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So I made my own and they rock. Check it out. The Blank The Template. I used this to trim the edges fairly even and straight. A little chalk and a template. You're set. Trimming Ahh, the trimmings. Hides a lot. Freashly steamed! The Finished product. Tada!! All in all about 6 hours for the 2 hats.

I'm going to a fest this weekend,and thinking of doing a mid-1600s buccaneer look: sleeveless short doublet, petticoat breeches, etc. It's going to be hot, and am wondering about the appropriateness of a straw hat for the occasion. Working men have been depicted in straw hats since the Middle Ages, and in the Caribbean slaves, planters, etc. must have worn them as well. What about seamen of the period? Anyways, I have one similar to this (not quite so wide a brim) that I added a black twill tape hat band to: It looks pretty good on, but somewhat 'cowboy-ish.' What do you think..?

What do you think is best... Monmouth, Thrum or Peter the Great? Kristie Bukland's Hats

I have never knitted in my life and I am trying to learn how to read the instructions but after watching some videos and going through various beginer guides I am still a bit fuzzy as to how to interpret some of the instructions: **What does it mean when it says "Row xx to yy: Knit" verses "Row x: Knit 4" (and then Knit 3, Knit 2, etc?) - I believe it is reducing the size, but does that some how mean 'skipping" some? - also what does the "Repeat" at the end of some steps mean? are you 'repeating the K2tog step or the entire row? example: Rows 21-45: Knit Row 46: Knit 4, k2tog; repeat Rows 47-49: Knit Row 50: Knit 3, k2tog; repeat Rows 51-54: Knit Row 55: Knit 2, K2tog; repeat Row 56-58: Knit Row 59: Knit 1, K2tog; repeat

We've all seen them... those old halloweeny hats with shapable brims filled with wire, they are certainly somethign to be dreaded, for someone trying to be historically accurate... yet as i talked to a friend about commsioning a hat made of suade, she used the words 'wire brim' and i became hesitant, but then i stoped to consider... metal wire was in supply back then was it not? (I mean around 1660-1680) could not a noble who wanted a fine hat made of suade have wire placed in the brim to shape it properly? this much i am unsure of though it makes sense as far as I can tell... so what do you think? yay or nay? are there any historical cases of wire in the brim of hats? leather or otherwise?

the tricorn i started out with was the basic brown one from Jas Towsend&son i liked it and wore it for a long time but i just felt like something was missing [/img] started out as this and when i was done we have this [/img][/img] [/img] [/img]

and I'd like to give it a nice "cavalier flare". Any recommendations on how to make this look a little more authentic and piratey? Is there a way to make it seem a little more warn? Also, don't mind the tiki(s) in the photo...they're the only thing I could find to prop the hat...Oh yes and I got the blank for Townsend. Really stiff felt!

Anyone make any cockades or rosettes they would like to share? I'm curious and would like to make my own but I'm not certain where to start...

Together with a friend of mine (http://www.hoedopmaat.nl/home.html) who makes felt hats (the 20th century fashionable kind) I made this early 18th century Spanish Officers Cocked hat. We started out with a soft felt blank and in several runs of priming and stiffening (appreteren) we cave de bowl it's shape and stiffened the rim making it ready for the actual bending. I choose a more flattened bowl (sugerloaf) and already before cocking the rim, the design looked Spanish to me. The rim is trimmed with silver lace, the cords are gold and the band around the bowl is (I think) what you people would call bullion tape. Making use of Ivan Henrys gallery and some internet searches I based my hat more or less on the drawing of the: "Chapeaux d'officiers d'apres un almanch de 1705, la prise de Barcelone." and some other drawings and foto's I found on the internet. It might be a bit to fancy for most of you pirates, but I think it suits an officer quite nicely... I must say I am very pleased with it... and just for the fun of it, I include one more photo of my stuff here:

So after the massive amount of rain we had at the Hampton Festival this June I had to reshape my tricorn and decided it was time to dress it up a bit. I added some trim and a few peacock feathers but I don't know if I like the feathers or not. I wanted to add some more gold trim underneath possibly with beadwork too. Any ideas?

and what does one put into google to discover this craft? tons of millinery stuff i have seen..... but i want this particular craft........ are yah out there callenish? capn sterling? aint it interesting that the men know these things??? how about lady brower?

This is my newest creation. I've really started to go nuts making hats. This one is wool felt (Hat body from Hats by Leko) cotton trim, all hand sewn and hand blocked and shaped by me. I patterned it after paintings I've seen of George Washington from the American Revolution. Tell me wat you think mates. Front view Side view Rear view Detail of button Detail of hat band Me wearing said hat.

I have been looking at period drawings and such trying to find any reverense for wearing a head wrap of any sort under a hat, but up to now couldn't find it. I am about to asumb that that's another Hollywood invention... Am im right?

My Birthday is comming up in April and one of my early presents is getting to make a new hat. I have always gotten my blanks from a local source here in NC but they are no longer around. Want to get something in a dark brown or gray, wide brim, maybe 6 inches. Has anyone ever ordered a blank from Hats by leko? Also looking at the blanks from Jas Townsend and sons. Have a budget limit of $25 - $35. Suggestions?

Just wanted to show my newest hat creation. Not period by a long shot, but I like it. This one was made by sandwiching together 2 pieces of flat craft felt. I wanted to see how my hats would look before delving into serious all wool hat construction. So now I just have to wait to get my blanks from Hats by Leko and I can get to work on many more. Let me know what you think.

I made this hat from flat felt and I am looking for opinions on it's appearance. All comments welcome.

I've seen late 18th century cocked hats made of beaver felt that were covered with 'glazed linen' to waterproof them to a certain extent. I've been looking around the interwebtubes for a source for the stuff and all I've seen is material for furniture and doesn't look at all right, plus it's wicked expensive at almost $100 a yard. So, if anyone knows what I'm on about, is there a technique I can use to treat regular old linen to get the same effect?

went to pirates in paynetown and saw a plethora of womens head coverings.... were mob caps from GaOP? i keep onlooking at paintings and art from the late 17th and 18th century..... so many variations.. and yet there are many women without head coverings and hair up-- was this just for their portrait that they did not cover their hair/ did it vcary by region/country/ religious belief? can some one point me a book or website or other source?

Anyone know of a good pattern for Monmouth caps? Janelle wants to try her hand at knitting one for me. :)

Before turning to a life of piracy, I used to think that tricorns were rather odd-looking and wondered who the heck came up with that bizarre design? Now, not only do they look a lot cooler to me than they did back then, but by having worn one in many different situations, I've realized that they have a surprisingly good and practical design. First and foremost, tricorns are aerodynamic. I've been at sea and in high winds with them. I can safely say that it takes a heck of a lot to blow a tricorn off one's head! They wouldn't come of when you rode a horse or when you were on a ship. They keep the sun out of your eyes You can lean your head back when sitting Like cowboys did with their hats, in an extreme situation, I believe you could probably give your horse water in one, although I can't claim to have tried! Anyone have anything else to add?