HAT is a term of Saxon derivation, from haet, a cover for the head. It is sometimes called castor, from its being made of the fur of the castor or beaver. As a piece of dress, the period of its introduction is not certain, although it may with great probability be referred to the early distinctions of Roman Catholic dignitaries. Froissart chronicles, that it was “saide to the cardynals, Sirs, advyse you if ye de-lyvere us a Pope Romayne, we be content, or els we woll maike your heddes reeder than your hattes be;” from which, and many other documents, it appears that at this period, as well as for some centuries thereafter, hats were generally of a scarlet or red colour, and made of “a fine kinde of haire matted thegither.” A “hatte of biever,” about the middle of the twelfth century, was worn by some one of the “nobels of the lande, mett at Clarendom ;” and Froissart describes hats and plumes which were worn at Edward’s Court in 1340, when the garter order was instituted. In the Diary of Henry’s secretary, there is “ane scarlet beever hatte” presented on new year’s day 1443. Even at this early period hats were of various shapes, both in the crowns and the brims; the latter being chiefly broad, sometimes narrowing towards the back, and a little bent up and scooped in front. In Henry’s privy purse expenses, during his congress with Francis I. in 1520 or 1521, there is “peid for a hatte and plume for the king, in Boleyn, xvs.;” and in Wolsey’s inventory, taken on his resigning the great seal to Sir Thomas Moore, there are no fewer than five mentioned. The fashion of this article was then much more diversely capricious than even now, as will appear from an extract from Stubbs’ Anatomic of Abuses, published about 1585: “Sometimes they use them sharpe on the crowne, pearking up like the spire or shaft of a steeple, standing a quarter of a yard above the crowne of theire heads; some more, some lesse, as please the fantasies of their inconstant mindes. Othersome be flat, and broade on the crowne, like the battlements of a house. Another sorte have rounde crownes, sometimes with one kind of bande, sometimes with another; now black, now white, now russed, now redde, now grene, now yellow; now this, now that; never content with one colour or fashion two daies to an end. And as the fashions be rare and strange, so is the stuffe whereof their hattes be made divers also; for some are silk, some of velvet, some of taffetic, some of sarsnet, some of wool, and, which is more curious, some of a certaine kindc of fine haire, these they call bever hattes, of xx. xxx. or xl. shillings price, fetched from be-yonde the seas, from whence a great sorte of other vanities doe come besides; and so common a thing it is, that every servyng man, countreiman, and other, even all indifferently, doe weare of these hattes.” About the beginning of 1700, the crowns of hats were mostly round, much lower than before, and had very broad brims, resembling what are now occasionally called Quakers’ hats, the protrusive encumbrance of which soon suggested the convenience of their being turned up in front; fashion dictated the upbending of another side or flap, and ultimately a third, so that by this progress, in 1704, the regular three-cocked hat became the order of the day, when feathers ceased to be usually worn. Near the middle of the eighteenth century, a round-edged but flat-topped and fullbrimmed hat got into very general use, and the flat and other cocked hats now dwindled almost into a mere distinction of real or assumed rank. Twenty-five years after this, a very near approach to that of the present times became fashionable, and, within ten years, altogether superseded the ordinary use of the cumbrous and antique cock.

Plumes, jewels, silk loops, rosettes, badges, gold and [7:11:165]silver bands and loops, have at various periods ornament- ι ed this article of dress; metal bands and loops being now esteemed proper only to naval and military “men of honour,” and the humble liveried attendants on state, rank, and official dignity. The opera or soft folding hat is the only relic at present in general use, of the hats worn by our grandfathers, although it is not improbable that the affluent and growing extravagance of this century is likely to re-introduce the elegant Spanish hat as the precursor perhaps of the prevalence of various other styles, as well as the cocked hat, not yet entirely discarded from the revolving wheel of luxurious fashion.

Hat-making now embraces two distinct kinds of manufacture, felted and covered hats; the covering of the latter being sometimes silk, and at other times Braganza or cotton Angola.

Felted hats comprehend two classes, differing chiefly in the materials used in making, the process being nearly identical. The lower class is marked by inferior ingredients, unmixed with beaver, and embraces wool, plated, and short nap hats.

Wool hats are made entirely of coarse native wool and hair stiffened with glue, chiefly for negroes’ wear. Value Is. 2d. to 2s. 2d. Plates have a nap or pile rather finer than their body, and are sometimes waterproof stiffened. Value 3s∙ to 4s. 6d. Short naps are distinguished from plates by additional kinds of wool, viz. hare’s back, seal, neuter, musquash (Muscovy cat), and are all waterproof stiffened. Value 5s. to 9s.

