| Project by Mark A. DeCou | posted 603 days ago | 601 views | 0 times favorited | 9 comments | ![]() |
![]() |
SOLD: All of these White Birch Tollikers shown in the photo have been sold.
—————————————————————————————————————————-
Purchasing:
- To purchase a “Right Hand” Hardrock Maple Foot Tolliker, please visit this item in my Etsy.com Shop
- To purchase a “Left Hand” Hardrock Maple Foot Tolliker, please send me an email.
- To purchase a Black Walnut Foot Tolliker (right or left hand), please send me an email.
email: mark@decoustudio.com
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Project Story:
In the process of filling an order for Tollikers, I took the time to make a few extra to have on hand so that I could ship quickly when someone orders one. These three birch tollikers have abalone shell inlay for a decorative touch.
I often take on unique and outdated craft projects in the midst of my other work with furniture, walking canes, knives, and scrimshaw artwork.
Almost always, these unique projects come as a request from someone who has gotten frustrated trying to find either antique copies, or someone capable of crafting them.
Hatmaking tool crafting is a lost art, but hatmaking is gradually gaining a comeback. The problem is that there aren’t many antique tools to buy, and nobody making them. Hatmaking has been making a comeback with small hat shops where true craftsmanship is used to make artisan made custom hats.
Either Western, Fidora, or other historical hat styles, there appears to be more and more folks out there that are tired of dressing in ball caps with Nascar, or sports teams on them. Those discerning folks find it challenging to find hatmakers today, and hatmakers find it difficult to find tools.
That creates a niche for someone like me, willing to spend some time whittling, carving, shaping, sculpting, sanding, and polishing these tools. They aren’t cheap, but compared to a gallon of gasoline, or a cup of fancy coffee, a handmade original product like this that is useable for decades really doesn’t seem so high priced.
Tollikers are used to shape the hat for a customer during the process of making and forming a hat to a customer’s specification.
If you find yourself in the position of collecting, or using Tollikers, or other hatmaking equipment, I would appreciate your business. Please email me for more information, pricing, and such.
Here are a couple of old drawings from Ermatinger’s book on how the Foot Tolliker used to be used.


-
-
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Artisan Hat Tools by Mark DeCou Studio
(Do you want to see More? Just follow these links):
NOTE:
ALL HAT MAKING ITEMS THAT I HAVE IN STOCK
ARE LISTED IN MY ETSY.COM ONLINE SHOP, click here to check inventory
- Walnut Hobbyist-Hatter Model, Counter Clockwise Cutter
- Walnut Hobbyist-Hatter Model, Clockwise Cutter
- Spradley Hats in Apline, TX
- Rachel Pollock of La Bricoleuse
- Brainpan Hat Shop in Sumner, WA
- Steve Delk's Adventurebilt Hat Co.
- Marc Kitter's Adventurebilt Hat Co.
- Pyrate Trading Co.
- Hatman Jack at Wichita Hat Works
- Inaaya Hat Co.
- Penman Hat Co.
- Complete Restoration of a Maillard Conformateur and Formillon
- New DeCou Formillion & Conformer, Prototypes #1 & #2
- Custom Designed Conformateur Carrying & Storage Case
- New Plot Base Board for the Maillard Allie Formillon
- Maple Wrench for Tightening Formillon Thumbnuts
- Left-Handed & Right-Handed Foot Tolliker
- Foot Tolliker: Elk Antler & Birch Wood, on a Display Stand
- Foot Tolliker: Walnut Wood, on a Display Stand
- Foot Tollikers: Three in White Birch Wood
- Foot Tollikers: Walnut Wood Set of Four
- Foot Tollikers, Birch Wood Double Set, on Display Stand
- Hinge-Shackle Curling Tool for the Homburg Hat
- Full Circle Shackle Curling Tool
- Half Circle Shackle Curling Tool
- Groove Tolliker Curing Tool
- “Coming Soon”, please check back.
My Website with other woodworking, including furniture, walking canes, scrimshaw artwork, custom knives, and other misc. items
(Note:This project story, project design, and photos are protected by copyright in 2008-2009 by the Author, M.A.DeCou., all rights reserved, no use allowed without expressed written permission.)
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com





























9 comments so far
GaryK
home | projects | blog
9518 posts in 879 days
posted 603 days ago
I’ve seen those before. Very interesting.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
darryl
home | projects | blog
1392 posts in 1217 days
posted 602 days ago
the grain looks fabulous in this set. I hope they sell quickly for you.
-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com
dlcarver
home | projects | blog
260 posts in 621 days
posted 602 days ago
As a carver I really appreciate this work. I have never heard of tollikers. I made tools one time for weaving…. the comb, the shuttle and so forth.
Thanks!
Dave
-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com
Thos. Angle
home | projects | blog
4015 posts in 853 days
posted 602 days ago
Mark, those are very well done tools. They should sell quickly. I had a bump from a hat maker recently wanting to know if I could build leather hat boxes. I guess more than just cowboys are wearing custom hats these days.
-- Thos. Angle
Mark A. DeCou
home | projects | blog
1537 posts in 1296 days
posted 602 days ago
You are right Thomas. The hatmaking niche is growing. Watch tv much, and you can’t miss them turning up on Rock Star heads, and in music videos, and on professional athletes.
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
NDwoodworker
home | projects | blog
48 posts in 625 days
posted 602 days ago
I like the inlays, it adds a great touch to a useful project
-- Stuart, North Dakota
scott shangraw
home | projects | blog
408 posts in 960 days
posted 602 days ago
Mark you are definitly MULTI-TALENTED.If someone asked me if I could make a Tolliker I’d be like “make a what???”
-- Scott NM,http://www.shangrilawoodworks.com
Lee A. Jesberger
home | projects | blog
3710 posts in 870 days
posted 602 days ago
Scott; I think that’s a guy that licks toll booths. LOL
Mark: Again more beautiful work.
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
Todd A. Clippinger
home | projects | blog
5632 posts in 990 days
posted 585 days ago
The simplest hand tool in it’s most exquisite form.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com