Funny how some people`s names seem to go with their jobs or interests, isn`t it? Camouflage is all about concealment and hiding, so I`m lucky I wasn`t born Dominic Bling or Dominic Gawdy! For those who want to do the math, I was born in Sheffield, England, during the “Summer of Love” (July 1967), while the hippies let it all hang out at Haight-Ashbury and The Beatles hung around the top of the charts with “All You Need is Love”.
I`ve been interested in camouflage ever since I was a boy, beginning with Action Man (a licensed UK-made version of GI Joe) and plastic model kits of tanks and planes: putting them in the garden and trying to make them become invisible. Then one Birthday my dad bought me a pair of binoculars and I went along to a nearby bird-reserve to see what I could spot. In a bird-hide there`s no problem watching the wildlife, once you get used to where to look, and what to look for, but in the open it`s a different story. Unfortunately most of the time I was seen by the birds long before I saw them, so I only got good at recognising their wing markings as they hoved away into the distance. I needed to beat the birds at their own game. I needed camo.
Belgian jigsaw pattern
The first camouflage jacket I had as a boy was a short-sleeved safari shirt in Belgian Jigsaw pattern. It was much too dark for the scrub and grass of the bird-reserve, and I soon found fault with most other camo patterns available through army surplus shops at that time. I really started to look into camouflage deeply (some would say too deeply!) from that point. I learned a little more about personal concealment during a time in the Territorial Army, and also studied the influence of art and artists on the development of camouflage. For instance, did you know that Picasso claimed to have ‘invented’ disruptive patterned camouflage?
For years camo design remained just a hobby of mine, but by using a home computer and inkjet printer in addition to paints and dyes, I continued to develop my ideas and experiment with concealment principles. A rebate from the taxman gave me the means to transform my passion into a business, and Hyde Definition was born.
So now I get to design camo all day, and get paid for it. Perfect!
Hyde Definition’s first proprietory pattern, PenCott, is available on a range of clothing on sale now, as well as licence opportunities for other manufacturers. My company also undertakes commissions, and it’s not just personal concealment we do, either – see the wind turbine we camouflaged in 2008 here.
The Camo Side of Dominic Hyde 
Hi Dom.
I also used to make plastic model kits of tanks and planes and paint them, then I also tried putting them in the garden and tried to make them become invisible.
My first binoculars were when my uncle gave me his old 8×30 binoculars. He also gave me his SLR camera. I have done a lot of birding as well. Also observing deer. I usually use 8×42 binoculars because of the twighlight factor. (Low magnification and a wide objective lens is the best). 7×50 have a better twighlight factor but are difficult to get hold of. Also with high magnification binoculars you notice shake more and require a tripod.
My first camouflage jacket was a German Army Fieldgrey Parka, it was made for children and not the Bundeswehr. It was a very effective colour especially against the bark of some trees.
Belgian Jigsaw pattern is not really effective anywhere with such bright colours and simple shapes.
My first camouflage pattern jacket was the DPM jacket issued to me in the Army Cadets when I was thirteen, it was 1970’s variation DPM with dark and slightly bright colours, in foliage it was more effective than Fieldgrey.
Allan.
A short response to allan ‘s comment on the Belgian Jigsaw pattern, you say that it’s “not really effective anywhere with such bright colours and simple shapes”.
I happen to own a few trouwers and shirts in Belgian Jigsaw (one pair in the second type of jigsaw and one pair in the latest “new” type) and I’m spending a lot of time in the ardenne forests lately for my hobby (I’m visiting and fotographing a lot of World War 2 battlefields) and I can say that I was very suprissed by the amount of camo that these outfits provided, my friend who often joins me in the ardennes was also very suprissed, and he was very sceptical towards this type of camo at first.
I also own an american digital camo outfit (the ACU version) and this was very dissapointing in the ardennes, the colours of the Belgian Jigsaw camo, strange as they may seem, do work in the Belgian forests.
Greetings,
Eric
P.S. my appoligies for my “poor” English, it’s been a while …
Am curious, what is with the rather annoying number of pop-ups present on your site? Very difficult to look at with some wikipedia, etc window appearing.
Thanks for your comments. The pop-up problem has been rectified – simply a default widget that needed disabling. I trust your enjoyment of this blog is enhanced now!
I have an original sample suit of the 3 colour desert DPM from the first gulf war, I’m having trouble finding info or a value for the kit and wondered if you had any ideas, I can send photos if that helps
Hi John, I’ve sent you an email.
Dear Dom.
Love your blog – have you seen our website http://www.thecamouflagecompany.com? have a look and tell me what you think.
