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The hatstand made its debut at chocfest 7, where I was compering. After a period of prototyping and refining, I built the version that worked. I demoed this a couple of times then it broke. I replaced the elastic and set it up for the big day, used it on stage and it worked, then broke next time I used it.
Be prepared to spend significant tinkering time in between uses, and for frequent breakdowns. That said, it's never let me down when I've needed it.
All in all I've found it a great way to get chicks[1], if you don't count the long evenings spent honing the design and strewing the house with geeky construction equipment, and the fact you'll be laughed out of most nightclubs if you go in wearing a topper. But on stage it works, and it has drawn admiring glances from fellow jugglers and even won us a bag full of croissants on one occasion.
Sweavo, June 2003
[1] facts may vary
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:07
3194
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24-01-2015
[1]
Hold the hat by the brim with your left hand so that the crown of the hat is facing away from you. Take the stick in your right hand.
With a flick of your wrist, throw the hat up slightly so that it starts spinning anti-clockwise. As the hat descends, hit the brim with the stick slightly to the right of center, such that the stick curves slightly upwards and outwards. This will cause the hat to spin as it rises into the air. As it descends again, repeat the hitting action.
The idea of the basic spin is to keep the hat in the air by hitting it repeatedly with the stick in this manner. I find it helps if you look at the top portion of the inside of the hat.
Adjusting the spin rate and direction:
Hitting the hat nearer the center will give you a slower spin and more height, nearer the edge will give you a faster spin but less height. Obviously striking the left side of the brim will reverse the spin and cause the hat to go clockwise.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:05
2861
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24-01-2015
[1]
Full arm roll (backhand release) - Roll the hat from hand to hand along outstretched arms
Hold the hat with the crown back in an inside grip in your outstretched right hand. Flick the hat so that it spins up out of the back of your hand onto the arm and rolls across the back of the neck (make sure the head is ducked forward out of the way) and down the other arm.
As the hat reaches the other wrist bend the hand up and catch it in a inside grip.
Make sure the arms are sloped so that the hat is always rolling "downhill", and practice, practice, practice - this is a difficult trick.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:04
2791
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06-12-2015
[0]
The Shuffle - Another three hat juggling trick - this time it's the half shower
This is a variation of a jugglers' trick called the Half Shower.
Start with one hat on the head, and one in each hand, held in an outside grip. Throw one hat across the body, flat, with no spin. As soon as you've let go of this hat, take off the one on your head with your now-empty hand. The other hand slaps/places its hat onto the head, just in the nick of time to then catch the first (thrown) hat. You should now be back where you started.
The timing is a little odd for this one, but just remember "Throw.... take....place....catch", and you'll get it.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:10
2700
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06-12-2015
[0]
Three Hat Cascade - Ring Style - Juggling 3 hats in a cascade, throwing them as you would rings.
1. Learn to juggle 3 balls. See the IJDb tutorials page. Sorry non-jugglers, but it'll help a lot.
2. Throw each hat with a flick of the wrist to give it some stabilising spin. Catch the hats palm-upwards, in an inside grip. Rotate the wrist inwards 180 degrees before the next throw.
00:09
2639
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06-12-2015
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The Shuffle (Fakes) - A variation of The Shuffle.
First learn the shuffle, and then watch the video - you'll work it out!
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:06
2593
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06-12-2015
[0]
Steve Rawlings showed me this trick in Birmingham and said that he used to do it in every show, but now that he's older (and a little rounder :-) he can't get it every time any more. Steve uses a china plate for this trick, but it works with hats too which is why it's here! :-)
Take the hat in your right hand, using an inside grip and hold it so that the crown of the hat is facing to the left.
Throw the hat virtically with some spin, and then do the following while the hat is in the air...
Put your right hand between your legs
Take the hand around the back of the right leg
Stand on your left leg and move the right hand & foot behind the left leg
Then, catch the descending hat in your right hand, from that position. Without falling over.
Top Tips: Practice the "tangle yourself up" bit first without the catch. Keep your eye on the hat as it decends, practice loads...
Luke Burrage managed to get this on video within 30 minutes. I've been trying for weeks and can't do it. It's pretty hard.
00:06
2455
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15-03-2015
[0]
This is one of the videos that was filmed for our former site, TricksWithHats, which never went live. So it doesn't have a write-up and is presented here for posterity.
00:08
2344
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06-12-2015
[0]
Chest spin - Spin the hat down the arm, across the chest and out along the other arm.
Hold the hat crown down in a outside grip. Flick the wrist inwards as hard as you can so that the hat spins fast and strikes the inside of the wrist. Allow the spin of the hat to carry it across the body and along the other arm. Catch the crown as it reaches the other hand.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:03
2243
0
04-12-2015
[0]
This is one of the videos that was filmed for our former site, TricksWithHats, which never went live. So it doesn't have a write-up and is presented here for posterity.
00:05
2171
0
06-12-2015
[0]
Back Roll (One handed) - Rolling the hat across your back from one side to the other.
This trick is the one handed version of Back Rolls
Hold the had in an Inside grip, with the thumb in a straight line with the forearm.
Bend over at the waist, swing the arm across the body, and up under the armpit. Flick the wrist at the last moment to help with the spin. Look out to the side, and GRAB!
Haggis' Hot Tip: If you can get the hat to bounce
oll on the catching arm as it comes off of your back, this will slow things down a bit.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:04
2134
0
04-12-2015
[0]
This is one of the videos that was filmed for our former site, TricksWithHats, which never went live. So it doesn't have a write-up and is presented here for posterity.
00:07
2133
0
06-12-2015
[0]
This is one of the videos that was filmed for our former site, TricksWithHats, which never went live. So it doesn't have a write-up and is presented here for posterity.
