What do we buy?

Part of the joy of fez collecting is finding new and interesting pieces to add. This site is by no means an exhaustive account of every fez known to man, but it hopes to become the primary resource for those looking for more information on fraternal haberdashery. This means that we are always looking for pieces to add to the collection via purchase or donation.

Yes, you heard right; we are willing to purchase your fezzes (as long as they would make an appropriate addition to the collections.) What do we pay for fezzes? Sadly, there isn’t much of a price guide out there, but the going rate for a fez is between $10 and $50 U.S., plus shipping. The most expensive fez in the collection only cost $130 including shipping (and it was a EXTREMELY rare and VERY OLD piece.) We will compensate as best we can for your item, based upon availability, construction, and age. We have a good idea of what fezzes we can find easily and what ones we can’t. We assure you that we will only offer what we believe to be a fair price for your item.

Let’s start with what we aren’t looking for, though. The musuem is not looking to purchase fezzes worn as parts of military uniforms or duplicates of any items currently in the collection (this means that we are generally not interested in Shriner’s fezzes) unless the item is markedly different than one we already own or has some other distinguishing qualities.

Now, on to what we want! Below is a list of fezzes we are currently seeking for our collection (fezzes already on display will not be listed here.) If you have a fez that isn’t listed on here, or anywhere esle, please contact us! You might have a real gem!

Any questions or offers for to sell your fez can be sent to the musuem via the contact section.

Fezzes Sought

Masonic Fezzes

  • Royal Order of Jesters – A very exclusive, by invite only, branch of the Shrine. Fezzes were rarely made and are usually blue with ROJ on the front.
  • Fatimas of the Fez – A California based ladies group connected to the Peace Officer’s Shrine Club in Van Nuys. known to be active in the early 60’s. The fezzes are black with a red tassel, featuring a scimitar.
  • Ladies of the Oriental Shrine – The museum is looking for the fez that a national officer in this group would wear. The fez would be white, with with a golden winged design on the front, and have a yellow tassel.
  • Daughters of Mokanna – We are also in search of the fez of a national officer for this group. Prior to 2006, the fez would have been gold with a black tassel. From 2006 forward, the fezzes are purple with a black tassel.
  • Job’s Daughters International – Some old pictures have surfaced of Job’s Daughters wearing white fezzes. We couldn’t make out the emblems, but we are in search of a fez from this group.
  • Tall Cedars of Lebanon – Recent, an example of a Tall Cedars fez was seen in another museum. The fez was maroon with a large green tree on the front. Other examples have been black with yellow or gold embroidery.
  • Sciots – Two variations of Sciots fezzes have recently been found. First, we are looking a the maroon colored Sciots fez. The fez is identical to a regular Sciots fez, other than the color. We are also in search of more Libyan Guard fezzes.
  • It appears that many of the Masonic groups that wear fezzes are now represented, however, if you have a piece that is different from those on display or is unique, please let us know! We may still be interested!

Clandestine Masonic Fezzes

  • Royal Arch Masons – The first organization in the York Rite. Uses a red fez with a yellow tassel and a keystone with the letters RAM.
  • Knights Templar – A Masonic order of knighthood. Fezzes are black with white tassels and feature a cross and crown design.
  • PHA Shrine Youth – A youth group sponsored by the Shrine. Fezzes are green with yellow tassels and feature a pyramid.
  • Daughters of the Sphinx – another clandestine Shrine ladies auxiliary. Fezzes are white and feature a sphinx.
  • Heroines of Jericho (H.O.J.) – an auxiliary for ladies of members of the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons. Fezzes are red, usually with yellow stitching, depicting a spinning wheel.