The second class may be said to comprehend two orders, called stuff and beaver hats. The first includes mottled and stuff bodies. The latter term is not used generally, as all stuffs are understood to be of this sort when mottled is not expressed. Mottled bodies are made chiefly of fine Spanish wool, and inferior rabbit down or coney wool. Value Is. 8d. to 2s. 6d. Stuff bodies consist of the best hare, Saxony, and red wools, mixed with Cashmere hair and silk. Value 3s. to 4s. Stuff hats are napped, that is, covered with pile of mixed seal, neuter, hare-back, inferior beaver, and musquash. Value lθs. to 15s. Seaver hats are, or ought to be, napped with beaver only; the lower priced qualities with brown wοοms taken from the back; the more valuable kinds with cheek and white woorns, being the finest parts of the fur found on the belly and cheeks of the beaver. Value 16s. to 22s.

The apparatus and terms used in making felted hats, which it is necessary to describe briefly, are the bow, bowpin, basket, hurdle, battery, and planks.

The bow is about six feet long, usually made of ash, thick enough not to be elastic. The handle A, B, C, is called the stang ; A is named the breech; C, the end farthest from the workman’s hold, the cock. D, the bowstring, is a strong catgut cord tensely fastened.

The bow-pin is used (just as the finger on the guitar) for vibrating the bowstring.

The hurdle is a fixed bench, with three enclosing sides, to prevent the stuff being flittered off in bowing.

The basket is of light wicker-work, about twenty by twenty-two inches in size.

The battery consists of A, the kettle; B, C, the planks, which are inclined planes, usually eight in number, one only being appropriated to each workman. The half of each plank next the kettle is lead, the upper half is mahogany.

The first process in hat-making is bowing the stuff or furs, which are weighed out to a proportionate scale, and laid on the hurdle, immediately under the bow, which is suspended by a pulley. The bow is held firmly with the left hand, rather toward the breech-end, not edgewise, but on its side, with the string in contact with the stuff, the clotted and adherent portions of which are separated into single fibres, and attain a loose, flocky, mixed condition by the continued vibration of the bowstring, caused by a very rapid succession of touches with the bowstick. It is then divided as nearly as possible, and one half laid aside, whilst the other is again bowed. In this second operation, partly by the bowing, but chiefly by the gathering, or patting use of the basket, the stuff" is loosely matted into a conical figure, about fifty by thirty-six inches, called a bat. In this formation care is taken to work about two thirds of the wools down towards what is intended for the brim, which being effected, greater density is induced by gentle pressure with the basket. It is then covered with a wettish linen cloth, upon which is laid the hardening skin, a piece of dry half-tanned horse hide. On this the workman presses or bakes for seven or eight minutes, until the stuff shall have adhered closely to the damp cloth, in which it is then doubled up, freely pressed with the hand, and laid aside. By this process, called basoning (from a metal plate or bason, used for like purposes in making wool hats), the bat has become compactly felted and thinned toward the sides and point. The other half of the flocked stuff is next subjected to precisely the same proceedings, after which, a cone-shaped slip of stiff paper is laid on its surface, and the sides of the bat folded over its edges to its form and size. It is then laid paper-side downward upon the first bat, which is now replaced on the hurdle, and its edges transversely doubled over the introverted side-lays of the second bat, thus giving equal thickness to the whole body. In this condition it is re-introduced between folds of damp linen cloth, and again hardened, so as to unite both halves, the knitting together of which is quickly effected. The paper is now withdrawn, and the body being folded into three plies, is removed to the plank or battery room.

In the battery the liquor is scalding heat, composed of pure soft water, about half a gill of oil of vitriol as an astringent, and a full handful of oatmeal to correct its pernicious tendencies. Herein the body is imbrued, and withdrawn to the plank to partly cool and drain, when it is unfolded, rolled gently with a pin tapering towards the ends like a liquor horse, turned, and worked with in every direction, to toughen, shrink, and at same time prevent adhesion of its sides. Stopping or thickening the thin spots which now appear on looking through the body, is carefully performed, by additional stuff daubed on by successive supplies of the hot liquor from a brush frequently dipped into the kettle, until the body be shrunk sufficiently (about one half), and thoroughly equalized. When quite dried, stiffening is performed with a brush dipped into a glutinous pulpy composition, [7:11:166]and rubbed into the body; the surface intended for the inside having much more imposed than the outer, while the brim is made to absorb many times the quantity applied to any other part. This viscous matter contains proofing, or those ingredients which render the hat waterproof.

