Making a Steampunk Gears Top Hat -- An Armadilloman Photo Blog

I recently made another steampunk gears top hat and hatband on the Armadillo Leather workbench. And I thought to take pictures as I completed it so that I can post another "How I Did That" photo blog.

This hat has a tall crown with gears embossed and is hand colored, with a lined brim and a steempunk hatband to finish it all up.

It all starts with 3-4 oz vegetable tanned leather that I lay out my pattern pieces and trace around with a fine tip Sharpie.

Then cut the hat parts out with a pair of leather sheers.

The stitching holes are marked and then punched one by one with a rotary leather punch. This is the longest and most boring part of the process.

The leather piece for the crown is dampened and taken to the 20 ton press where I emboss the gear pattern on with everyones favorite custom gear embossing plates.

After all the gears are on and the leather is dry, I paint in the background colors, which in this design are yellow and red.

A Hi Lite stain is applied and when dry I use a wet paper towel to scrub the stain off of the ridges, leaving the dark color in the low spots, creases and valleys of the embossed pattern.

Contact cement is spread on the brim and lining and....

...lined up and pressed together after the glue has set up for 10 minutes and then cut out with the leather shears.

The crown is stitched together and the top stitched on.

And in like manner the brim is hand stitched to the crown.

The brim and inside hatband are dampened and stretched onto a mannequin head and the brim is shaped.

Finally a double coat of clear acrylic finish is applied with a damp sponge.

To start the hatband, I tool a simple pattern on some 3/4" straps.

The straps are colored two tone with red first in the impressions and a mahogany stain on the high points.

I then cut a 1 1/8" strip of 6-7 oz. cowhide and dye it mahogany, fashion a keeper out of the just finished 3/4" strap, affix a buckle and rivet it all together.

Using the tooled and colored 3/4" strap leather I fashion a and attach a holster for the brass compass on the hatband.

I do the same for 3 small apothecary bottles opposite of the compass.

The empty spaces between are mostly filled with decorative gears piled up in arty fashion and riveted on.

And the hat is done.

Ask me any questions you have concerning this hat construction or leatherwork in general. If you want one of these for your very own, the price is 275 Steem.

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