A Different Sort of Hat Conversion

[Not-Bogart13]

I did not post this in the main conversion thread because it's not exactly typical, but if needs to get merged in, so be it.

Anyway, a while back I posted an ad for a wide brim hat on the cheap. Thanks to Rodkins, I got an old Stetson if pretty good repair. My original idea was going to involve making holes and a few other "non-repairable" alterations. However, the felt was so fantastic that I could not bring myself to damage it... and I was inspire to do my coversion without doing anything irreversible. And it worked.

Here is what I started with;

And this is what I ended up with;

and then I wore it to a RenFest! For all the conversion pics, see here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27810273@N04/sets/72157627784505467/

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Wow...that seems to work out rather nice!

 

[hutch]

Thanks for the post. I brought my family to a Renaissance Faire about 3 weeks ago. It was my first one in years and only my second one as an adult. I noticed all of the inexpensive or downright cheap "Capitano" or "Cavalier" hats topping some very nice period swordsman costumes. I was thinking of doing the same type of conversion for our next Ren Faire. I wondered what it would look like and now my question is answered. Thank you!

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Always happy to help... even if I didn't intend on it!

 

[Sam Craig]

If you have a decent fur felt cowboy hat, remove the ribbon and sweat, soak it well in COLD water, you can form it into a great pirate hat.
Add the gee-gaws you want for that Ren Fest experience.
At least in this part of the world, you can find a used fur felt western to do this to a LOT cheaper than what the pirate booths will charge you and end up with a much nicer hat, too.

This one turned out great, NB.

Good job!

Sam

 

[scottyrocks]

Yes, that feather really sets it off beautifully.

 

[hatophile]

Reminds me a bit of this hat, same concept, different era( Jeb Stuart's hat fromt the Civil War).

 

[monbla256]

You got it right Looks just like this guys hat :

 

[Sam Craig]

Oh, man, I love that Jeb Stuart hat.
I have a great officer Hardee that I set up when I was a 3rd Infantry captain circa 1868. I used a fur felt Amish dress hat and it turned out great, but still was not as cool as the silverbelly one that Jeb wore.
There was another original from the Civil War that I remember was sort of a butternut color, also quite beautiful.
Face it, those folks knew good hats.

Sam

 

[Sam Craig]

By the way, MB ... I bet you could get the same effect with an appropriately styled Bushman!

Sam

 

[jwalls]

I made this one for reinactor friend.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Sharp!