Announcing: Gift Certificates

Just in time for the holidays, I'm now offering gift certificates for House of Nines Design products.

Want to give the gift of House of Nines, but unsure what to get? Don't know your giftee's hat size, or just want to surprise them? Don't have time to wait the normal 4-6 weeks for me to complete an order? I now offer gift certificates good toward the purchase of any House of Nines Design product or custom order (purchased directly from me or through my Etsy store).



The paper gift certificate is printed with the amount of your gift, and redemption instructions. It comes wrapped inside a miniature box (4x4x4") with a hand-decorated mini felt hat to keep, so it's more 'gifty' than just giving a slip of paper. Please let me know your choice of a mini top hat or mini fedora when you place the order.



There are several Etsy listings for gift certificates in various amounts; if you want a different amount, just let me know and I'll create a special listing for you. Or better yet, contact me directly for a purchase.

If you'd like me to send this item directly to the giftee, please contact me with their address when you place the order. Also, I'd be happy to enclose a card or letter from you if you like, just contact me for my mailing address so I'll know to wait on sending the package until your card arrives.

These items are ready to ship and can be in the mail within two business days of when you place your order. USPS Priority Mail (2-3 day) shipping within the US is $5. For something else (faster shipping, international mail, etc.) contact me and I'll let you know your options.

Stunning Customer Photos

Check out these photos just sent to me by frequent House of Nines customer Joanna Lam, in Australia. These are all custom pieces she commissioned this year. She looks amazing!





Photographer info: Cassandra Ladru Photography

New Line of Full Size Hats

Photos of my new line of full size hats are finally here. These are men's hat styles, with nice Roan leather sweatbands inside, but the ladies like them too. Here's one photo of each color I have finished in each style at the moment, but I can also make custom color combinations.

'Neville' is a mod style derby with a stingy brim. It can be made in handsome heathered long-nap felt as seen here, or in a regular flat fur felt like the other hats.



The 'Blue Beat Trilby' has an early 1960s-inspired fedora crown, and a snap brim that flips up in back.


'Jake' is a slightly triangle-shaped crown paired with a stingy trilby brim. The front of the brim can be flipped up or down, depending on your mood.




Ready-to-wear sizes are
Extra Small / 21"
Small / 22"
Medium / 23"
Large / 24"
But I can also do custom sizing between sizes or up to 24.75" upon request, if I can get an accurate head measurement. If interested, let me know.

These hats and more will be available for sale at ADS Hats and Dark Garden in San Francisco shortly, and I'll be listing them on Etsy over the next few days.

In case you want to see more, the full set of photos from the shoot are available on my flickr page.

New Toy

My newest toy just arrived - a Cummins Initial Machine! It's dated 1889, and looks like this.



It's used it to punch perforated letters into leather sweatbands on hats. You spin the big wooden knob in the middle, which turns a dial with letters around the outside, to select the desired letter. Then you slip the sweatband into a slot below the dial, push down on the knob like a lever, and little metal pins perforate the sweatband to create the letter. The letters come out looking like this.



When every single guy on the street used to wear a hat, lots of hats looked alike, and most theaters, nightclubs and restaurants had hat check booths to hold men's hats while they were in their establishment, it was handy to have your initials in your hat to make sure you received the right one back.

I'm happy to be able to give this tool a new useful life, and look forward to many years together marking the size into ready-to-wear hats, customer initials on custom hats, etc.

Two New Top Hat Styles

Working on prototypes for two new mini top hat styles. One is a little bit larger than the Belle Epoch with straighter sides, it should be great for straw and has lots of surface area for decoration. The other is short, like a John Bull style hat, and asymmetrical.

Global Spread Continues

I just sold a hat to somebody in Finland!

Cockney Voodoo

Did I ever mention that I'm in love with Cockney Pearly style? Well, who wouldn't be?









And here's the incomparable Rita Hayworth as kind of a Cockney Mary Poppins:


I've been thinking lately about how the patterns on a lot of Pearly outfits remind me of Voodoo veves, like this symbol for my favorite loa, Papa Legba:


Here's one for Ogoun:


Maman Brigitte's is especially beautiful:


I've been collecting mother of pearl buttons with a Cockney Pearly / Voodoo inspired project in mind, and a big box of MOP sequins just arrived. Gorgeous. Gotta get stitching.