Just had to quickly comment on my latest lowtech repair effort.

I’ve got rather a nice Kiwi Stockman oilskin hat, which (as it is today topping 30 degrees) I’ve been wearing religiously to protect my poor little nose. However it suffers from one defect: the brim is floppy, so when I’m cycling the wind of my passage sends it either down over my eyes (and no longer over my nose) or plastered up against my forehead (similarly useless for its original purpose).

The solution: brake cable from a bicycle, threaded through the rim of the brim. It’s just springy enough to keep the brim the right shape, while still flexible enough to cope with my rather casual handling. All in all, a perfect solution. Although a little girl did yell “Cowboy” at me as I cycled past her on my way to work this morning.

I haven’t got a camera, so I can’t show you the results in all their glory. I was going to do an artist’s impression, but it turns out that this requires… erm, an artist. Oh, all right.

Artist's impression of my hat repairs