes to shakos?
Protection and function. The shako gave head protection against sabre cuts and stayed on in rain and wind. The bicorne did neither.
What is the difference between the stovepipe and the belgic?
Stovepipe: cylindrical, straight sided, no raised front. Belgic: raised false front for parade effect, with the plate mounted on the top edge.
How heavy is a shako?
About 900 grams complete with plate, plume and cords. Troops often stripped the plate in the field to save weight.
What replaced the shako?
The spiked Home Service helmet (British, 1878), the Pickelhaube (German, 1842), the kepi (French, 1844). The shako survived in some units into 1914.