If you have a 29.95 hat then put in the leather strings. If you have an authentic hat, it probably cost you a little more and I don't think you would want to put holes in it for strings. Why don't you look at some period pictures and try to determine what they did. If you can't determine how they did it, pose the question on the Authentic Campaigner Cav forum. Lots of knowledgable folks there.