Best wishes
Louise
Great site Dom – knowing your RELENTLESS work ethic and determination I can see success on the horizon (perhaps it needs camo?)
“Dominic Gawdy!”
That’s hilarious. Good thing you weren’t born Dominic Booster or Dominic Paddle either, eh?
Thanks Stina… I think! The genteel English side of me is not sure what you mean by booster and paddle. The dark and seedy side of me thinks I might have a clue. Pray, enlighten me.
I’m not entirely sure what I meant by “booster” or “paddle;” those words just came to me….in the same way that “Ratty” and “Garbonzo” are now.
^_^
Hi poeple, just found this web-site glad to see their are some other camo-nutters out there. I am irish and trying to get the new irish army dpm is hard. its illegal for a civilian to own or wear and can get in some serious shit for having it due to bank robberys as irish soliders guard cash movements between banks. My fav camo is american woodland mainly i think because of films when i was a kid, Cammando etc.. My first camo was FRENCH c.e.c. ( central , european,camo ) shirt which i loved and started my camo absession. I camo everything my zippo,tool-box even my welding shiels,( Miller are a american welder company, you have to see their Real-tree camo face shields, very good. I think Multi-cam is the next camo to be world wide. Richie
Hi Eric.
Have you tried German Army Flecktarn (dark variation)? It is even more effective in evergreen forests than Belgian camo.
When I wrote Fieldgrey I did actually mean Stonegrey-olive.
Hi Allan,
I have not yet tried German flecktarn, but I have a Belgian “flecktarn” camo, this looks a lot like the German flecktarn (see link below), and was used by the guards on the airfield of “kleine-Brogel”, in Belgium.
Anyway, this camo is indeed superb in the Belgian Ardennes.
Here a link about “Belgian Flecktarn”:
http://camo.henrikc.dk/details.asp?autono=70
brits in multicam, didnt see that coming
The forum is looking nice and clean. Been busy?
wow !! great site Dom,
your really up on your game,I’ve allways loved camouflage since I was in the army cadets I’m sort of an amatuer collector of camouflage allthough I only have about 15 diffrent types it’s as and and when money dictates ( mortgage & kids come first).
Do you still live in Sheffield (I do) it would be nice to meet up some time and chat and compare info,items,etc, face to face .
Please contact me by my e-mail if you have time.
Thanks Danny P
Hi Dom,
great site! Nice to have a good reference online for all things camo! 🙂
I wonder though – what do you know of something called Survival Corp’s SURPAT?
It’s being touted by a Russian equipment supplier in the UK as Russia’s *new* digicam!!!
I cannot find good infor on it anywhere (so there’s a challenge for you!)
All teh best, Steve the Milgeek
Excelente sitio!!!!!!!!!! Soy un apacionado del camo en general, la ocultación y el engaño. Mi condición de sniper me lo requiere jejejejej………..
Realmente me encuentro sorpredido por el material encontrado aquí, y por como surgió esta empresa. Me gustaría poder analizar más en profundidad tu camo, como por ejemplo, cómo se comporta en distintos ambientes, bajo iluminación IR, a diferentes distancias, etc, etc, etc.,…Cordiales saludos.Sergio.
Muchas gracias por su interés y amables comentarios , Sergio
Hi Don – how are you ? 🙂
Hi Dominic!
I just saw the new Belgian winter camo jacket on your web side.
Could you give the name and email address (by email) of the company that is making
them.
Another question: have you got any information about the white jackets/parkas that the EU peace monitors were porting in Yugoslavia in the 90´s.
I suppose it was an Italian one. Savoy star on the collar. It was probably reversible with pine needle pattern on the other side. It seem impossible to find it in the web.
Matti Nousiainen
Turku, Finland
P.S. Russian are making many variations of Finnish m05 summer by leaving out one colour at a time.
dito
Hello Dominic
Firstly can i say how impressed i am with your Pencott patterns and little camouflage comunity that you have here on this site and others, i find it very interesting to follow your articles.
secondly i was pondering about the pixels in digital camouflage and is there any significant benefit form developing a pattern from little squares, obviously very effective patterns can be created will pixels but as squares are very unnatural shapes are the squares only used so the pattern can be desined in CAD?
surley using small cirular shapes to create the pattern would give a more natural appearance?
Faithfully Ajax Johnson
Hi Dom,
do you know how to get the new Luxembourg camo ? It looks simular to the finnish M05 bad weather camo.
Thank you very much in advance and best regards.
Hi Joerg. I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that. I have never seen it in person, and I’m not sure who amongst my contacts has.
Hi Dom,
no problem but thank you very much for your prompt reaction and answer.