Civilians hat's ribbons

[Blum]

Hello,

In the Cal Kinzer ‘s Hardcracker handbook, in the J.F.Graf article «*The Farmer’s favorite*» it is said :
«*a 1*inch silk binding is sewn to the brim using an enlarged buttonhole stitch for hats prior to 1855 (see figure 6) or machine stitched if later…*»

This article is dated of 1989 , a little old, and I am not very confident with it and the figure 6 sketch look strange ! It is difficult to imagine a hat ribbon stitched with a large buttonholes stitches like that !!!
On the books pictures like EOG, it is impossible to see the stitches on hats and I live too much far from the USA to go in your museum each time I need something.
I suppose some of you had access to originals cw hats.
What do you know the way the ribbons were sewn on civilians hats ?
Mostly machine stitched, mostly by hand ? Witch kind of stitch ?

Thanks

[PrettyBoyDonovan]

I found this on Clearwater Hats website. Hope it helps:

"All of our Civil War styles have grosgrain (pronounced grow-grain) ribbon sewn on the brim. The sewing machine that enabled the ribbon to be sewn on the brim in this fashion became popular among hatters in the 1850's. As competition grew, more of the hats produced just before and to a lesser extent during the Civil War had this option. Grosgrain ribbon had been around hat brims for a long time. However, the sewing machine made adding ribbon to the brim much faster and less expensive than hand work."

[BHoover]

What do you know the way the ribbons were sewn on civilians hats ?
Mostly machine stitched, mostly by hand ? Witch kind of stitch ?

Thanks

I was talking with Billy Wickham (Dirty Billy) about this last weekend, and he says that the machines that sewed the grosgrain ribbon to the hat band were some of the very first sewing machines used. His claim is that by the 1860s almost all the grosgrain should be machine sewn.

[Blum]

«*by the 1860s almost all the grosgrain should be machine sewn*» said you Bill Wickham. Very interesting, this guy know his job…but, by principle, i am always a little suspicious about what say sutlers even the best one in their specialty like Clearwater hats or Dirty Billy.
It may be better to have a confirmation of that by having a look on originals.

[Clark Badgett]

Jean, for what it may be worth, I have looked at 4 original civilian hats, while none were of the slouch variety, they all did have the brim binding machine sewn on.

[Blum]

Thanks Clark,

Do you remember the look of the stitches ? Is it the same stitches as for the modern sewing machines ?
I think cw era sewing machines used a "lock stitch" but i am not sure and i don't know how this stitch look.
Also probably the stitches from the leather sewing machines may be different. Hats are thick and maybe leather sewing machine may be in use for these ?

[Clark Badgett]

Jean they were done in lockstitch, which is what most modern sewing machines sew.

[Blum]

Thank-you !