Hats

[redhand]

Stynky

Here's the web address for that hat company I was telling

you about. I've never ordered from them and am currenbtly

waiting for a price list or catalog info from them. They have many

different types & styles of hats including blanks. You might take

a look at their site. They're located in Pennsylvania. I'm not

sure of the quality of their hat, difficult to tell from the pics.

They also have a discount product page, which might be worth

checking out. www.hatcrafters.com

Cheers

Redhand

[Stynky Tudor]

Aye, just when I thought I would have to keep making me own hat blanks to get what I be wanting, you send me off to that site. There be all manner of fine head covering. One could acquire just about any number hat and with a wee bit of steam and mangling one could do wonders!

Great site, thank you!

I’m going to have to rethink how I’ve been doing things.

[captweaver65]

I have a question about the tricorn.

what happens to it in the rain? do you hafta pour out the water or was there a hole/grommet built in at each corner to let water out?

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Captain Weaver,

Taint never been out in the rain, I don't reckon. But, the way I make my hats, ye jest tip yer head and the rain would drain out. Anyhoo, a tricorne ain't what you need in the rain. Won't keep the drizzle off yer face.

If'n I can ever figure out how to download pics, I'll send you a fine one of me and Bob the Swab wearing the hats I made. (One Tricorne, One Cavalier)

I'll definitely try that other site, too, Redhand. Good work diggin' it up. Ahhh. A good hat site is like a treasure. Takes a long time a-diggin', but it's well worth it in the end.

Capt. WE Roberts

[Deacon Frye]

"I'll be more'n happy to furl the forecourse for ye Cap't, but first I must change into me rainhat. Be back in a jiffy ... '

[Stynky Tudor]

Aye Capt Weaver, the water does seem to collect up there easily enough… I know me tricorne hat be a regular catch basin for all sorts of things, rain, snow, leaves, but mostly just lint and dust. As for drainage, other than Captain Robert's suggestion of tipping one's head to the side, I don’t rightly know. Has anybody researched this point at all?

I know back in April, we got rained on quite a bit at the North Carolina Renaissance Faire, all of our hats got pretty wet and floppy. Wet felt not be happy felt.

Once home and the hats be dried out, I held them over a pot of boiling water to steam and re-stretched them over me hat forms. And with a little bit of the hot iron, the brims be right as rain so to speak.

For stiffening felt, I’ve got some stuff called Hydrolac. Not sure what it is exactly but, the idea is to mix a portion it with parts water and isopropyl rubbing alcohol and brush it onto one’s felt hat, maybe use a bit of a hot iron to infuse it into the wool felt fibers.

I was reading on the Najecki's Reproductions site, that they advise after brushing the dust and dirt out of one’s felt hat, painting it with a coat of shellac.

I’m actually not sure how well either of these work though until I give 'em a try.

I know that in past centuries, mercury was used in the making of felt hats, thus the term "Mad As A Hatter". As much I would like to be authentic, I think I’ll steer clear of using that though. What can I say, I use a sewing machine to…

[Dorian Lasseter]

Hmmmm....

I dunno iffn' it helps stiffen th' hat, but a nice can o' campdry(sp) or yer favorite water proofing agent works wonders...

No more floppy wet hat....

[Capt. Flint]

For a felt tricorn, i have no idea what you would do, other than let it dry out. For a leather one, I recommend using mink oil. .... The Capt.

[captweaver65]

thank ye all for the tips and info.

:)

as for waterproofing hats,there was an old recipe that I came across that

was used by mountain men types for waterproofing just about anything.

they disolved parafin in paint spirits and dip or brush it on just about any porous surface.there is also a warning not to stand too close to the open flames wearing this stuff or you may become one with the fire.

I've used it on canvas and leather with good results,it turns the material a nice darker shade as well.

I use straight melted bees wax for waterproofing suede leather shoe and boot soles.works well,although they are a little slippery on rock surfaces.

[redhand]

Stynky-

I've got a friend who shelaqued (sp)

his hat he does Rev war British Marines

and it'd hard as hell now. I believe he used

Roy's (Najeckie) recipet to do it.

Roy's reproductions are quality repros

and he is very knowlegable when it comes

to 18th century clothing, armes and etc.

Cheers

Redhand

[Stynky Tudor]

Arr Captain Weaver, do you mind sharing with us yer water proofing recipe? What parts per bee's wax vs what parts per paint spirits?

[Stynky Tudor]

shelaqued his hat...and it'd hard as hell now

Ahoy Mister Red'and, but do you know if that hat be as comfortable to wear as it should? I mean hard as hell be sounding a bit on the extreme side to me...

