FRONT STYLES

Boston Firefighters have always had a truly unique style and character. One representation of this has always been in the helmet fronts (or "devices" as they were traditionally called) worn by the BFD. For years they were made by the BFD Hose Shop using stitched patent leather and canvas, giving the BFD their own unique and classic look.

F&T is proud to offer this timeless design in our product line. Our Boston style front is hand-made to original Boston FD specs  (two layers of patent cowhide, olive duck canvas shaped with knotted cotton twine). We only use high quality leathers and do not use cardboard filler material. Our Boston style fronts can also be custom designed to incorporated text panels, painted graphics or other unique features upon request.

A style that has been popular since the 1800's, our traditional style fronts represent the true heritage of the art of front making. Available in both standard 6 inch and 8 inch sizes for replica " high eagle" applications and FDNY styles, our traditional fronts are built with three layers of thick cowhide and a solid brass reinforcement bar riveted with brass rivets to the back of the shield. We use no vinyl or cardboard filler layers to help ensure your helmet front will withstand even the most extreme conditions.

Nothing speaks to the the high quality art of front-making more than the traditional style, gold leaf front. Our gold leaf fronts are made using real 22K gold and silver-leaf encapsulated in a polyvinyl fluoride film to ensure you get the beauty of real gold with the durability of leather. All artwork is painted with high quality oil based enamel and sealed with 3 coats of acrylic sealer to help your front withstand some of the harshest conditions.

Hand Painted Fronts

To help you get that truly unique style that you want for your helmet front, we offer our custom hand-painted style on just about any style front shape that we can make. Using the same materials that are used in making our gold leaf fronts, our hand painted fronts are made to be durable and long-lasting. We also have the design tools needed to help you come up with a digital rendering of your front design for you to approve long before any leather is stitched together.