REPORT
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as aluminium or copper to the steel. The choice of alloy will depend on factors such as the desired stiffness, weight and appearance of the wire, as well as the specific design requirements of the hat or headwear being created. When constructing a wire headpiece, having to use thicker wire to get a better stiffness is usually not very desirable, as this will make the piece heavier and lumpier. Therefore, it is advisable to ask the supplier for the composition of the wire you intend to use for a specific project.
The length of the wire also influences its stiffness. Longer wires will be more flexible than shorter wires of the same material and cross-sectional area. How the wire is supported or constrained at its ends and along its length will also play a role in its stiffness. For example, a wire fixed at both ends will be stiffer than a wire with one end free to move.
Wire ferrules
For connecting both ends of a wire or attaching two different types of wire together, wire ferrules are used. A ferrule is a small metal tube that can be crimped with pliers onto a wire end. Ferrules are available in different sizes, so it is important to check which internal diameter the ferrule needs to have for the wire to fit within.
As metal
ferrules can rust or even break over time, some milliners prefer not to use them but let the ends of a wire overlap for a few centimetres and sew or tape them together. This method provides extra strength at the join but also creates extra thickness – which does not have to be a problem if it is not visible in the finished hat.
To avoid the cotton or rayon getting damaged, you can use pliers with plastic
covers or cover regular pliers with painter’s tape when bending covered wire
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and safe for food contact, making them commonly used in food packaging. The material is used in the production of children’s toys such as with bendable arms and legs and meets the toxicity requirements of EN 71 Part 3 (European standard for toy safety). Polyolefins are recyclable, but as they are still plastics John is working on a greener version of the material. “We are currently developing a new version that is made of at least 50 per cent biomass, consisting of waste from the sugarcane industry. People have been asking about this and even our biggest customers are interested but as it comes with a 15 per cent price increase, it’s not being picked up yet, unfortunately.”
More information
www.bendyplastic.com
Although bendy plastic has now been around for almost two decades, the millinery world has only recently discovered the material. We heard about it last year when visiting Première Vision in Paris. Here we ran into John Ribchester, who gave us a sample piece and asked whether it could be of interest to milliners and hat makers. It instantly piqued our interest, so we handed some sample pieces over to our test team. To read their findings, see the next pages.
58 | the hat magazine #99
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