Ribbon source

[fmw]

Help me out. What is a pugaree. Or, for that matter, a pug?

 

[monbla256]

A Pugaree or Pug for short. is a wide pleated fabric band put around a hat. They were first used in India and Pakistan as hat bands on the pith helmets and slouch hats used by the military. Here's a defintion :

pug·gree (pgr) also pug·ga·ree or pug·a·ree (pg-r)
n.
A cloth band or scarf wrapped around the crown of a hat or sun helmet.

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[Hindi pag, turban, from Sanskrit parikara, girdle for a garment, from parikaroti, he surrounds : pari, around; see per1 in Indo-European roots + karoti, he does, makes; see kwer- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

They are often found used on Optimo creased Panamas and Fedora creased Panamas as well now.
Onward thru the fog

 

[fmw]

The hat band is a pugaree, then. It is a pleated fabric with a hook at each end that will attach itself to the hat. You hook one end, wrap it around the crown and hook the other end. Very practical and easy to use.

 

[monbla256]

Here's one of my Medio Fino Montecristi's with a raw silk Pug on it with a pearl stick pin in it. As you say, practical, easy to use and VERY STYLISH

 

[carranty]

Where to get replacement ribbons?

I've recently purchased an Akubra Leisure time, and although I like the hat I'm not too keen on the band. I'd like to replace it, as a few other members have, but don't know where to get a replacement ribbon from. Can anyone point me to some good websites (ideally from firms based in the uk)?

 

[TheGreyPiper]

Well, there's any number you can find on Ebay, of course, and a site called Hats In The Belfry also sells them. However, coincidentally, I just ordered a couple of replacements from a place called Panama Hat Direct, in Ecuador (sorry, nowhere NEAR the UK, I'm afraid) for $5 each, and they have a huge selection. You may have to wait a while for delivery, mine took several weeks to arrive in the northeast US.

 

[thespoiler]

I think the ones from PD will be the Panama hat variety that look good there but probably won't look right on a felt fedora. I have gotten quite a bit of good hat ribbon grosgrain on EBay and Esty by searching for "vintage grosgrain"....look for rayon and cotton mix so it will tighten up and shape to the hat......the other alternative is to send it out to one of the hat service guys for a new ribbon. There is a pretty good thread on the Lounge about putting on replacement ribbon.

 

[carranty]

Thank you both. I wasn't keen on the 'Hats in Belfry' ribbons, they're mostly trifolded which isn't what I'm looking for. There were a couple on Panama hat direct that might look good with my fur felt, so thanks for that.

I keep finding bits here and there on ebay/etsy, guess I'll just keep checking every few days until the perfect ribbon comes along!

I have found some very good looking grosgrain on ebay, but its 100% polyester, not cotton/raylan. Have you ever tried making a hat band from this, and if so, what were the results?

EDIT: I've now also found a supplier of 100% cotton ribbon, would that be suitable, or must it have raylan mixed in?

 

[thespoiler]

Polyester will sag and stretch .....with cotton in the mix, you can wet it and it will tighten and form to the hat.......100 percent cotton will probably be ok....

 

[Topper2]

This may, or may not, work...

http://www.jkmribbon.com/Store/catalog/grosgrain-rayoncotton,175.htm

 

[carranty]

This may, or may not, work...

http://www.jkmribbon.com/Store/catalog/grosgrain-rayoncotton,175.htm

Thanks for the link, those would be perfect except that there's a minimum order of 50 yards (~45m). I only need 1-2m or so. Still, I'll keep it in mind, I can always sell the excess on ebay, there seems to be a shortage!

 

[carranty]

I see, thanks.

 

[Willybob]

Looking for hat ribbon source

I'm looking for a good source for grosgrain ribbon for hats. I have a few beaters I've picked up over the years and I' getting into fixing then up. I've tried to find grosgrain ribbon at the local chain fabric stores but there is very little color variety and nothing that would look good on a fawn or silverbelly. I'm going to try my hand at binding a brim. Does anyone know where I can look for a good selection?

 

[hatsRme]

Sometimes Ebay or Etsy. Or, if they're willing to part with a small quantity, maybe one of our friendly hatters, like Mike Moore, or Art Fawcett, or Tony B, or Penman.

 

[JackieMatra]

Just google grosgrain ribbon.
Most of what you'll find will be polyester, of course.
Cotton/rayon ribbon is harder to find and usually much more expensive.
Here's one place to buy some: http://www.hatsupply.com/grosgrain_sweats.htm

 

[tonyb]

In a side-by-side comparison, what's good ribbon and what ain't is apparent to even the untrained eye.

Stay away from synthetics. For costume quality hats it's fine, I suppose. But for "real" hats? Nope.

Get true vintage hatband ribbon, if you can find it. As hatsRme noted above, eBay and Etsy are where to look, especially for smaller quantities. There's quite a bit of 50-, 60-. 70-year-old hatband ribbon still floating around out there. They made a helluva lot of it back then. Vintage garment and fabric peddlers snap it up by the roll (or the boxes full of rolls) and sell it by the yard. It'll get used up, eventually, but for now it's still available at what might be called a reasonable price.

There are decent ribbons of more recent manufacture. And there's a lot of junk, too. As it turns out, there's cotton, and then there's cotton. And there's rayon, and then there's rayon. Which is to say that a ribbon made of cotton and rayon can still be a pretty crummy ribbon. Stiff, shiny, blecchh. And until you have it literally in hand you won't know what you've bought. Too many online sellers really don't know diddly about the stuff they're peddling, whereas a person with a bit more expertise (that reputable vintage garment and fabrics dealer alluded to above) will offer a much more informed opinion. So try to deal with people who know their ****, rather than the guy with hatband ribbon and Evinrude parts. (Unless, of course, you can tell by the spool label that his hatband ribbon is the real deal and you oughta buy it all before somebody else gets there.)

 

[H Weinstein]

Try this place -- Farmhouse Fabrics. They do list cotton/rayon ribbons in various colors and widths:
http://goo.gl/UZhNnQ

 

[photogravity]

Just this afternoon, I went to a ribbon outlet near where I live and purchased several rolls of grosgrain ribbon. The two burgundy rolls at the rightmost edge of the picture were $2 each, the smaller burgundy roll was $1 and the tan roll and pieces of ribbon in the ziplock bag were 25¢. Total cost with tax was a mere $5.57. I now have more ribbon than I'll use in several lifetimes.


Can You Say Grosgrain? by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

 

[moehawk]

I have purchased cotton/rayon blend grosgrain ribbon from The Ribbon Retreat online. You have to go to the commercial part of the site, look hard to find it, but they offer all widths and colors made by Schiff ribbon co here in America (1/8" -1 1/2", lots of colors). Only bummer is you have to get a 50 yard spool, and buy a 35 dollar minimum.

 

[DOGMAN]

I have 4 of the 50 yard spools of ribbon cotton/rayon from Ribbon Retreat.I would sell some Pm if interested.I found a bunch of vintage that I will keep.