Just ordered a Balmoral

**tokareva** · 13th April 18, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by Mike S

What vendor is selling this pin? Having both Scottish AND Welsh ancestry, I'd like to sport one of those myself.

On Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/9194170...sr_gallery-1-8

They also have a smaller more expensive one in silver.
il_340x270.457676514_hmgr.jpg

**tokareva** · 26th April 18, 02:47 PM

Well the hat finally arrived, it's nice and it fits great, but to me it doesn't look like what I ordered. I thought it was going to be a lighter color with more of a cream - yellowish tint. It has what I would call an orangish tint, somewhat like red clay mud. Did they send me the wrong hat, or is this what they are really supposed to look like?

P1030563_kindlephoto-1128925741.jpg
P1030564.jpg

The pic below appears close to the advertised color but it's not the color of the hat ,the flash was on and the exposure is wrong,maybe that's what happened in the online pics also.
P1030565_kindlephoto-1129148277.jpg

Here is what I ordered.
balmoral_tan (1).jpg

I wonder what the British khaki version looks like in real life.
balmoral_khaki.jpg

**Tobus** · 27th April 18, 04:48 AM

You're certainly not the first person to realise that the colour of your item doesn't look the same in person as it did in the online photo. It happens all the time with kilts, jackets, heck, anything.

Too many people rely on flash photography for their photos, and it just doesn't give anyone a realistic image of the colours. Flash is a strong white light that casts stark shadows. It's terrible for photos of anything with colour (and it doesn't do any favours to peoples' faces either). Personally, when I become king of the world, I'm going to ban flash photography for everything but crime-scene photos, LOL. Everyone else should use soft indirect light or diffused outdoor natural light.

At any rate, you may want to try 'Jocking' your Balmoral. A bit of the colour may possibly fade out, especially if you leave it out in the sun after wearing it dry. On mine, the colour you see in the advertisement is actually pretty accurate to where mine ended up. I don't see any orange at all in it. It's just a faded tan/khaki.

**Me cousin Jack** · 27th April 18, 07:11 AM

Bury it in peat for a year

**tokareva** · 27th April 18, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Tobus

You're certainly not the first person to realise that the colour of your item doesn't look the same in person as it did in the online photo. It happens all the time with kilts, jackets, heck, anything.

Too many people rely on flash photography for their photos, and it just doesn't give anyone a realistic image of the colours. Flash is a strong white light that casts stark shadows. It's terrible for photos of anything with colour (and it doesn't do any favours to peoples' faces either). Personally, when I become king of the world, I'm going to ban flash photography for everything but crime-scene photos, LOL. Everyone else should use soft indirect light or diffused outdoor natural light.

At any rate, you may want to try 'Jocking' your Balmoral. A bit of the colour may possibly fade out, especially if you leave it out in the sun after wearing it dry. On mine, the colour you see in the advertisement is actually pretty accurate to where mine ended up. I don't see any orange at all in it. It's just a faded tan/khaki.

Ok ,Thanks Tobus, I guess I'll just keep it and put it on the hat tray in the car and flip it over now and then to fade it evenly. I don't think it would be cost effective to try and exchange it. Frankly with that company I doubt it would even be an option. I couldn't even find anything on their website mentioning returns or exchanges, I really wonder how they stay in business.

**Baeau** · 27th April 18, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by tokareva

Ok ,Thanks Tobus, I guess I'll just keep it and put it on the hat tray in the car and flip it over now and then to try and evenly fade it. I don't think it would be cost effective to try and exchange it. Frankly with that company I doubt it would even be an option. I couldn't even find anything on their website mentioning returns or exchanges, I really wonder how it stays in business.

Having been a peddler, most of my life, I went looking on the website. This may be the first company I've run across that has no return, refund, let's make it right policy. The owner states, "proudly serving", but that's it. Even the odd Etsy sites my daughters have purchased from offer a means to take care of issues.

**A Hay** · 1st May 18, 05:07 PM

Glad you have decided on a Balmoral Bonnet!

I have several in various colors and often wear one with a Kilt. The are comfortable, easy to store or tuck into your belt indoors. There is one problem I have with them here in the USA, particularly in the warm summertimes. They are very hot on my head and I often wind up sweating. Also they provide little shade on the face so good sunscreen is important.

For general wear with pants I often choose a black balmoral with a red ball (the proper name escapes me now). And generally wear the X Marks the Scot clan badge. Good conversation starter!

Tom
A Hay!

**tokareva** · 5th May 18, 05:37 PM

A small update for those bored enough to be interested... I have been leaving the Balmoral out in the sun and it's already fading to a lighter color. Today I submerged it in water for a while, then after squeezing the water out, shaped the hat and placed it back in the sun with a hat stretcher inside to retain the size. I was surprised how much better it looks after the soaking in water.

**Tobus** · 7th May 18, 10:05 AM

Yep, I figured that would help. Are you familiar with the "jocking" process? The term was coined here at XMTS, and refers to the process described by member Jock Scot to give a new bonnet a worn-in look and feel. He soaks it in a creek for a few days, presses most of the water out, and then wears it until it's dry. The shaping and stretching process to get it to conform to your particular head is very important as it dries. It really helps with the personalised fit, as well as helping to knock some of the new off of it.

**tokareva** · 7th May 18, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

Yep, I figured that would help. Are you familiar with the "jocking" process? The term was coined here at XMTS, and refers to the process described by member Jock Scot....

Yes Tobus, I did a search online and Jock's post showed up, so I generally followed his instructions. I just soaked the hat in a washing machine though instead of a creek. There was no way I could stand to wear a wet hat until it dried however, so I just carefully took it off and put the hat stretcher inside to keep it from shrinking. If it doesn't work out right I'll try the process again, but will try to get more water out of the hat, then maybe I can wear it until it's dry.