Types of Bonnets?

[A Hay]

I think there may be only a few who like wearing a traditional head cover.

Personally, I prefer the balmoral style over the others, but it is too hot to wear in the summer.

I say wear what you think works for you.

Tom

[Panache]

Macwage,

You can take a look at some pretty good pictures of different styles of bonnets at the Scottish Tartan Museum Gift Shop. Take a look at the link below.

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/bonnets.htm


Berets and Tams have a very thin crown where Balmorals and the Caubeens have a thick crown.

The Tam seems to be wider than the beret and worn at less of a slant.

The crown of the Balmoral often features dicing. The Caubeens seem to always follow a single color scheme for the entire hat. Where the Balmorals often feature multicolored dicing, torries, and hackles.

The Balmorals always have a flat bow near the front that meant to be further decorated with a clan badge. The Irish Caubeens have a very nice rosette of matching ribbon that is not further decorated.

Caubeens seem to be made stiffer and more shaped than the looser Balmorals.

Flat caps (by which I assume you mean driving caps) are very light and have a small bill which the top of the cap is pulled over and attached to the edge of, which creates a small ammount of shade for the wearer.

Caubeens are Irish

Balmorals are Scottish

These are just my observations so anyone else out there is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong.

Personally I have 3 berets (Black, Maroon, Brown) and 3 driving caps (Tartan Galbraith modern, Galbraith ancient, and gray tweed). My lovely wife, the Flame-Haired Celtic Amazon Goddess, just bought me an early birthday present so I also now have a Glengarry* with checked dicing to add to my collection. It is going to look great when decorated with my X-Marks the Scot pin from the mighty KiltedCodeWarrior!

Cheers


(* The Glengarry I believe originally started as a Balmoral that was shaped and worn in a certain way by one Highland division until eventually it became it's own style.)

[MacWage]

The glengarry I Know. It was popularized by Lord Glengarry and his highland regiment, hence the name.

By "flat cap," I mean the general category of all these brimless, "flat" contructed caps/bonnets. I've seen them called such in some books, catalogues, and patterns. A driving cap is a driving cap (which is also confusingly called a flat cap. I believe they derived from the other style with the addition of a stiff "bill" to aid the forward shaping. I've even seen some older (I can't recall period) ones that look like balmorals with the front part stitched to a covered board. I believe these dated with the early "horseless carriages." Nowadays, no one knows what to call them, so they get called "flat caps" or "driving caps." I have 3 black wool, two navy wools, a black canvas, a navy canvas, and others in white, gray, knit, and a few other materials (inc. a USELESS polarfleece one).

Are there any other construction differences?

[pdcorlis]

As you know, caubeens are Irish and they do differ structurally from a Scots balmoral. A caubeen has an obvious sewn seam connecting the top and sides - an authentic balmoral is formed from one solid piece of wool. The balmoral has a toorie on top and long tails at the back, an Irish caubeen has neither. A Canadian military caubeen has short tails but no toorie. The caubeen is "taller" from head band to high point than a balmoral. The caubeen is also "stiffer" overall than a balmoral.

As an aside - a good balmoral has a piece of heavy fabric (canvas I think) sewn into the top under the lining. A cheap balmoral substitues cardboard here - if you fold a cheap balmoral you will feel the cardboard giving way... obviously not the best material for a long term purchase.

I'm not sure - but I think the tam-o-shanter or tam pre-dates the balmoral and was both more relaxed in form and more exagerated in shape with the top about twice the diameter of the head. Hopefully someone can educate us this one.

[MacWage]

A caubeen has an obvious sewn seam connecting the top and sides - an authentic balmoral is formed from one solid piece of wool.

Looking at Brit military balmorals, I saw quite a few with edge seems and toories and tails. Some have a VISIBLE seem between the top of the checks and the top portion, with seem lines on either side of the cockade! I now believe, as in the above post, that in times of peace and slow troop stocking, the one-piece balmorals were standard, but in quick-supply times (and cheap periods), suppliers used the quicker cut-and-sew style with all the other balmoral bits and pieces. Caubeens, however, seem to be virtually all cut-and-sew construction. I find it curious that some repro manufacturers have caubeens with a shorter headband than a balmoral of equal construction, while others do the EXACT OPPOSITE!

If there are any with access to REAL caubeens and could measure them, I'd LOVE to head what the measurements ACTUALLY are and if the bottom circle part is flat or coned (the latter of which would add height to the upturned portion. Caubeens are the ones I had the hardest time finding good pics of, primarily because my library is of Scottish stuff, not modern Irish.

If any of the great military historians on this thing could further enlighten me to add/modify/correct my above post, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I have only spent a couple dozen hours scattered over a couple months researching this topic (and NONE before), while some of you have spent YEARS studying this thing. Your additions (including, "YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG!!!!") would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to be accurate and am not locked on my hypothesis above.

[O'Neille]

I've got a real Irish regimental Piper's Caubeen here that I'll describe for you. The head band is 1 1/8 inches, lined and stiff. The top is just shy of 11.5 inches and sewn to an asymmetrical slightly coned doughnut piece. It is approx 3.5 inches tall where the brigade badge attaches, decreasing to a little over 2 inches where it is seamed in the back. Lining is quilted silk and there is a double snapped badge stiffener behind the brigade badge that attaches with a cotter pin through two loops. I posted a picture of it last night. http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=20569

[MacWage]

I've got a real Irish regimental Piper's Caubeen here that I'll describe for you. The head band is 1 1/8 inches, lined and stiff. The top is just shy of 11.5 inches and sewn to an asymmetrical slightly coned doughnut piece. It is approx 3.5 inches tall where the brigade badge attaches, decreasing to a little over 2 inches where it is seamed in the back. Lining is quilted silk and there is a double snapped badge stiffener behind the brigade badge that attaches with a cotter pin through two loops. I posted a picture of it last night.

The head band is 1 1/8 inches, lined and stiff
-What I COULDN"T find THANKS!!!!!

The top is just shy of 11.5 inches
-What I suspected

sewn to an asymmetrical slightly coned doughnut piece
-ALSO what I suspected-> AH!!!->what gives the visual height

I suspected you would post here (THANKS AGAIN)-> note- link to your thread.

Thanks again!!!!