Roman straw hat?

[M. Demetrius]

I'm tired enough of burning my face and bald head at events here in Texas, that I may just overlook the machine stitching and get one of the ladies' straw hats. I think if I soak it and reshape the crown it will fit, and I might be able to put that Greek fold in the brim.

Sometimes you have to make compromises, and that's all there is to it. I might feel differently if I could suntan, but I have too much Northern European gene stock for that. I just burn, then I peel, then I peel again, then I burn again, and eventually all that leads to skin cancers, which I think I need less than worrying about some stitching on straw.

That's just me, though. I don't recommend anyone else break rules.

[Primvs Pavlvs]

How about felt hats?

[M. Demetrius]

What?? Wear a felt hat after Easter? Where's your fashion sense, man?

[Tarbicus]

How about felt hats?

I got one of them as well, but I don't think it's as convincing. The shaping looks too defined somehow.

[M. Demetrius]

Tarby, if you have a good head block (styrofoam will work, as long as it's the size of your head, felt is easier to stretch than straw. But if the crown is too tall, there's not much that can be done about that, I think.

Felt might work well there in Brittania, but here in Texensies, when the temp goes up to 38 or 39C in the summer, a close-fitting felt hat is very uncomfortable. It's not unheard of to have three or five days in a row that hot here.

I agree with you on the look, though. I think modern felt is probably much smoother and more consistent in thickness than hand-felted fiber from ancient times. Chances are, they were a little rougher and probably not so perfectly repeatable. I do wonder what they used for sizing, though, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Elmer's Glue. :wink:

[Chuck Russell]

What?? Wear a felt hat after Easter? Where's your fashion sense, man?

tell me about it, he wears white pumps after labour day too

[Hibernicus]

Also places like Michael's for straw hats or floral supply houses. Wide brimmed, smallish bowls and the bowls can be reshaped as per above if you have a noggin maximus

[maius]

Michael's! I forgot about Michael's, i'll have to check them out. I think i've seen straw hats there in the past.

Maius/Bill

[Wes]

All you state side guys can check with "Gohn Brothers", They are an Amish supply store, straw hats, linen, wool, all sorts of decently priced goodies. Web-site seems to be under construction:

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

I have swatches and a hard copy of the catalog. Very reasonable!

Wes

[Gaius_Calvus]

Much obliged, all.

I'll check out all of your recommendations, thanks!

Edge

[Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs]

That sounds almost like an oxymoron---Amish website. :?

[Marcus Julius]

That sounds almost like an oxymoron---Amish website. :?

Exactly what I was thinking. Then, I remembered hearing something on the news about this place that has been touted as the largest supplyer of non-powered hand tools in the nation. A majority of their customer base are the Amish community. I wonder if this is the same place?

[Wes]

You are thinking of Lehmans

www.lehmans.com

They have neat stuff too!

[A_Volpe]

i got mine from roman days. matt amts sister katy usually has a few at merchant adventures.

yeah, Me, Randi and Mike of Leg III started that trend last year...We got teased about getting them...For all of $2 each from Katy, but then next year *everyone* was wearing them. 8)

sure kept us cooler in the hot June sun. :wink:


Felt...Straw...Whatever you can get, as fas as I'm concerned, both materials existed in Roman time, so whichever YOU want to wear.

[Dean Cunningham metalsmim]

Boys,

I have been looking for a suitable straw hat for months here in the states. Anybody got any ideas on where to get one that would be suitable?

Thanks so much if you can help this poor bald head (note cognomen).

Regards,

"Calvus" :lol:

Try a crafts store like michaels

EDIT

Guess I should have read further Sean and I are old scroungers so we knew what it was like trying to put together gear from nearly nothing and were to find things most guys didn't and michaels was one of those places.