# What was the “pith” in a helmet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559 "2019-12-08T17:22:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/1 "2019-12-08T17:22:00Z")
What is “pith”? (No, I don’t have a lisp. 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/2 "2019-12-08T17:31:16Z")
Apparently, part of the shola tree, though some helmets of that style might actually be made of other substances: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sholapith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sholapith#Pith_helmet) ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/3 "2019-12-08T17:35:58Z")
The were made using “sola pith”. They were very popular because they air conditioned the head. Know by several names including “sola topee”. With apologies for the non PC language, although I think Noel Coward was being ironic. > [@](#): > > When the white man rides > Every native hides > In glee > Because the simple creatures hope he > Will impale his sola topee > On a tree - Noel Coward, Mad Dogs and Englishmen. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/4 "2019-12-08T18:25:04Z")
Originally, the term referred to the material. Later the term referred more to the style. > **[Pith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pith)** > > Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. Pith is composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which in some cases can store starch. In eudicotyledons, pith is located in the center of the stem. In monocotyledons, it extends only into roots. The pith is encircled by a ring of xylem; the xylem, in turn, is encircled by a ring of phloem. > While new pith growth is usually white or pale in color, as the tissue ages it commonly darkens to a deeper brown color. In trees pith is ge... > [@](#): > > Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. Pith is composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which store and transport nutrients throughout the plant. In eudicotyledons, pith is located in the center of the stem. In monocotyledons, it extends also into flowering stems and roots. > **[Pith helmet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pith_helmet)** > > The pith helmet, also known as the safari helmet, salacot,\[a\] sola topee, sun helmet, topee, and topi\[b\] is a lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of sholapith. The pith helmet originates from the Spanish military adaptation of the native salakot headgear of the Philippines. > It was often worn by European travellers and explorers in the varying climates found in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the tropics, but it was also used in many other contexts. It was routinely issued to colonial military pers... > [@](#): > > Typically, a pith helmet derives from either the sola plant, Aeschynomene aspera, an Indian swamp plant, or from Aeschynomene paludosa.[5] In the narrow definition, a pith helmet is technically a type of sun helmet made out of pith material.[6] However, the pith helmet may more broadly refer to the particular style of helmet.[6] In this case, a pith helmet can be made out of cork, fibrous, or similar material.[6] Whatever the material, the pith helmet is designed to shade the wearer’s head and face from the sun. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/5 "2019-12-08T19:26:14Z")
Shola (pith) was used for arts and craft long before the Brits discovered it. In fact, the traditional wedding attire for Bengali bride and grooms include head gear made of Shola. I wore it during my wedding. It feels very much like styrofoam but is lighter and breathes. It’s mistakenly called the pith but it is just the woody part of the plant. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/6 "2019-12-08T20:19:32Z")
> [@pmwgreen](#): > > They were very popular because they air conditioned the head. Know by several names including “sola topee”. Interesting. I have often seen that written as “solar topee,” which I assumed referred to its protection from the sun. Wiki identifies that as folk etymology. ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/7 "2019-12-08T20:41:45Z")
I have a modern pith helmet, made in Vietnam. It’s cloth covered on both inside and out, and is about 3/8" to 1/2" thick. It’s light and rigid. Because my head is more oval than most, it was digging in at my brow and the back of my head, so I figured that I’d shave some material away in those places and get a look at the inside of the helmet to boot. I peeled the fabric away from the inside of the helmet, and used a hooked knife to pare away some of the pith. My helmet is made up of multiple pieced layers of material, each about an eighth of an inch thick, glued in laminations to form the final shape. The individual layers of ‘pith’ look like foamier balsa wood or a styrofoam meat tray, and were white with darker specks. There was also a strip of cardstock reinforcing the brim/dome joint. I don’t know exactly what species of plant my helmet was made of, but it cuts and crushes pretty easily. I shaved away about a layer and a half from the front and back, and reinforced that area with some very tough mulberry paper glued over the cuts. I then glued the fabric liner back down, and the helmet fit perfectly. The version that I have also has a floating suspension system, with a semirigid headband that connects to the helmet at four small points, leaving lots of space for air to circulate between the head and helmet: very much like a hard hat. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/8 "2019-12-08T21:04:40Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Interesting. I have often seen that written as “solar topee,” which I assumed referred to its protection from the sun. Wiki identifies that as folk etymology. Topi or Topee means hat in many Indian languages. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/9 "2019-12-08T22:16:16Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > Topi or Topee means hat in many Indian languages. On the other hand, I have never seen it written as sola toupee. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/10 "2019-12-08T22:21:32Z")
On the third hand, “solar toupee” has 236 google hits. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/11 "2019-12-09T17:40:11Z")
The History Guy has a decent Youtube video on pith helmets: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hWywAOowjPA/maxresdefault.jpg "The Pressed Fiber Sun Helmet") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWywAOowjPA) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/12 "2019-12-09T18:00:52Z")
Noel Cowards song is actually better than the quote above suggests: _It’s such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see That though the English are effete They’re quite impervious to heat When the white man rides every native hides in glee Because the simple creatures hope he Will impale his solar topee on a tree_ ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/13 "2019-12-11T03:05:29Z")
Fascinating! Thanks for the replies, everyone. I’ve learned muchly. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/14 "2019-12-11T14:37:17Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > On the third hand, “solar toupee” has 236 google hits. Ha! Stick _that_ in your kepi. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/15 "2019-12-11T16:51:01Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Ha! Stick _that_ in your kepi. I knew someone was going to make a pithy comment in this thread sooner or later. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/16 "2019-12-11T18:54:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Ha! Stick _that_ in your kepi. Tut, tut, sir! A kepi is made of wool, not pith, and unless you attach a havelock to the back of it, it provides very little protection from the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/17 "2019-12-11T20:51:38Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Tut, tut, sir! A kepi is made of wool, not pith, and unless you attach a havelock to the back of it, it provides very little protection from the sun. Whereas a piss cutter offers no protection whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/18 "2019-12-11T21:25:10Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Tut, tut, sir! A kepi is made of wool, not pith, and unless you attach a havelock to the back of it, it provides very little protection from the sun. The Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunisation provides protection from Tuberculosis, Polio, Hepatitis B, HIB, OPV, Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetenus, Rotavirus, Pneumonia, Measles, Yellow fever and Vitamin A Deficiency. I don’t recognise “sun”, is it some kind of French term? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/19 "2019-12-11T21:32:06Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > On the third hand, “solar toupee” has 236 google hits. Care in the spelling of headwear is definitely warranted. For example, you should avoid wearing a [baklava](https://www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/Rr6WOwMK9__3QGcPctunFpXAWv4=/2552x1914/smart/filters:no_upscale()/PistachioBaklava-GettyImages-183422455-5997abb09abed50010b57402.jpg), or eating a [balaclava.](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/717OrekHPuL._SY679_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559/20 "2019-12-11T23:46:07Z")
I learnt in a thread about a year ago that some Americans wear toboggans on their heads in the winter. I remain impressed by their sense of balance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-pith-in-a-helmet/844559.md?page=2)