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Making my very own Pork Pie Hat

Many times I’ve thought that I’d like to have a pork pie hat, and I’ve looked for them several times with no luck. I was looking again yesterday and today, and again had zero luck.

Well, this evening while sitting in the RV, rocking back and forth in the hurricane gusts, I randomly plugged in Pork Pie Hat into Google, and started reading a couple articles… The first one was Wikipedia, and I noticed that it mentioned that it was the signature hat of Buster Keaton, and that he made his own, in fact he made Thousands (1,000’s) of them over the course of his career! - That piqued my curiosity, as it must not be that hard if he made that many of them…

So, I did some more digging, and discovered that low and behold, it IS EASY!! - In fact, I’m half way done making my own pork pie hat tonight! - I took that old, ratty, and when I found it at the bottom of my closet, completely crushed straw trilby fedora I got at Wal-Mart, and started the process.

I am including the link to the Buster Keaton site where it has a brief interview with Keaton explaining the process, and also below is an excerpt from a sax player who makes his own pork pies as well.

The Quote: from http://www.saxshed.com/soldo.shtml

Do you have a haberdasher?

I do have a haberdasher. World Hat Mart in Pasadena gives me the stock Stetson. I picked up how to make them from an old Buster Keaton article entitled “How to Make a Pork Pie Hat.” I went through the ABC’s of how to do it and I learned from the master. It’s an interesting process.

You take a sprayer bottle full of water infused with a hefty amount of sugar and spray the inside of the hat. You pull it out so it is round like a derby so it no longer looks like a Stetson.

Next you spray the hole inside and fold it in on itself. Then you put the hat upside down so it’s flat and you get it right to the size that you need. Hopefully that size is going to be really close to the band.

You just take the crown and tap it down, tap it down and tap it down. Then fold it over on the inside and straighten it out. Use clothespins to clip it all the way around and wait till it dries.

Then you have a pork pie hat.

And here is the site where Keaton describes his process. (From my research, it’s just as common to have a straw pork pie, although ideally, a felt hat makes the most period correct for a Keaton-esque hat.)

http://www.busterkeaton.com/howto.htm

Once my hat is done, I’ll take some pics post them… right now the top is drying, and tomorrow I will flatten the brim. As soon as I whetted the top with the sugar water and flipped it over, it already looked like an awesome pork pie, so I am confident it will turn out great!!!

AN ADDENDUM: I didn’t really like the first hat, (I made it too short) so I went out and bought a cheap wool felt fedora at Target, and made a second one… This one I like better, but I want to make another one with a darker color, preferably with snazzier band, and I think I’ll make the next one even taller.

Here are the first two hats in all their glory.

The first attempt, with an old beat up straw hat…

and my second attempt, with a wool felt hat…

I look plenty sexy in the felt hat!

p.s. Greg, if you see this post, make sure to go the Trailer Trash site, I have a lot more pics there! (in the gallery)

Vintage 1940's Hopkins Velour/Felt Pork Pie Hat-7 1/8 US $75.00 Auction Ends: Tuesday Mar-09-2010 16:35:10 PST   | Watch this Item

SKA RAPPER / ROCKY BALBOA BLACK LEATHER PORK PIE HAT US $131.20 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 3:44:41 PST   | Watch this Item

NEW Soft Smart Black Pork Pie Flapper Trilby Hat Small US $22.59 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 12:10:56 PST   | Watch this Item

Stussy Fedora pork pie hat Brand new With Tags S/M US $19.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 15:59:29 PST   | Watch this Item

EARLY TINTYPE~BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY~PORK PIE HAT~TINTED US $1.31 (3 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 17:34:25 PST   | Watch this Item

NEW grey STACY ADAMS WOOL pork pie FEDORA HAT LARGE US $24.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 21:20:44 PST   | Watch this Item

NEW - STACY ADAMS WOOL pork pie FEDORA HAT LOT 7 1/2 XL US $89.98 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 21:20:45 PST   | Watch this Item

Vintage Italian Gray Straw Pork Pie/Fedora Antique Hat US $3.99 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 16:39:40 PST   | Watch this Item

Dapper dandies pork-pie hats fashion studio props US $8.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Mar-11-2010 18:03:38 PST   | Watch this Item

BLACK CROC PRINT LEATHER COBB & CO SKA PORK PIE HAT US $123.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Mar-12-2010 3:06:03 PST   | Watch this Item