Juggling Hats and Flying Hats "Machine de Cirque"

Juggling Hats

Renegade was the first company worldwide to sell the now famous "Poll Hat" (1995). The hat was designed by Niels Poll, specifically made for hat manipulation. All hats are made of several layers of felt to have enough weight for manipulation.

• The Poll hat has become the classic shaped juggling hat. It is totally round so it fits on your head in any direction.
• The pork pie hat has the same construction as the Poll Hat has but with a flat-top look. The shape of the hat limits the number of tricks one can do.
• Triple felt top hats are extra heavy, with a lower crown than most top hats that makes them good for all types of tricks.
• The single felt top hat was the original top hat used for manipulation before the Poll hat was produced. It is a nice hat but needs to be broken in before coming into its prime.
• Mexican flying hats are for throwing like a frisbee. They are handwoven in Mexico with many nice patterns and colors.
• Gora fire hats are made as a stunt hat, for fire posing or stage crosses. It can only be worn for about one minute, but some quick hat tricks might be possible.

Pro tips (advanced and intermediate hat jugglers)

Over time, hats get worn out and this causes softness in the brim. Your flips using the brim have less snap. For an old hat, apply a light coating of tool dip (for dipping tool handles) on the underside of the brim to stiffen it. Apply several very light coats until you get the stiffness you like. Mexican hats can have a much more even and longer flight path if the edge of the brim is slightly weighted. Vinyl tape works well and is simple to put on (¾-inch tape). If you are good with a sewing machine a ½-inch strip of nylon hem tape works really well and will not need replacement like tape.