Are hat pins illegal?

The uniquely feminine weapon did not sit too well with men used to submissive ladies, so beginning in 1908, they began passing laws limiting the length of hatpins, usually to no more than 7-9 inches. Yes, policemen would actually stop women to inspect their hats for illegal hatpins.

How long are vintage hat pins?

Hat pins, usually from 10 to 30 cm long, were in use from about 1880s to the 1920s to anchor ladies’ hats to their hair. For collectors, the interest lies in the heads.

What were hat pins for?

A hatpin is a decorative and functional pin for holding a hat to the head, usually by the hair. In Western culture, hatpins are almost solely used by women and are often worn in a pair.

What is the difference between a hat pin and a stick pin?

Hat pins have much longer stems and normally have glass beads or Rondelle rhinestone tops. Stick pins have a shorter pin and the top is normally more thematic in styling, i.e. monogram, figurals, flowers, etc. Also, stick pins often have closing caps for the bottom and hat pins normally do not.

When did hat pins go out of style?

1920s
They went from ornate hatpins to military hatpins and then in the 1920s when the cloche hat became popular, you didn’t need hatpins. So hatpins became less of a necessity and by 1925 they were dead.

Are hat pins sharp?

Hatpins were originally designed to be used in pairs to fasten a women’s hat to her hair. At one end, hatpins had an ornamental head to make it look nice and disguise it. At the other end, there was a sharp point to actually do the fastening. As hats grew bigger during the Edwardian era (1901–1910), so did hatpins.

What are old hat pins made of?

A variety of materials are used to make hatpins, including silver, gold, brass, and glass.

How do you wash a hat pin?

You can use a mixture of one part ammonia to two parts water for gold. Apply these mixtures with a very soft cloth, taking care to only apply to the metal portions of the hat pin. Rub the item gently, and then rinse these portions of the hat pin. Dry gently with another soft cloth.

Why are hat pins so long?

Lenocker: They think around the 1850s. Women, especially in the summertime, would wear those straw hats, and they started using pins to help secure the hat. As styles changed and the hats changed, the pins became longer and more ornate.

Do hat pins work?

Pins work well in felt hats, and some fabric covered hats. Be cautious when pinning through straw, as some of the older…

What were antique stick pins used for?

A tie pin (or tiepin, also known as a stick pin/stickpin) is a neckwear-controlling device, originally worn by wealthy English gentlemen to secure the folds of their cravats. They were first popularized at the beginning of the 19th century.

How big of a pin do you need to use a hatpin?

Many laws limited the size of hatpins to 9 inches. To use a hatpin, find a good spot on the hat where the pin won’t leave an ugly hole. Stick the sharp end of the pin through the hat gently while it sits on your head.

How to identify different types of antique hatpins?

To identify antique hatpin types, Jodi suggests learning the different styles “helps you get a feel for the variety of hatpins that were made during that era and the materials they were made of.” These basic hatpins have either a white or black bead on the end of a pin.

When did they start making art decor hatpins?

Art Decor hatpins: Starting in about 1900, pins often were exaggeratedly long and featured enormous gemstones. They sometimes have intricate pieces of art glass on the end of a silver pin. Other hatpin makers started twisting pieces of celluloid into intricate, curved designs.

Who was the first company to make hatpins?

Leading hatpin manufacturers in the U.S. in the early 1900s include Unger Bros., the William Link Co., the Paye & Baker Mfg. Co. and Tiffany & Co. While hatpins were widely used to hold hats in place, they evolved to serve another purpose for women: deadly weapons.