Friday 13 June 2014

Thanks for sharing!

As someone who hasn't had any formal training in wig making,  I find it difficult at times to find answers to some of my technical questions on the subject.  Many wig makers, understandably, keep their methods and sources a closely-guarded secret.

There are a few I have come across who are incredibly generous with their help and advice.  I just wanted to add a quick post to say how much I appreciate everyone out there who is willing to share their knowledge with those of us who are trying to learn the ropes.

A huge source of information and inspiration for me has been Super Wig Maker on YouTube.  I really admire his ability to take a problem or situation and break it down into the most minute detail to find the solution.  He is not a professional wig maker, but he works with very basic tools and supplies to explore and experiment continually, and shares his knowledge freely.  If you're interested in learning to make wigs, you should definitely check out his channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB9_pmyRjgrIRygdtajg3nA

I just received a tip from another excellent wig maker, Sam Cox (a professional in the UK.) His advice has quite possibly changed my life!  Well, it has definitely changed the way I make wigs from now on!

I have been worried because the very fine front lace of the current blonde wig I'm making is fraying at an alarming rate:



I asked Sam about this via email, and he told me that if the lace is turned 90 degrees, so that the holes run horizontally instead of vertically, the lace will not fray!

I tested it out on a scrap piece of the same lace, and it really does make a difference!

The downside is that now I will have to remove the front of the wig and replace it with new lace, but it will definitely be worth the effort and expense to prevent the front of the wig from falling apart.

You can check out Sam's excellent work on his website:  http://www.samcoxwigdesign.com

So, my sincere thanks to everyone who has shared a tip or helped me out along the way.  I hope that some of my posts will be useful to other would-be wiggies along the way too. :P


EDIT:  here are a couple of diagrams to illustrate what I mean.  If you look at the photo above you will see that the holes in the lace are currently running like this when you look at the cap from the front:


I will remove the old lace and attach a new piece with the lace oriented so that the holes are running like this instead:


You will notice with the new orientation, it will be impossible to knot the hairs so that they are directed straight back (or straight forward if you are ventilating forward from the crown.)  The knots will now have to be on a slight angle to the hairline.  However, I find this makes a more natural hairline anyway.

15 comments:

  1. Hi,
    Sorry if this sounds silly, but could you take some pictures/video of turning the lace 90 degrees? I was never good at maths and struggling to visualize it! Thanks!

    And a big thank you for sharing with all of us!

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    1. My pleasure, I'm happy to help! I have added a couple of diagrams to the post that I think illustrate more clearly what I mean. Hope it makes sense...!

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    2. Crystal clear now, thank you so much! And I agree, no straight back or forward looks better!

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    3. Brilliant, happy it helped!

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  2. Dave, I agree on the secrecy. What gives? It is mighty difficult to get information. I was very fortunate, although it took me a long while, I managed to find a mentor or two along the way who were not fearful of passing on some knowledge.

    I remember seeing Mr Cox' work years ago on flickr. He didn't have a website then. Thanks for the link to his website.

    signed, another anonymous wigmaker~

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    1. No, I understand the secrecy. I am happy to share what I have learned with others because I have nothing to lose - I'm not making wigs professionally.

      But others have spent countless hours and thousands of dollars learning their art. Why should they be expected to just give it all away?

      I'm an artist (painter) in my real life, and it's the same thing in that world. I think it takes a very generous and self-confident person to be able to share ideas and techniques.

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    2. The universe is an abundant place. I would never worry there is not enough work for me. No one can ventilate a wig a day. That being said, time is money and I paid for my lessons. That I understand. I'm referring to those who will not share knowledge on the principal of I don't want you to learn. Considering it is a dying art it should be encouraged. And yes I would charge for my "time" to teach also but this should not be a secret society.

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    3. Yes, I definitely agree in that regard. I think that sharing information benefits everyone, the givers and the receivers. As you said, wig making in particular is a rapidly dying art. The only way to keep it alive, and keep it moving forward, is to share our ideas with others!

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  3. Would you mind sharing the website of Mr. Cox, you are mentioning?

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    1. The link to Sam's website is actually up in the body of the post, but here it is again: http://www.samcoxwigdesign.com

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  4. Hi. Is there a wig maker in the U.S that you would recommend?

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    1. There are a couple that I follow on instagram that seem to do excellent work. The first is Merria Dearman - http://merriadearman.com. I'm not sure of the second guy's name but he goes by That Wig Guy - www.thatwigguy.com.

      If you are looking for good quality ready-made wigs for theatre and film, then John Blake has some excellent stock pieces - http://johnblakeswigs.com

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    2. Thank you. Do you know of any other wig makers in the U.S?

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    3. Also, do you have an email?

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    4. I can't think of others off the top of my head, but there are some good wig makers on instagram. Just search #lacewig or #wigmaker.

      My email is hairsay514@gmail.com

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