I have a fantasy that when I am dead and gone a hundred years or so, some of my leather creations such as this "post apocalyptic steempunk" hat will end up in a glass case in a great museum and people will circle around and marvel at this primitive art and primal work. A Grandma Moses of cowhide I think the museum guide will say. At least that is how the fantasy goes.
Until then I get a chance to make one of these hats about every quarter. And here is the latest, finished a week ago. And I took lots of pictures while I was making it, so its time once again for an Armadilloman "How I Did That" photo blog.
It all starts with plain old unfinished 3-4 ounce vegetable tanned cowhide that I get damp and then stomp on in the gravel driveway, jump up and down on on a rough sidewalk and, as in this picture below, beat with a mallet against things like a rotting stump. All in the pursuit of the look, the feel, the texture I want.
Then I channel my inner expressionist and dribble, dab, drool and smack brown and red dyes on the still raw leather.
Then it all gets a good coat of high lite stain rubbed all over and....
...when dry a wet paper towel is used to take the stain off of the tops of the bumps and ridges, leaving dark stain in the crevasses and divets. Note the really nice texture that old stump gave me.
When I have have some big pieces of leather all textured and dyed, I lay out the pattern pieces, paying attention to what parts of the leather I have distressed looks best. Then cut out the parts and....
...clip the pattern to the part to punch the stitching holes in the piece. You have to make just the right number of holes and in the right place or you will find your life miserable when you go to stitch it up.
Here are all the parts for the crown laid out. I forgot to take the picture before I had riveted the top together. And speaking of these rivets...they are all hand distressed with sandpaper and many of them rusted and corroded a bit. I keep a glass of water with nasty rivet rusting pretty much all the time. Never know when you are going to need them.
And the pieces are all riveted together....
...to make up the crown of the hat.
And stitch on the top, which is about my least favorite part of the whole hat build.
I "sponge paint" the underside of the brim with 3 different brown tones and a touch of black.
I have made a brim out of heavier leather, beating it up and coloring it in the same manner as the crown pieces. The stitching holes are made using a rotary punch.
The brim is stitched to the finished crown.
Once the hat is all stitched together, the inside where the crown attaches to the brim and the brim is dampened and stretched onto my medium sized ( since I am building a medium hat) mannequin head and the brim is formed and given a bit of a roll on the sides.
Then all that is left is some touch up color work and a bit of work with a piece of sandpaper to make some of the highlights pop and put a bit more distress to the look. Then coat with clear semi-gloss acrylic finish, add the hatband belt and its done.
Amazing! Were you aware there is a steempunk game? @steempunknet
You've received an upvote from a @slothicorn! Click here to learn more! (@justatouchfey) ((.)ω(.))
Thanks @slothicorn and @justatouchfey! Yes I have been on the steempunk discord, but don't have the time at the moment.
Lots of great textures! Im following you now!
Thanks @across-the-moon!
Great process post, I always enjoy learning more about your methods! Really nice hat!
Thanks @jamethiel! Its a fun hat and I am glad I sell enough to be able to keep making it.
I like it, a lot.
Thanks @cyber.explorer. Got an extra 100 SBD and I could make you one :)
That would be great, but currently a little out of budget for me...
I love your leather work though, and i'll probably end up going with something a little more practical for me.
I am amazed I get to make as many of theses as I do!
Really interesting! Great hat :)
Thanks @elainetheinsane (got to be a story behind your user name) . I see you are over on deviant art....lotta inspiration going on there.
Beautiful work, very compliment
I follow you
Un saluto, nicola
Thanks for the kudos, @knfitaly. And for the follow!
Great work!! :D
Thanks @mayasky. Coming from someone with your great skills, that is a real compliment!
very tidy work! i tried making a felt top hat from scratch years ago...it didnt go to great, and funnily enough the worst bit was also the join from top to the side. your finished piece is great though.
Yes that seems to be the place (the top to side connection) where it will go badly. Thanks!
congrats on those votes.well deserved whale boost for you!!
Well that does get you onto trending for a few hours which does make a big difference.
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That is absolutely amazing. I like how there are some chaotic elements in the process (ie stomping on it in the driveway, dropping the stain, etc) that ensure that the piece will be unique to any other one you might create.
I do have one question. How much time do you put into a piece like this? It seems like it would take a little while to complete.
Thanks @veckinon for the kudos! I always have some leather prepped, for other projects, when I have nothing else to do I texture some leather. Orchestrated chaos yes.
This hat takes an average 20 hours. But its a fascinating one to make so it feels faster then the 12 hour build hat.
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STOPThis is awesome!
Thanks @anomt!
This post has been shared by @andrea97
It looks fantastic! It's an amazing piece of art. It made me think of Johnny Depp and his movie Charlie and the Chocolate factory. I think your hat would have been much nicer than the one in the movie. ;0)
Thanks for the kind words, @lymepoet I have had a few items (custom eyepatches) show up in New York Theatre (off, off, off Broadway) and I have a couple pieces in costume shops in Hollywood. I do honestly expect to see something show up on television some time.
so beautifull. i like this
Thanks @alhidayat! Glad you like it.
ya. you are welcome
It's just a gorgeous hat, I'm very impressed! Love it! Follow and Upvoted!
Thanks for the kudos @veronenka! And I went to your page and very much like your work. I will give you a follow as well.
That's a really cool steampunk hat!
Thanks @amberyooper! I do like to make steampunk hats.
that is a beautiful hat, i just can't ignore steempunk themed creations. They're just so coooool, and this one is lit!! Awesome work.
Thanks @llivrazav for the kudos! I have more steempunk I want to do...if I ever find the time.
What a beautiful illustration of your creative process. Thanks for sharing. May your quality creations live on! Have you made this hat before?
How many Steem for a leather hat similar style to the one in your post?
The hats I am currently making are found on Etsy...here.... https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArmadilloLeather
That looks like a fedora, which is flat brimmed and slopes in instead of out toward the top. I haven't made one like that, no, not yet anyway.
Thanks @radicalunicorn for the kind words!
I just checked out your Easy shop and love your work! Thanks for sharing
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thank god for wanda!!! cool hat, dude! :)
Thank you @mountainjewel! Yes, without Wanda, life would not compute.
D'aww.
Wow, that's such a beautifully crafted hat. I like your foresight perspective, too. I've always admired handcrafted leather goods. Thanks for giving us a peek into how it's done.
Thanks @intspekt for the kind words! I do theses "How I did it" blogs whenever I have an interesting project, so stay tuned.
I'm only now getting a chance to read this, but the hat is by far the coolest looking piece you make. I enjoyed seeing how you make it.