Other Fraternal Fezzes

  • The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F)
    • The Imperial Order of Muscovites – A fun group that competed with the OOHP. The organization had a Russian theme and met in “Kremlins.” Fezzes are charcoal grey with a black velvet band featuring two bears and the letters IOM.
    • Ladies of the Muscovees – the ladies auxiliary of the Muscovites, the group was known to have worn an orange fez with a black band around the bottom. Uses similar logos and emblems to that of the Muscovites.
    • Ancient Mystical Order of Cabiri – A fun group that competed, and later merged with, the OOHP to create the Ancient Mystical Order of Samaritans (AMOS.) Group was mainly headquartered in Oakland, California.
    • Veiled Prophets of Baghdad – A fun group that competed, and later merged w with, the OOH&P to create the Ancient Mystical Order of Samaritans (AMOS.) Known to have existed in the mid-west (Kansas and Missouri) in the early 20th Century. Fezzes are blue with red tassels, embroidered with the name of the local Chapter and a crescent.
    • Knights of Oriental Splendor – A fun group that competed, and later merged with, the OOHP to create the Ancient Mystical Order of Samaritans (AMOS.) Known to have existed in the South (Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama) in the early 20th Century. Fezzes are purple with a yellow tassel and feature a sphinx superimposed over a star and crescent.
  • Knights of Pythias
    • Order of Calanthe – A ladies auxilliary to African American Pythians, the group wears white fezzes with the letters “OOC” as well as a circle divided into three parts containing the letters “H, F, L” along with an extended hand holding a flower.
    • Order of Calanthe Youth Department – a subset of the Order of Calanthe that provides leadership to young people, especially in African American communities. Fezzes will have the letters “OOC,” “LKO,” and depict a bee hive.
    • Dramatic Order Knights of Omar – An African American Pythian organization, similar in nature to the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan. Fezzes are red with yellow or black tassels and feature crossed spears, a camel, and a scimitar.
    • Princess of Omar – Recently, I received updated information that identified this group as an auxiliary to the Dramatic Order Knights of Omar. Fezzes are black with white tassels and feature a moon, a star, and a bird holding a branch. May also feature a camel walking on a scimitar in front of spears.
  • Protestant Orders
    • Loyal Orange Lodge – Pictures have surfaced from some Orange Order Lodges that wore fezzes for a short period in the early 20th Century. Fezzes are of various colors (usually orange or red) and are embroidered with “L O L”, the city of the Lodge, and its number.
  • Catholic Orders
    • Order of Alhambra – While the collection already contains Alhambra fezzes, we are in search of others that display the different colored tassels based upon rank. If you have an Alhambra fez with a tassel color other than red or white, let us know!
  • African American Catholic Orders
    • Knights of Peter Claver – A version of the Knights of Columbus for African Americans. Fezzes were blue with yellow tassels and feature the letters K of PC on them along with anchors.

Social Fezzes

  • Sons of Pericles – An organization sponsored by AHEPA for young men. Fezzes are light blue and feature the name of the organization.
  • American Woodmen – An organization similar to the Woodmen of the World, but for African Americans. Fezzes are blue with red tassels and feature a log being cut with axes.
  • Ancient Mystical Order of Bagmen of Bagdad (sic) – A fun branch of the National Traveller’s Association known for wearing fezzes. Colors known include blue and white, with corresponding tassels.
  • Fraternal Order of Moai – A civic service group that is gaining ground across the United States . Senior members are given a blue / grey fez with a tiki idol on the front.
  • Deoderized Order of the Skunk – A humorous group that wore white fezzes with either black or red tassels. The front of the fez features a patch with a skunk and the name of the group. Local groups were called “Aromas.”
  • Lambda Chi Alpha – A collegiate fraternity that was known to have an official fez sometime around 1915. The fez has an equilateral cross with a crescent moon on the lower right hand side, with the open side facing up and to the left.
  • National Order of Trench Rats – We are looking for an Imperial officer’s fez, which is white, bearing the traditional emblem of the group, a rat!
  • The Cult of the Eye – A San Francisco based civic group that raises money for cancer awareness. Fezzes are black with red tassels and feature a large disembodied eye.
  • Chinese American Citizens Alliance – A group that opposed racism against Chinese immigrants in the Western United States around in the early 20th Century. Fezzes were maroon, with yellow tassels, and were embroidered with the letters “CACA” and Chinese characters.
  • Caballeros De Dimas-Alang – founded by second generation Filipinos for mutual benefit, this group wore a white fez, with a four armed cross, over top of crossed swords. Each arm of the cross contains a symbol.