[captweaver65]

heyya Stynky,

the old waterproffing recipe says to grate the parrafin fine and add it by the spoonful to the mineral spirits til no more will disolve.it takes a while to disolve it with shaking or stirring.

I've also used strraight melted parrafin on leaky tents.I just drip or brush it on where the leak is after I've dried the area first.

the beezwax,I just heat to melting and use a craft brush to brush it on-then I gently heat the area a little at a time with a candle flame,so the wax melts into the surface.

JUST WATCH OUT FOR OPEN FLAMES-I was surprised at how fast my leather shoe caught fire-but it puts out pretty fast too with just some gentle pressure on the flame.

havn't flame tested the parrafin/m.spirits stuff-hafta make me up a batch and try it out-just picked up an old canvas tent top (12'x12' $3 goodwill) that needs waterproofing.

:)

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Hoorah, Captain Weaver!

Happy to see that other pirates are reaping the benefits of the Goodwill store! After all, a poor pirate is not a happy one!

As for waterproofing, I have no clue, but Captain Weaver's ideas seem pretty good. However, too much parafin could cause a white waxy build up. I would be careful when testing the flame retardancy of the mixture, though, Captain. Wouldn't want you to look even close to what your avatar looks like! Remember my explosive brownies!

Anyhow, I have discovered that some hats are very stiff when you first buy them, but seem to soften after wear. You might be able to take your hats to a professional hat shaper. I have heard that they spray something on your hat to make it stiffer after they shape it.

You can find hat shapers at most western boot outlets. I had mine shaped and formed for about $8. Of course, that was forming it back to its original cowboy hat shape. Since then, I've given up on it and had it "magically" transformed into a tricorne.

Capt. WE Roberts

[Stynky Tudor]

Arr thanks for yer recipe Captain Weaver, I'll 'ave to be giving it a try.

[Stynky Tudor]

Arr but Captain Roberts, 'aving someone else shape yer hat isn't as fun as doing it yerself.

http://www.hatshapers.com/index.html

[hurricane]

I haven't had too bad of time with me felt tricorn - us being up here in the soggy Northwest it has gotten wet so many times the feathers have wilted and shed. Just need a good drying out when I returned to port.

The two wool ones faired far better. But one doesn't want to look too store bought anyway, so a good dousing in water (or rum) adds character - been 18 years with the same hat in hide tides and low - high humidity and freezin' cold.

Of course, the rum helps make me look better in the hat. Could that have something to do with it?

[the Royaliste]

You bet! keep drinkin' them triples till yer seein' double, feelin' single, and gettin' in trouble!

[BatSpell]

Ahoy mateys!

I be waitin fer me hat from lady MacSnoods in th' mail and were wonderin' when it gets here, how I can shape it into a tricorn? Like what be the procedures and all so's I don't mess it up? Like be there a trick to it er somethin'? I have absolutely NO experience with these hats at all. (kicks meself fer that one).....

Fair winds,

DEADLY DRUCILLA

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

just put a little tacking stitch on each side, down low near the base of the hat, rather than up high near the brim edge, to hold up each of the three sides in the air.

[BatSpell]

Ahoy Claire

That be a great idea! It's so simple to boot...

Fair winds,

DEADLY DRU

[captweaver65]

Hoorah, Captain Weaver!

Happy to see that other pirates are reaping the benefits of the Goodwill store! After all, a poor pirate is not a happy one!

As for waterproofing, I have no clue, but Captain Weaver's ideas seem pretty good. However, too much parafin could cause a white waxy build up. I would be careful when testing the flame retardancy of the mixture, though, Captain. Wouldn't want you to look even close to what your avatar looks like! Remember my explosive brownies!

hehe

you are just too cute Capt Roberts.

if ya want to see what I really looks like,I have a picture posted in the member's profiles section

:)

[Artemis Pepper]

Thought I'd share this most excellent shop with ya'll

Hat Crafters.com

You will have to call for a price list, and they will mail it to you, even though it says they can fax it, they prefer to snail mail it. She will also quote you prices over the phone if need be.

Enjoy!

Artemis

[Rosalinda]

not to be confused with these:

http://www.pimphats.com

[LadyAtropos]

Hi again...my computer is rather slow and can sometimes be finicky, so I don't know if it's just me or the forum itself, but my last post from yesterday has disappeared, so I'll try again...

I'm interested in costume-making, and I'd love to know how to make hats. I see y'all talking about steaming hats and shaping them that way--how does one go about doing this? With a big pot of water? Is there any special equipment needed? Any advice or links would be much appreciated! Thank you!

cheers,

LA

Again, sorry if this is a double post.