New Tam from Historical Caps

[KSmedic]

Gee. Medic, if I'd known the consternation it would cause, I wouldn't have posted the link.

No worries! Besides, I caught the missus shopping for a new camera today, to replace the perfectly good one that apparently lacks the one feature she now thinks she wants. Ordering a bonnet will now only cost me a brief disapproving look, and not a lecture about me acquiring yet another hat. ith:

[Benning Boy]

You'll like Gloria's bonnets better than your wife will like the camera, I bet. Just out of curiosity, I got out the calipers and measured at the edge of my tam a double thickness of wool and got .333 inches. By comparison a double thickness of HoE regimental weight tartan measured .060. (ETA: a double thickness of US Army beret measured.185.) The bonnet is really thick. I soaked it and started shaping it early this morning. It's still dampish. It's going to take a while to dry. If you're disciplined enough to jock your bonnet and wear it until dry, be prepared for the long haul. The Herdwick wool is coarse, and it started itching too much for me -- and I like wearing wool -- so after a few hours on my head, I've had it off and on a few times, each time touching up the shape and praying it would dry. For everyday use, when the things starts to itch I can always take it off and scratch a bit and not worry about ruining a good jock. I've been thinking some hot windy day I'll dampen it again, touch up the shape, and take a long drive with the top down. That ought to make it take a set.

[Benning Boy]

Well, I finally got help with the camera, so here's a pic of the tam. Perhaps the thread is no longer worthless. I can set the tam on a shelf, and it holds it's shape, when I lay a well shaped Army beret next to it, the beret collapses of it's own weight and lays flat. I don't intend to attach any tartan swatches, cockades, badges, vegetation, plumage or gamsbarts to this tam, but it would easily carry these. I intend it as something I can wear with anything, and it will make a sharp substitute for a watch cap in cool weather. I believe it will serve well in damp conditions, and is probably windproof. I've shaped it to screw down tight on my head so it won't blow off, nor even move when I bend over.

[Downunder Kilt]

Great colour and the look suits you BB, nice looking jumper too. Cheers

[kiltedrennie]

Very nice. I'll have to check out that wool. The texture after fulling looks a bit like a cross between Patton's and Lion Brand Fisherman's wool. I add a petersham ribbon headband to mine to give my forehead a break from the wool.

[figheadair]

Nice bonnets and a good copy of the original style. Here's a Culloden era one from the inverness Museum.

[fluter]

Looks good!

If the wool continues to be scratchy, consider getting some wide ribbon from the fabric store to bind the edge. This one has about 1/2 inch on the outside, folded over to make a nice bonnet band inside.

balmoral-nat2
by arcturus1997, on
Flickr