What Is the Seventeener Hat Sold by Troop 17?

The Seventeener is a hat press developed in the 1950s by Boy Scout Troop 17 in St. Louis to keep campaign hats straight and sharp. It is assembled by the Scouts themselves from USA-made materials, and 100% of the proceeds support troop operations and a scoutership program. It is a practical accessory for anyone who wears a campaign hat and wants to keep its shape, and a way for supporters to back the troop financially.

What the Seventeener actually does

A campaign hat — the wide-brimmed felt hat associated with Scouts and park rangers — loses its crisp shape when stored or packed carelessly. The Seventeener is a press: it holds the hat in its proper form so the brim and crown stay straight and sharp. Troop 17's own description traces the tool to the 1950s, when the troop developed it for exactly this purpose.

The design has outlasted its original use. According to the troop, presses have been sold to troopers, the military, the National Park Service, and fellow scouters — a signal that the tool meets a real need beyond one troop's gear closet.

Materials and who makes it

The troop states the presses are assembled by the boys themselves out of USA-made materials. For buyers, that means the product is both a functional item and a Scout-run project: the labor is part of the troop's program, not an outside manufacturer's.

Where the money goes

This is the part that matters if you are deciding whether the price is worth it. Troop 17 states that 100% of the proceeds go toward supporting its operations and funding a scoutership program. In other words, buying a Seventeener is closer to a fundraiser purchase than a standard retail transaction — you receive a usable hat press, and the troop receives operating funds and scholarship support for Scouts.

The site does not publish a price, so check the troop's online shop for current cost and ordering details before you plan a purchase.

Who it is for

• Campaign hat wearers who want the hat to keep its shape between events, during storage, or in transit.
• Scouters and troop alumni who want a piece of Troop 17's history and a way to support the unit.
• Military, park service, or uniformed personnel who wear similar hats — the troop notes these groups among past buyers.
• Supporters who would rather buy a tangible item than make a straight donation.

If you do not wear a campaign hat and are not interested in supporting the troop, the press has little practical use for you.

How to buy one

The troop directs buyers to its online shop for the Seventeener. The site does not list pricing, payment methods, or shipping terms, so confirm those at checkout. If you have questions about sizing, materials, or bulk orders, the troop meets every Wednesday at 6:30 pm at Salem United Methodist Church, 1200 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131 — a reasonable route for direct questions, though the online shop is the intended purchase channel.

The bottom line

The Seventeener is a small, purpose-built tool with an unusually long track record: a 1950s hat press, still made by Scouts, still sold to uniformed services, with all proceeds returning to Troop 17's operations and scoutership fund. Buy it if you wear a campaign hat or want to support the troop; skip it if neither applies.