Leather hat . Lock and Co., breathe easy!

[Seagull]

For some time, I,ve been musing about another hat and I still aren't really sure of what I want......only that it's to be cooler and preferably more water tight than my present Aussie style ,wide-brim, steaming bonnet.

Yerse, I've had a butchers at all the Tilleys and there are some which I quite like the looks of, but I aint so enchanted by the prices.......
I reckon that I could make up something passable, myself.

But, I presently lack a good duck canvas: though I do have lots of thin leather; and I'm fair sick of pouches.....soooooo, I'm minded to have a thrash at hand-making a leather hat.

To date, I've used small practise offcuts, and sewed various types of seams, on the reverse and on the round, to get an idea of any assembly problems and to take some clue about how the final appearance will be.

I recall that several members have made felt hats of their own and , starting from scratch, have made a good job of things.

I would be very interested to hear about any constructional pitfalls ,especially from anyone who has done a leather hat of their own.

Thanks, Guys and Gals....I am all ears!


Ceeg

ps. idiot thought.
If I actually was,"all ears", I could just tie the ploddy things together over my head!

 

[Eric_Methven]

I can let you have some nice white heavy duck canvas if you like.

Eric

 

[Seagull]

Very generous of you Eric, but I cannot accept without fair swaps.
However, you are obviously well kitted out and certain not to need any of the tat which I posess..........though, next doors dogs could do with a permanant holiday, perhaps I could mail them?

Seriously, Eric, Thanks but I must decline.
Hoy, wait a mo, I,m sure youve posted about making leather hats, afore...aint you?

Ceeg

 

[Eric_Methven]

I have done leather hats before, but mostly of the historical 'acorn' type with a fur rim. If you are going to have a go at a bushcraft type wide brimmed hat, I'd be looking at leather a wee bit thicker than that used for pouches. LePrevo have some nice oily waxy leather in their scrap bin right now that would do the job very nicely.

Things to remember. If hand stitching, take your time and use a saddle stitch. Cut the crown, sew to the side piece from front to back around the right, then front to back around the left. That way the back seam in the side piece will be at the back. If you try to go round in one go, you sometimes find the end has stretched a bit and the back seam is off kilter.

Once you have the crown sewn to the side piece, turn it right side out and sew up the back seam. Check it for fit. If it doesn't fit your head then there's no point in wasting the brim leather. If it fits slightly loose that's good because you'll be adding an inner hat band later.

Cut the brim out and make the hole in the middle slightly egg shaped so it fits your head more naturally. Tack the brim to the side piece with a running stitch. Once more start from the front and work round to the back, checking the ease as you go (you don't want the stitches scrunching up anywhere). Then do the other side. You may end up with excess leather on the inner rim of the brim. If the stitching is nice and smooth you can trim this excess off. Then do another row of stitches next to the first for added strength.

Cut a piece of suede about two inches wide by the length of the inner rim. Tack it to the edge of the brim then fold it up inside the hat. Try it for size. If it's too snug, give it a soak then fit it wet. The wetting will help you get a good fit. Let it dry a bit on your head then remove it carefully without mis-shaping it and allow it to fully dry.

You can make a decorative outer hat band to hide the stitch line later from the same, or a contrasting material.

If using a sewing machine to stitch it, use exactly the same assembly technique, but use talcum powder to allow the leather to slide over the bed and foot of the machine easily. With a machine, use bonded polyester thread and keep the stitches as wide as the machine will allow.

To protect it, you can use Barbour wax, melted, brushed on then melted in with a hair dryer, or melt beeswax and paraffin 50/50 in a double boiler and use the same technique.

If you are using very thin leather, you can laminate it to some canvas or heavy linen before assembly. That'll give it some body and stop it flopping about. The brim would be two layers of thin leather laminated to stiff fabric in a sandwich. In that case you'd need to stitch a thin strip of very thin leather round the edge of the brim to hide the edges.

That's the best way I can think of of describing the method off the cuff as it were.

The offer's still open for the canvas. I'm sure we'll get together at a meet sometime and you can buy me a beer.

Eric

 

[Seagull]

Many thanks for passing on, the benefit of your experiences, Eric.

Some very helpful hints amidst that little lot: its just the sort of thing I was looking for.

I,m pretty sold on being able enough to make a decent job and I would rather my first effort was attempted in leather, as I find it easier to work, than canvas.....the problem of "creep" seems to be worse, with canvas; mainly because of the ,customery ,double thread-single stitch that I tend to use there.

I expect that this project will take a while to cut and sew, but I will post a pic or three of the finished article................aaaand, maybe take a few extra one's along the way, just in case.

Anyway, I have already plumbed for the wax'n'melt finish and, maybe, a dogskin hatband!

regards
Ceeg

 

[shep]

I had ago at making one from 2.5mm leather a couple of months back. Suffice it to say the leather has been reclaimed for other projects.

The problem I had was getting the side-walls to sit right. They look best if they angle in slightly towards the crown, but not too much. There are patterns you can buy which would be the easiest way to get this right, or be prepared to waste some leather (or a lot of stitching time) in trial and error. I tried to stitch the crown inside out and then flip it outside out. The bulk of the leather in the rolled seam made it look daft!

One success I did have was doing the brim by cutting an oval hole a bit smaller than my head, then wet the leather (veg tan) and wet-mold it to my own head over a wooly hat (to leave space for a band). Once finished the fit was perfect, with the inside edge of the brim rolling up to meet the side-walls. Shame the crown was pants and I lost faith!

