I picked one of these up today at Ft Frederick Market Fair. Do htese things need sweatbands? If so, where can I get one. Also, where can I get hatbands? Will a piece of leather strap with buckle work as a hatband?
A proper sweat band is of linen, and sewn in like an inner cap, and has a string pull adjustment in the top of it. On a cheap hat I just glue in a thin leather band about an inch in width. It would seem that hat bands were not, commonly used.
I still have my White man hats from the 1980's and they still fit. I have them with and without sweat bands and on the cocked hat I used a sewn in piece of linen to take up the slack of a loose fit.As to hat bands on the outside of the flop hats I didn't use any fabric but rather used a piece of sissal{about 1/4"} from the Co-0p pulled to fit and sewed the ends together in an overlap{see Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution"P.138,No.9}.There are several references to buck tails being worn on the hat or a sprig of greenery.
Tom Patton
I folded over a piece of cloth (linen, as stated above, is most correct) and stitched it to accommodate a bit of string on one side. I have the string in to tie for tightness. I stitched the other side into the hat from inside so that teh stitching would not show.
Not a big thing, just look and think for a while and it will be obvious.