On being again dried, the body is ready to be covered, and is once more taken to the battery. The first cover of beaver or napping, which has been previously bowed, is equally strewed on the body, and patted upon with the brush charged with the hot liquor, until incorporated; the cut ends only, being the points which naturally intrude. Here the body is put into a coarse hair-cloth dipped and rolled in the hot liquor, until the beaver is quite worked in. This is called rolling off, or ruffing. A stripe for the brim, round the edge of the inside, is treated in like manner, and is thus prepared for the second cover, which is applied and inworked in like manner; the rolling, &c. being continued until the whole has become incorporated, and a clean, regular, close, and well-felted hood is the result. The dry hood, after having the nap beat up and freed, is clipped to the length which may be thought best, by means of common shears. A clipping machine, invented nearly four years ago in Scotland, is now very generally preferred, and doubtless will soon everywhere supersede the ordinary process; much greater regularity, speed, and certainty being secured by it. When the nap is thus disposed of, the hood is soaked in the battery kettle, and then drawn down on a block to the size and shape wanted, firmly tied at the bottom with a cord, around which the brim is left in a frilled condition.

Dyeing is the next step. A suit, or six dozen, are put into the dye kettle at a time, all on the croavn-blocks already mentioned, and allowed to remain three quarters of an hour in the liquor, which is kept as near as possible one degree below the boiling point. These being taken out and set in the yard to cool, another suit is introduced for a like period, and the various suits are so treated at least twelve times in successive order. Each of the first four introgressions of every suit is accompanied by about seven pounds of copperas, and two pounds of verdigris. The body is then washed and brushed out in changes of hot water, until no colouring can be recognized in it. When thus thoroughly cleansed, it is steamed on a block shaped as the hat is wished to be when complete; and in the finishing shop, by heavy (2l-pound) heated irons and moisture, the frilled brim is shrunk until rendered quite level, the nap gently raised all over with a fine wire card, and brushed and ironed smooth in the uniform directions. The tip, a thin lath sheet, is then fitted and stuck to the inside of the crown, and robbined or secured all round the edges by stripes of prepared paper. When thus got down, it is sent to the picker, who, with tweezers, extracts the hemps, vulgarly called “grey hairs,” which are a few of those thick fibres peculiar to the fur of amphibious animals, that have escaped the search of the machine used in blowing the beaver, so as to separate them from its fine parts. This being carefully accomplished, it is transferred to the finisher, who, with a plush cushion or velure, a brush, and hot iron, imparts to it that bright sleeky lustre so characteristic of English and Scotch hats. The shaper then rounds the brim with a knife and knotched segment to the breadth wanted; and shapes it in varied styles by means of a hot iron and damp, with about a foot length of rope, over which the curl is laid. The trimming is next done, when the tipper off corrects the twists, smooths the ruffled nap caused by trimming, and papers it up with tissue and cartridge, which completes it for the retailer.

Dye-stuffs for a gross of beaver hats — About 180 gallons of pure soft water, one and a half hundredweight of best Campeachy logwood, eight pounds oxide of copper, and thirty pounds of copperas. It is to be observed, however, that some put the chips, others only the juice, of the logwood into the dye-kettle. Galls are now disused. Stiffening stuffs. — Makers differ in the proportions, but the ingredients are shell-lac, rosin, mastic, saundrice, and elm, all churned until dissolved. A quantity of this is then melted over steam, sieved, put in hot, and well mixed. Cleaning stuffs. — These are now seldom considered necessary. One half pound of borax, diluted in five gallons of water, into which the stiffened nap is dipped and well brushed.

Silk hats are made upon bodies of wool, stuff, willow, straw, and leghorn plait, and cambric and woollen cloth, although chiefly on felted wool bodies, which are dipped in glue size, wrung out, blocked, and dried. The tip is then fitted and robbined, when a flour-box charged with powdered shell-lac and rosin in like quantities is used to strew equally its grainy mixture on the external surface of the shell, so called from being the frame-work. This is burned in by hot irons, first on the top, which passes through to the lath-tip within; then on the upper brim, the sides, and, finally, the under brim. When this is hardened, it is coated with thick ordinary flour-paste, which is dried, and the shell again blocked and smoothed; then once more glue-sized outside, dried, and varnished, which prepares it for covering. The shag for the sides is cut across the web, in a ratio of obliquity increased by inferiority. This cross part is sewn to a circular piece for the crown, whilst the brims are singly patched together. These preparations being completed, the top-side or upper brim is first stuck, then the crown, next the sides, and, finally, the under brim. Sticking is effected simply by the heat of the iron passing through the covering and melting the varnished surface. In the finish of this manufacture, the most particular part is the side-seam, which is disposed of thus: The selvidge end is cut perpendicularly from top to brim, by a sharpened pallet-knife, the nap having been previously brushed clear off its edge. The other selvidge end is then stuck and cut with the utmost nicety, in close parallel with the other. It is then finished very much in the same manner as a beaver hat.