00:05
2066
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06-12-2015
[0]
Backseat - A pair of throws and catches that Mike discovered while sitting in the back of a car.
Grab the side of a hat in a pinch grip, and carry it down in front of you so the crown is downwards. Flick it up so it spins 360 degrees, and catch it in another pinch grip at the back of the hat. Quickly push it up and forward, spinning the hat 180 degrees and catch in a pinch grip once again.
Stick it back on your head.
To perform the trick most effectively aim for one slick movement rather than two separate parts.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:04
2055
0
04-12-2015
[0]
This is a combination of parts of two other tricks, so it would probably help to learn them first. They are the Arm Roll and the Wipe Up
Start with the hat on your head. With the right arm, do the first part of a wipe up, just to the point where the hat comes off your head. However, instead of carrying it out to the side, push the hat back on your head so that the bottom of the brim comes into contact with your shoulder blades.
Use your upper arm to push the hat off and to the left, so that it can roll down your arm as though you were doing an Arm Roll, catching it in you hand as you do so
One variation that Mike is fond of, is to grip the front part of the crown with the crook of the elbow. Mike claims this gives him more options, and more control over where the hat goes. Try it, it may work for you too!
00:03
2034
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15-03-2015
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Thumb Spins - Spin the hat around your thumb
Hold the hat in an inside grip and spin it so the top of the brim stays in contact with the thumb. After a single spin catch it again in an inside grip.
Once you've mastered singles try longer spins. This trick is very versatile and can be used to add lots of flourishes. Try adding one in anywhere that you use an inside grip, or just throw one in with your hand outstretched or up above your head.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:04
2028
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15-03-2015
[0]
Full arm roll - Roll the hat from hand to hand along outstretched arms
Hold the hat with the crown back in an outside grip in your outstretched right hand. Flick the hat so that it spins up onto the arm and rolls across the back of the neck (make sure the head is ducked forward out of the way) and down the other arm.
As the hat reaches the other wrist bend the hand up and catch it in a inside grip.
Make sure the arms are sloped so that the hat is always rolling "downhill", and practice, practice, practice - this is a difficult trick.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:04
2022
0
04-12-2015
[0]
Back Rolls - Bend forward and roll the hat across the back.
Hold the hat with the crown facing backwards in an inside grip. Bend the body forward from the waist and swing the hat across the body tucking the hand into the arm pit.Let the hat roll across the back, aiming for the opposite shoulder.
Turn the head to the right and watch the hat as it drops off the shoulder. Catch it in an inside grip with the left hand.
If the hat is difficult to catch then you are probably throwing it too hard.
Learn this trick with both hands, as it looks nice if you roll the hat back and forth across the back.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:05
2000
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04-12-2015
[0]
Forward Twiddle - Twiddle the hat off the head and back on. It's got comedy potential too! Allegedly.
Use a palm-up fork grip on both sides the hat, and lift it off the head. Remove the ring fingers from the brim and twist the hat between the fore and middle fingers. Stop the spin by gripping the brim between the fore fingers and thumb.
Reverse the process to return the hat to the head.
You can get an easy laugh by getting the return part wrong and pretending to hit yourself in the face.
Jon Lockwood (of Mushy Pea Juggling fame, now working as with "Company of Fools") did lots of hat workshops at juggling conventions in the mid to late 1990's and started Mike and LP out on the hat road. This was often the first trick he taught...so it's Jon and this trick that ultimately led to the creation of this site. Thanks Jon!
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:07
1963
0
15-03-2015
[0]
One handed forward tumble - A one handed version of the forward tumble
First learn the forward tumble.
With practice you'll soon be able to quickly switch your grip and make it run one handed, as you can see in the video clip above.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:03
1944
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04-12-2015
[0]
Hold the hat out in front of you, in an inside grip so that the brim is horizontal, and the crown is on top.
Pull back on the hat as you throw it, so that it floats, without spinning and catch it on your head. Here's what it looks like from the inside.
The key to the trick seems to be to keep the hat level, and pull it towards you as you let go. That and luck, and/or practice.
00:02
1917
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04-12-2015
[0]
Arm Roll - Rolling a hat along your arm.
Hold the hat in an inside grip, and from behind the head (duck a bit), release with a flick of the wrist.
The brim stays in front of the arm, whilst the crown rolls along it. The easy catch is palm-upwards. The hard, snazzy catch, which extends the roll a little bit, is palm downwards; let the brim roll over the thumb, and pinch-catch the brim between thumb & forefinger. Smile.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:06
1916
0
04-12-2015
[0]
Upward twiddle (one hand) - Twiddle the hat above the head.
Grab the hat in a palm up fork grip. Lift the hat straight up, remove the ring fingers from the brim and twist the hat between the fore and middle fingers. Stop the spin by gripping the brim between the forefingers and thumb. Bring it straight back down to the head.
From the TricksWithHats archive
00:03
1914
0
06-12-2015
[0]
Tumble - Tumble the hat over the back of the hand
Hold the hat crown up in a outside grip. Swing the hat inwards and let go so it can roll up past the thumb onto the back of the wrist. While the hat is above the hand keep the wrist bent so the fingers are pointing outwards and lift the fingers as high as you can. The fingers will touch the inside of the crown and allow you to catch the hat in a inside grip.
To repeat the trick throw a half spin and catch the hat back in a outside grip or do a Reverse Tumble.
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1910
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04-12-2015
[0]
It's easier to spin a ball on your finger than a hat, so click here to learn to spin a ball first. Once you've got that solid it should be easy to transfer the skill over to your hat.
It's easier with a bowler as the hat will dent slightly and sit on the finger better.
00:09
1904
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04-12-2015
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