Hatpins As Weapons

Hatpins were originally created for head coverings. They could be fancy or practical. Made from precious metals and gemstones or a common metal and faux stone. Makers marketed to various levels of society. They went from extremely ornate and expensive to simple and functional. The heyday for hatpins was 1880's to 1920's.

                                                                        Public Domain
Pins go back to the Middle Ages in Britain and Europe, where they were used to hold a wimple or a veil that proper ladies wore to cover their hair. The picture above is a wimple.

In 1800, hatpin making was a cottage industry usually involving the whole family. They were time-consuming to make, resulting in small amounts available at a time.

In 1820, pins were imported from France to meet consumer demand, but Parliament didn’t like the effect it had on the balance of trade. They passed an Act restricting the sale of hatpins to January one and two each year. Women saved their money throughout the year to buy pins. This could be the source of the term “pin money.”

In 1832, a pin-making machine was patented in the United States. It soon put those who made pins by hand out of business. Within two years, France and Britain also had machines.  

   

Public Domain

In 1848, bonnets were secured by tying ribbons or strings under the chin. By the late 1800s, fashion changes made hatpins even more popular. The Charles Horner jewelry business in Britian became a leader in high-quality mass-produced hatpins. Tiffany and Co. was a leader in the U.S.


                                  Public Domain
By 1908, hats had become large, possibly even enormous by some standards, and were covered in silk flowers, bird feathers and other decorations. The larger the hat, the longer the hatpin. When a group of English suffragists were brought into a courtroom in England, the judge made them take off their hats because he was afraid they might start using their hatpins as weapons.

The idea of pins as weapons was valid. More and more women were joining the workforce and had to venture out alone to ride the trolleys or other modes of transportation. Unfortunately, some men took the opportunity to make inappropriate advances. The women called those men “mashers.” A young woman from Kansas working in New York City had a day off and went out to see the sights. The man sitting beside her in the stagecoach kept getting closer until he put his arm around her, letting it settle on her lower back. She whipped out her 12” hatpin and jabbed him in the arm. He screamed and got off at the next stop.

     Public Domain

Newspapers across the country reported one incident after another of women defending themselves. Society was slowly changing from expecting female dependence on men to recognizing their desire and ability to defend themselves. Working women and suffragists spoke out against “mashers” and said a woman should have the right to move about the city without fear of being accosted. The spokesman for the Chicago Vice Commission stated women who wanted to avoid unwanted attention needed to dress modestly–no painted cheeks or show of ankle. One suffragette countered that the problem wasn’t the fashion. It was “the vileness of the ‘masher’ mind.”

Some detractors found a more subtle way to address the problem. It wasn’t women’s changing roles they objected to. It was their mode of self-defense. Innocent men were falling victim to the “hatpin peril.” By 1909, the hatpin was considered an international threat. Police chiefs in Hamburg and Paris considered measures to regulate the length of the pin.

In March 1910, the Chicago city council, whose only members were men, held a proceeding to pass an ordinance banning hatpins longer than 9”. A woman caught in violation would be arrested and fined $50. The ordinance passed 68-2. Similar laws were passed in other large cities.

 Public Domain

In Sydney, Australia, a large group of women went to jail rather than pay a fine for wearing a “murderous weapon” in their hats. Even conservative London ladies refused to buy hatpin point protectors. The outrage over hatpins declined when WWI started and died entirely when bobbed hair came into fashion.

You might enjoy reading one of the articles where I got some of this information.

'The Hatpin Peril" by Abbot Kahler April 24, 2014  The Smithsonian Magazine

THE HATPIN PERIL

I’m glad those kinds of hats went out of fashion. I can’t imagine how the ladies didn’t stab themselves with the pin. I enjoy writing and reading about that time in history, but I'm happy with the way we dress and the conveniences we have now.

Linda lives in west central Ohio with her husband and grandson. She writes Fun Faith-Filled Historical Christian Romance.

Linda has been writing since childhood, but her publishing career started with writing columns and a middle-grade serial for the South Charleston Spectator. A retired librarian, she now enjoys being a full-time author in her home office. She writes not only to entertain but to encourage readers with God’s faithfulness.

You are invited to visit her website, Linda Hoover Books, to learn more about her and her books. You can stay in touch when you subscribe to her newsletter, and as a thank you, you’ll receive a novella, Joel & Ella.

 LINDA HOOVER BOOKS

 This link will take you to all the places you can find Linda on the web: 

LINDA'S SOCIALS