 

[Seagull]

I had ago at making one from 2.5mm leather a couple of months back. Suffice it to say the leather has been reclaimed for other projects.

The problem I had was getting the side-walls to sit right. They look best if they angle in slightly towards the crown, but not too much. There are patterns you can buy which would be the easiest way to get this right, or be prepared to waste some leather (or a lot of stitching time) in trial and error. I tried to stitch the crown inside out and then flip it outside out. The bulk of the leather in the rolled seam made it look daft!

One success I did have was doing the brim by cutting an oval hole a bit smaller than my head, then wet the leather (veg tan) and wet-mold it to my own head over a wooly hat (to leave space for a band). Once finished the fit was perfect, with the inside edge of the brim rolling up to meet the side-walls. Shame the crown was pants and I lost faith!

Now, this is interesting,Shep.
Sidewalls........I was intending to get round this problem, by using the same elliptical template I made ( sized to final fit) and using this to cut out the crownpiece.
Then, hopefully, the foldback allowance ,of the crownpiece, (1 cm all round) would draw -in the upper part of the sides.

Sidepiece is deliberately cut 2.5 cm overheight, so that, with the help of a precrease and maybe a little wetshaping, I can fold it down and inwards, as need be; to be left (I hope), with an almost vertical sidepiece.

I almost fell into the trap of hoping to cut the inner brim to headtemplate size, and then I remembered to make a good allowance for the upstand connection to sidewall.

So far, its just at the fez stage...more to come.

Thanks for the input, Shep.


rgds
Ceeg

 

[Seagull]

This is starting to turn out , not too bad, though there have been some unforseen probs.

The main object, is to make a hat with a backslanting crown, so as to easily lead away the rainwater, hence the high front and sharply downcurved rear brim.

Its vegtan, just over 2 mill.

Its all ready for the final bit of sewing and, so far, it seems I've sized it exactly right.

It'll be a wax and melt finish and should come out as a rusty brown.

Still some final shaping to be done, as a result of plumbing for sides made out of a straight strip.


Watch this space.


Ceeg

Theres a couple more pics, in my gallery, if anyone's interested

 

[Eric_Methven]

Now that's lovely. The back slope is extreme though, just make sure it is over your collar rather than under it when it rains. I would think you could end up with a neck full of water if you tip your head forward then back. I suspect your upturned collar might pop out and leave the rear brim on the inside. It's looking very nice though.

Eric

 

[topknot]

wow , nice one.

 

[jojo]

Very nice hat! Well done. I just found this site, probably too late for you but may interest other would be hatmakers: http://www.bighousedaddy.com/making_a_leather_hat.htm

 

[Seagull]

Very nice hat! Well done. I just found this site, probably too late for you but may interest other would be hatmakers: http://www.bighousedaddy.com/making_a_leather_hat.htm

Cheers for the link......but too late.
(anyway, I couldnt actually find how to get into that sites info...perhaps you've to buy the video in order to learn the secrets????)

So, here's one I found in the making.....its pretty obvious when you think about it, but I hadn't sussed it and had to make -do.

#1. If you want a sidewall thats evenly inward tilting, then don't, f''rchrissakes, cut your sidewall as a straight length!.....better to make it along the part -arc of a circle, selecting your batter angle and drawing tangential off that angle...simple!

So why didn't I do it ...doh!

Cheers for the comments, fellah's .
I had thought about that one , Eric; it does matter, something like that.
But I took assurance from something that I often get told.

"Anything that matters, is like watter off a ducks back"

Ceeg

 

[shep]

Great work Seagull. That's a lovely hat. I'm almost inspired to go back to the drawing board myself...

 

[Seagull]

Here's how she looks today.

Sewing finally finished and given first coat of dye.

I had thought to get rid of the watermark left by wet-mouding, but hopefully, it will pass as a sweatstain! now how's that for built-in character?

The coil of 4 strand flat sennit, is for the hatband.

Sea trials to be done on completion and, initial assessment leads me to believe that I will have to allow a few degrees of weather helm, due to that 3.5 inch brim.

Thanks for looking , folks, more to come later.

Come on Shep get your stuff out again, if I can do it, I'm sure anyone can

Ceeg

 

[shep]

Hmm,
when the 6 projects I'm doing at the same time come to an end, might have another bash. It doesn't half waste a lot of leather when it goes wrong though!

 

[Eric_Methven]

Now that's what I call a piece of kit with 'character'. It's beautiful. Well done mate.

Eric

 

[JonnyP]

Lovely work there Ceeg....

 

[SOAR]

Very impressive ceeg. I am tempted myself to have a go, one problem, I dont really suit hats. Seriously well done fella.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Very impressive ceeg. I am tempted myself to have a go, one problem, I dont really suit hats. Seriously well done fella.

Everybody suits a hat. You just have to find the right style.

Eric

 

[Seagull]

Hey up, Soar!

Its as Eric says, the only exception is if you lack a head to put it on.

Anyone who don,t usually wear one, is bound to feel a real prune, wearing a new one , and I mean a real prune!

C,mon fellah, it fades away after a few outings and, thereafter , you'll be known as, " im with the 'at".........take my word for it.
They get used to it, faster than you yourself.

If you forget it one day, they'll all say ,"where's the hat?".

You get adopted and identified by the ploddy thing.

Mind you, until that feeling of awkwardness has disappeared, I think it would be best to avoid hats with cow horns or eagles wings

Ceeg