Introduction
Summer read! …and drink!
Greetings and welcome to our blog!
In this first introductory article I will talk a little bit about the intent of this corner of the website, some (self imposed) guidelines, and what you may (or may not) find here. A hat making blog has been in my sight for a while now for several reasons, with the most important being:
Many myths and misconceptions abound out there about the craft of hat making, many of which are in detriment to hat makers and specially hat wearers;
We are currently inundated with AI slop, videos, and social media content that is being pushed into everyone feeds, lasting at most a minute. That is not enough to properly convey insights or ideas and have enough time to reflect on them before the next story / reel / short / et al. show up;
Most of the information out there is presented as a sales pitch or promotional merchandise.
I have encountered these same nuisances when I started wearing hats, having to go deep in the weeds of myth, fact and folklore, and apply critical thinking to try to sort out facts from inventions and snake oil. This was just only to learn about hats, correct sizing, materials and names. The challenge went to the next level when I decided to get into hat making, to the point where many mistakes were made before I realized that I have been chasing the wrong technique or material.
So my goal here is to try my best to dispel these misconceptions, while talking “hat shop” with you, the reader, and objectively aiming to leave any sales pitch or the usual “look-at-me-I’m-the-best-buy-a-hat” found elsewhere.
Of course, I do not claim to have all the answers, neither to be a reference in this craft, but what I will be doing is to cite sources and cross-reference as much information as I can in order for facts to stay as facts, and opinions to stay as opinions. In addition, by providing sources, anyone interested can go down the amazing rabbit hole that hatmaking is and not simply take my word for it. Also, keep in mind that as in any craft, there are many paths to achieve a goal, and while some are better than others, several are equivalent and a matter of preference.
With that out of the way, let me lay out now what this blog is about. Here, you will find articles about:
Discussions on materials and hat making techniques, both modern and old school;
Opinions and commentaries on everything related to traditional hat making, with a focus on dress hats;
Overview of different tools and machinery;
Essays on styles, hat wearing, hat care, and hat making.
I will do my best to be as concise as possible, but I enjoy taking deep dives into these topics, so you may notice that some essays may be a little bit on the longer side.
So by now you may be forming an idea (perhaps a bit nebulous at this point) of where I am heading with this blog. To help dissipate the clouds of confusion, here is a list of what this space will not include:
Tutorials or manuals on hat making;
Proprietary trade techniques or methods (not that there are many);
Supplier’s guides;
Reviews of products (of our making and others) or materials from specific vendors;
Discussions on why brand A is better than brand B;
Interviews or transcriptions of videos;
Podcasts;
AI slop, or AI assisted / generated / copyedited text.
As cliché as it is, I do believe that “knowledge is power”, and well referenced and researched material becomes a good source of discussion for the craft and benefit not only other hatters, but also (and most importantly) the people who wear and collect hats and would like to make an informed decision before getting their next lid.
Despite our ever encompassing digital world, I also believe that the written word is not dead, and that text is one of the best channels to convey information for reflection, education, and to stimulate that skill called “critical thinking”. If you learn anything from this blog, no matter if it is a new term, a new technique, or simply I manage to put into words what you were thinking, then my goal is achieved.
I sincerely hope you enjoy reading these articles. See you around!
Cheers!