Tip stuff for silk hats.—Seven pounds of glue melted in water, when three pounds of pitch and half a pound of tallow are added, and the whole is boiled to the consistency of thick jelly. Varnish stuff. — A quarter of a cwt. of turpentine, mixed with two gallons of linseed oil.

The major part of stuff hats are finished in London, whilst body-making and ruffing is managed chiefly in Gloucester and Derbyshire. Plated and short-nap hats are made principally in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire, owing to local advantages.

150,000 dozens of silk and covered hats are annually made in London, and about 100,000 dozens in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Glasgow. Throughout Edinburgh and the other parts of Scotland there may be an additional 50.000 dozens made yearlv.
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Imported hats are each subject to ten shillings and sixpence of duty. In 1832 there were exported 62,854 dozens. In this branch of manufacture there are employed annually nearly 25,000 men, besides about 10,000 females in the trimming and picking departments.

Hats, Straw. Any attempt to ascertain when straw was first used in the manufacture of hats would be useless, because it would be impossible to fix a date with any correctness. In Italy it had arrived at a great degree of perfection two centuries ago; but it is not above sixty or seventy years since it began to be followed as a trade in England. Wheat straw is the material chiefly used by our [7:11:167]manufacturers; and the counties most favourable for its production are Bedford, Hertford, and Buckingham, which have been called the straw-plait district. The making of straw hats is carried on in other places, but not to the same extent as there. Leghorn bonnets had long been a considerable article of import; but the late war having put a stop to this, a new spirit was given to the home manufacture. It now became a flourishing trade, which produced competition and a consequent improvement in the article. At the close of the war, however, Leghorn hats again usurped the market to a considerable extent, and the domestic manufacture proportionally declined. Many of the straw plaiters having been reduced to great distress, the Society of Arts turned its attention to the subject, and offered premiums for improvements in plaiting, finishing, and bleaching. The straw of Tuscany having been found very superior to British straw, the former became an article of import; and the Italian method of plaiting the straw has also been introduced. So completely successful has this scheme been, that, whilst the importation of Leghorn hats has gradually decreased during the last few years, the introduction of the raw material has gradually increased. Upon this straw there is a düty of only one penny per hundredweight, and it is chiefly plaited in our own straw districts. What is called the Tuscan plait, upon which a heavy duty is levied, has likewise been largely imported, and made into bonnets of equal fineness and beauty to the genuine Leghorn hat.

There are seven descriptions of plait in general use, the difference in the kinds arising from the number of straws used in the plait, and from their being either whole or split. Other varieties are also manufactured, but chiefly for exportation. In Scotland, rye straw, dwarfed by being grown on poor land, has been employed in plaiting straw in imitation of Leghorn, and with such complete success, that the hats manufactured in Orkney, where the rye is raised, are considered by the best judges as quite equal, both in colour and quality, to those of Leghorn. The following description of the preparation of the Italian straw is extracted from M‘Culloch’s Dictionary of Commerce, “The description of straw used, which is cultivated solely for the purposes of the manufacture, and not for the grain, is the triticum turgidum, a variety of bearded wheat, which seems to differ in no respect from the spring wheat grown in the vale of Evesham and other parts of England. (Trans, of Soc. Arts.) After undergoing a certain preparatory process, the upper parts of the stems (being first sorted as to colour and thickness) are formed into a plait of generally thirteen straws, which is afterwards knitted together at the edges into a circular shape called a ‘ flat,’ or hat. The fineness of the flats is determined by the number of rows of plait which compose them, counting from the bottom of the crown to the edge of the brim, and their relative fineness ranges from about No. 20 to 60, being the rows contained in the breadth of the brim, which is generally eight inches. They are afterwards assorted into first, second, and third qualities, which are determined by the colour and texture ; the most faultless being denominated the first, whilst the most defective is described as the third quality. These qualities are much influenced by the season of the year in which the straw is plaited. Spring is the most favourable, not only for plaiting, but for bleaching and finishing. The dust and perspiration in summer, and the benumbed fingers of the workwomen in winter, when they are compelled to keep within their smoky huts, plaiting the cold and wet straw, are equally injurious to the colour of the hats, which no bleaching can improve. The flats are afterwards made up in cases of .ten or twenty dozen, assorted in progressive numbers or qualities, and the price of the middle or average number governs the whole. The Brozzi make bears the highest repute, and the Signa is considered secondary; which names are given to the flats, from the districts where they are plaited. Florence is the principal market, and the demand is chiefly from England, France, Germany, and America; but the kinds mostly required are the lower numbers; the very finest hats, and particularly of late, being considered as too expensive by the buyers. y The following Statement shows the Imports into England of Italian Straw Hats, Straw Plait, and Unmanufactured Straw, from 1828 to 1832.
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For further particulars relative to straw hats, see M‘Culloch’s Dictionary, from which our information has been derived.