How to Make Tricorne Hats
Tricorne hats were popular felt or leather hats that were worn by men of all professions in the 17th and 18th centuries. Although they fell out of fashion as top hats, bowlers, and stove pipe hats became popular, they are often worn today as part of a pirate costume. Making your own tricorne hat is possible, even if you have no hat-making experience, if you start your project with a pre-shaped felt hat blank.
Things You'll Need
- Felt hat blank
- Sewing needle
- Straight pins
- Thread
- Leather punch
- Leather cord
Instructions
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1
Purchase the correct felt hat blank. The felt hat blank that will work best for this project is a capeline. A capeline is a felt hat with a deep crown and at least a 5-inch brim, according to the experts at Hats by Leko.
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2
Wet the hat blank with hot water. Use a spray bottle, or dip the hat in a sink full of hot water. Aim for the hat blank to be damp, but not soaking wet.
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3
Fold three sides of the brim up to the crown and stick a straight pin through the two layers of felt to hold the brim in this position. Adjust the shape of the fold and check that the proportions of the three folds are equal.
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4
Dry the hat completely. According to the experts at Miller Hats, heat can be applied, but for best results and less shrinking the hat should air-dry. Sit the hat on a bowl to prevent the crown from collapsing or losing its shape.
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5
Remove the straight pins. Sew three stitches on each flap to secure it to the crown.
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6
Poke two holes in the center of each brim flap with the leather punch. The experts at Gentlemen of Fortune recommend using leather cord to lace the brim flap to the crown. Tie the knots between the crown and brim flap to hide them.
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7
Decorate the hat. Most tricorne hats featured trim, feathers or other decorative touches. The felt can also be aged with paint or dirt to make it look worn.
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Tips & Warnings
The stitches added in Step 5 can be removed after the brim is tied, or they can be left for extra stability.
The brim may stay in place without lacing or stitches if hat starch or stiffener is applied. It will need regular applications to maintain its shape, and keep in mind that sweat or water will cause the brim folds to droop.
Do not attempt to dry the hat in a tumble clothing dryer. This will cause the hat to lose its shape, and may stretch the hat blank so it is unusable.
References
- Photo Credit pirate statue image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
