Hats

A place for pics and tutorials on making Soft Kit (clothing and accessories like buckles and cloak pins).

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Daerir
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Re: Hats

Post by Daerir »

OH and I just remembered someone from Game of Thrones wearing a hat :mrgreen:
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Taurinor
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Re: Hats

Post by Taurinor »

Here is a picture from Osprey's "English Longbowman 1330-1515" of some generic hats from that period an archer might have worn. A lot of them look like variations on the "Robin Hood" style hat, but there is some variety, including ones that look like bags. It's also interesting that the hoods are very form-fitting and sit back on the head, maybe to deal with the peripheral vision issue that was brought up earlier?

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wulfgar
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Re: Hats

Post by wulfgar »

Taurynor wrote:Here is a picture from Osprey's "English Longbowman 1330-1515" of some generic hats from that period an archer might have worn. A lot of them look like variations on the "Robin Hood" style hat, but there is some variety, including ones that look like bags. It's also interesting that the hoods are very form-fitting and sit back on the head, maybe to deal with the peripheral vision issue that was brought up earlier?

Image
I really like some of those in the middle illustration.
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Straelbora
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Re: Hats

Post by Straelbora »

Taurynor wrote:Here is a picture from Osprey's "English Longbowman 1330-1515" of some generic hats from that period an archer might have worn. A lot of them look like variations on the "Robin Hood" style hat, but there is some variety, including ones that look like bags. It's also interesting that the hoods are very form-fitting and sit back on the head, maybe to deal with the peripheral vision issue that was brought up earlier?

Image
If you look at Tolkien's drawing of Bilbo in the woods, siting the Trolls' fire, his hat looks like one of the taller ones in the center of the illustration you posted.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
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Odigan
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Re: Hats

Post by Odigan »

Taurynor wrote:It's also interesting that the hoods are very form-fitting and sit back on the head, maybe to deal with the peripheral vision issue that was brought up earlier
They really do work a lot better this way. Just as shown, one of the ways I've found to do this is to roll the edges back, which will snug it against the head and face. It improves vision, keeps the wind out and thereby both keeps things warmer and also prevents the hood from billowing everywhere. Having your head set back deep in a hood may look dramatic, but it isn't particularly practical. The one downside to hoods that I've found is not in limiting sight so much as sound - they dampen your hearing quite a bit.

Another thing to note is that the hood can be removed entirely and worn as a hat itself. The face opening is placed over the head, the base flopped over, and the liripipe if sufficiently long, is wrapped around to hold everything in place. A bit like a turban:
hoodwrap.gif
hoodwrap.gif (19.86 KiB) Viewed 13392 times
This in time became its own form of headwear based on the appearance of this practice but without being a hood itself - the chaperone:
chaperon.jpg
chaperon.jpg (14.48 KiB) Viewed 13392 times
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Eledhwen
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Re: Hats

Post by Eledhwen »

The hoods aren't that different in fit..you just aren't used to seeing them with the front rolled back. That is generally how I use it when shooting and hunting...most folk I know who use hoods do it that way. It never occurred to me that some folk didn't know this. Of hoods found from an archaeological standpoint, and they are few, they weren't exactly form fitting like those in the pic...although by turning back the edge they can be made to look like they are. They can have buttons, catches, or just be pullover, which is the sort I prefer. Some had liripipes, some didn't, some had them added on after the fact, some had them integral to the hood. Some were dagged, some were not, some had mantles, and some did not.

They vary a lot, really, and were used across a wide swath of time; the Gauls had hoods separate from cloaks as did the Scythians and many Native American tribes.

In the end, find what works for you; hat, cloak, kerchief, veil, turban...whatever works. It isn't like we have a definitive statement on what Rangers did or did not wear...we just have some descriptions which we more or less assume apply to all or most of them. That is, we haven't got a TO&E of uniforms and equipment beyond the piece concerning the Grey Company. And that just says they all work dark grey cloaks with hoods over helm and head and but one fair item; the star.

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RikJohnson
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Re: Hats

Post by RikJohnson »

People who wear brimless hats generally live in cloudy areas.
For those of us in the desert, a good brim saves damage to eyes, face and neck.

When I lived in Arabia (et environs) and africa, I never understood how those people could walk around with naught but a bit of cloth over their head and neck but no brim.

So a broad brimmed hat is a vital piece for this person.

Something akin to those worn by the musketeers in their movies? only not as flamboyant!
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Taurinor
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Re: Hats

Post by Taurinor »

RikJohnson wrote: So a broad brimmed hat is a vital piece for this person.

Something akin to those worn by the musketeers in their movies? only not as flamboyant!
It seems the Brothers Hildebrandt agreed with you; you can see Aragorn wearing a musketeer-esque hat in this painting of the Fellowship.

This weekend, I turned a wool felt fedora from Target into a Robin Hood style hat.

This is what it looked like originally:
ImageImage

With steam from a kettle, a bowl, a glass bottle, and trial and error, I turned it into this:
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If I wanted a hat that could be described as “a tall shapeless felt bag," like Sam's, I probably could have stopped there, but that wasn't what I was going for, so I turned up the edges, steamed them so they would stay in place. Once I trimmed off the wonky bits, this is what I had:
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I decided I also wanted to make an arming cap to go under it, so I sewed one out of some scraps of linen I had left over from another project.
Image

This is what they look like worn together:
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The little bit of a brim in the front should give my eyes a little protection from the sun without obscuring too much of my vision, and the arming cap should protect the tops of my ears.
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Ringulf
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Re: Hats

Post by Ringulf »

Nicely done Ranger!
And might I add that no prey will alude you with such a "Hunter's gaze"! :wink:

No, seriously your kit and garb are excellent, I have been impressed and delighted by everything you have done thus far!
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Greg
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Re: Hats

Post by Greg »

I have seen a wide variety of felt "Robin Hood" hats...and not a one of them didn't look MRL manufactured. Yours is gorgeous.
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Re: Hats

Post by Straelbora »

Very creative with a great result.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
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wulfgar
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Re: Hats

Post by wulfgar »

That looks great! I was going to get a blank from Historic Enterprises, but this may be a cheaper route.
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Taurinor
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Re: Hats

Post by Taurinor »

Thanks, everyone! It was a lot of fun to figure it out.
wulfgar wrote:That looks great! I was going to get a blank from Historic Enterprises, but this may be a cheaper route.
I'm sure the blanks from Historic Enterprises are very good quality, so it may be a 'get what you pay for' sort of situation. If you can find a felt fedora or cowboy hat second hand, though, it would probably be a lot cheaper.
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wulfgar
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Re: Hats

Post by wulfgar »

http://historicenterprises.com/mens-c-9 ... -1546.html

They are only $21.95, which isn't a bad price.
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Peter Remling
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Re: Hats

Post by Peter Remling »

Jas Townsend has these available for $32 each.

http://jas-townsend.com/wool-felt-blank-p-249.html
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