Tam 'O' Shanter

[Eric_Methven]

Anybody any idea where I can get a proper Tam 'O' Shanter hat like the one Mors Kochanski wears? I've done google searches and all I come up with are tartan knitted ones or those stupid 'see u jimmy' ones with the ginger hair.

Eric

[Jodie]

I googled images using "tamoshanter" in the hope that it might bring up pictures of that
name (assuming that filenames tend to be alloneword even though they rarely need to
be these days, anyway, I digress...) and found these:
http://kiltstore.net/sr_lochc_htrvx.html?theme=high landwear:id=GTqaGuYB
http://scottishcashmerestore.com/sr_sonsi_tamoshanter.html
(I think the two shops are pretty much the same)

I've no idea if it's suitable for the gents as there's a picture of a woman wearing one but
I'll leave that to your judgement of course :-)

Bizarrely using filetype:jpg tamoshanters - which restricts the search to image files
brings up a bouquet of cute Danish puppies... Hundekennel at www.tamoshanters.dk

filetype:jpg tamoshanter returned nothing extra.

Next plan was to find out what else they might be known as so I googled for
tam o'shanter wikipedia - and found what I think is rather pretty - a green caubeen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caubeen
and Wikipedia's own page on Tam O'Shanter might be of use:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tam_o%27shanter_%28hat%29

And after all that, the simplest search possible occurred to me - Scottish tams:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=Scottish%20tams&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

Don't forget general Scottish-souvenir type shops.

I wonder if there's much call for a Camo Shanter :rolleyes:

[tinderbox]

Anybody any idea where I can get a proper Tam 'O' Shanter hat like the one Mors Kochanski wears? I've done google searches and all I come up with are tartan knitted ones or those stupid 'see u jimmy' ones with the ginger hair.

Eric

The style of hat Mors wears is the military take on the blue bonnet and is known is a balmoral. Here's a couple of sources I googled.

http://scotwebstore.com/sr_lochc_hkbp_balmoral_plain.h tml
http://www.scotbagpipes.com/acatalog/Headwear.html (http://http://www.scotbagpipes.com/acatalog/Headwear.html)

The original type of hat was knitted in heavy guage wool and was just a large disc which was brought back on itself underneath leaving a hole for the head. It was knitted double size and fulled down to fit. It had a broad brim to protect the wearer from the elements. It was a seriously warm hat, no wonder they went out of fashion after the mini ice age.

[Jodie]

Oooh they're nice :-)

The second link's bloomed an extra http but this one'll work:
http://www.scotbagpipes.com/acatalog/Headwear.html

[Toddy]

I've made twenty blue bonnets this year alone, d'you want a pattern Eric? Really easy, made to measure/ adjust to fit and surprisingly comfortable I'm told.


Cheers,
Mary

[Jodie]

I had a feeling you might be able to help here Toddy :D

[tinderbox]

Toddy, are there any pictures of the stuff you make on the web? I'm intrigued.

[Eric_Methven]

I've made twenty blue bonnets this year alone, d'you want a pattern Eric? Really easy, made to measure/ adjust to fit and surprisingly comfortable I'm told.


Cheers,
Mary

Yes, yes, yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,ye s,yes, please!

Eric

[tombear]

A long while back I asked Swandri if I could cadge a little bit of the same material my bushshirt was made from in case it ever needed patching (something I try to do for any bit of kit I hope to get a lot of use out of) and they said sure, if you cough for postage which I duely did. Anyroad, what arrived was a piece big enough to make a child size bush shirt from, a equally big bit of the grey lining and some buttons. Nice people!

Now, I've always hankered after a tam/balmoral to go with my Swanni, but am too cack handed to do it myself. I did get a pattern from North West Traders and had a go with a bit of old army blanket but it didn't work, to say the least.

Would one of the fine tailors out there be willing (for suitable recompence or trade) to make me one from this stuff? I've a fairly huge head, about 7 3/4+ or NATO 62+ so head gear tends to be a bugger to find.

This is what happens from reading too much about Rodgers Rangers ;-{D

All the best

Tom

[Toddy]

:D

Okay Eric, I'll copy and post; d'you want to make a felted one too? I've got a batch of just made indigo dye.

Cheers,
mary....who spent the day on a feltworking course and made a pair of boots :cool:
like these :)
http://www.heartfeltbyliz.com/cgi-bin/web_store.cgi?details=on&cart_id=5483706_18464&product=Felt%20Boots%20and%20S hoes&product_id=ankle%20boots

[Eric_Methven]

:D

Okay Eric, I'll copy and post; d'you want to make a felted one too? I've got a batch of just made indigo dye.

Cheers,
mary....who spent the day on a feltworking course and made a pair of boots :cool:
like these :)
http://www.heartfeltbyliz.com/cgi-bin/web_store.cgi?details=on&cart_id=5483706_18464&product=Felt%20Boots%20and%20S hoes&product_id=ankle%20boots


Yes please Mary :You_Rock_
Those boots look like they'd make good stalking boots with a nice soft leather sole.

Eric

[Toddy]

I'm going to use paint on latex on this pair when they dry. Liz had some Mongolian style ones that she had made with lace on leather soles; a bit like courrans over really thick woolly boots. They'd be great in a really cold, dry climate but unless we could waterproof the leather they'd be no good in our damp :( Can't be beyond mortal wit surely.

atb,
mary

[tinderbox]

Be it fulled, felted, or waulked the insulating properties of shrunk wool when wet are amazing. Canadian fishermen use fulled mitts to dip their hands in artic waters, I use mine for ice climbing. The north sea fishing fleet used to depend on jerseys. It beats pile and pertex, (except for weight). It's the only material natural or manmade that I would bet my life on when soaked through in the cold.

[TAHAWK]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beret

The "tams" worn by Canadian Forces in WWII (I have my dad's), are as described in the above Wiki article. Variations on the same theme - larger or smaller, brimmed or no.

[Rhodri80]

Look at Mossie croft store on ebay for wollen cloth bonnets or try http://www.historicalcaps.net/page10.htm for felted knitted caps.

[21st century pict]

You should get an x Queen’s Own Highlanders T.O.S. in khaki from an army and navy store falling that I got my one from a Highland dress shop. plain black wool.