Abstract: A braider has a track for guiding 4N bobbin carriers and 4N horngears, where N is an integer greater than one. The horngears each have four horns for forming at least two paths. The bobbin carriers are positioned on the horngears in a tubular braiding mode with the track and horngears configured to provide two paths intersecting each other, to form a tubular braid section. The bobbin carriers are positioned on the horngears in a flat braiding mode, with the track and horngears configured so that there are N separate closed paths that do not intersect each other, to form a flat braid section. The braider is switched between the tubular and flat braiding modes while N of the horngears are free of contact with the bobbin carriers, to form a continuous braid having at least one tubular braid section and at least one flat braid section.