Peter Hornskov

Milliner

Felt hats, reverse engineering and DIY bespoke-making

Peter is a self-taught hatter
His wife Cathrine helps him to run the workshop, Hornskov Hats
He teaches online and arranges hat making workshops

Peter Hornskov is a self-taught hatter living in Sorø. Hatmaking is a centuries-old profession, but when Peter started out in 2015, finding a hatter who could share his or her knowledge was challenging. Peter turned to books and scoured the internet to learn his craft by himself. Most importantly, he would pull apart many vintage hats and put all the pieces back together again to best understand how they were made. "Reverse engineering 100 years of hatmaking history is golden training," he states. Peter makes custom-made hats for his customers worldwide using a bespoke measuring kit. This allows customers to conduct the measuring and fitting session at home, allowing Peter to create and deliver the perfect hat remotely. He uses traditional equipment and tools, shares his knowledge online, and arranges build-your-own-hat workshops.

Interview

How important is custom fitting for the overall look of a hat?: The custom fit for a hat can be a crucial factor in the overall look, but that all depends on the hat type, the material, and the head shape of the wearer. In some cases, the correct size is all that is needed; for others, we need to put their exact head shape into the hat.
How often do women order your custom hats?: Although I say that I only make men’s hats, I actually make nearly as many hats for women as I do for men. Women come to me for men's hats.
How do you develop your craft while staying true to traditional techniques?: I am self-taught, so it is hard to say that I stick to traditional techniques. My approach has been to look at hats from the early-to-mid 1900s and then determine how they were made by taking them apart. From there, I can improve my skills and efficiency by playing with other ways to achieve the same results.
What is the future of the hat?: I think a lot about sustainability and animal rights. Right now, the majority of higher-quality hats are made from animal fur from caged animals. I primarily use felt made from wild animals, but I believe most hats will be made from a new type of felt made from plant fibres in the future.

Peter Hornskov is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2015 and he started teaching in 2024