Akubra brim cut and binding.

[tonyb]

Tony I went and got one of those stitch awl things and forget that! It's goin back! I will tack it down by hand and them machine it for the rest.

I bet you'll find some good use for that stitch awl, though. I could see how it might be useful for sewing in sweatbands. And it's just the ticket for field repairs on camping gear and whatnot.

 

[jec]

I bet you'll find some good use for that stitch awl, though. I could see how it might be useful for sewing in sweatbands. And it's just the ticket for field repairs on camping gear and whatnot.

Yes, the stitch awl is perfect for backpack repairs and the like; not sure whether it can do delicate work like sewing in a sweat. Because you can't pass the needle through the material and turn it around, you have to have a line of 'thread' running on the back side of whatever you are stitching. It's hard to explain without images - but it's more complicated than sewing ... come to think of it, I think the motion is comparable to what a sewing machine does, but at a much larger scale and by hand...

It's certainly a great tool to have, but I question how useful it would be for working on hats.

 

[Brad Bowers]

It's certainly a great tool to have, but I question how useful it would be for working on hats.

It's perfectly suited for sewing in sweatbands, and I've even done bound edges with it. It's fine for delicate work as long as you use sewing machine needles in it, and the proper thread. I find it's far easier to get even stitching with it than with needle and thread alone.

Brad

 

[jec]

It's perfectly suited for sewing in sweatbands, and I've even done bound edges with it. It's fine for delicate work as long as you use sewing machine needles in it, and the proper thread. I find it's far easier to get even stitching with it than with needle and thread alone.

Brad

I stand corrected. I will have to try mine with a finer needle and different thread; apparently, I've been missing out on the tool's true potential. Thanks, Brad.

 

[indycop]

I'm thinkin' you oughta press that ribbon before stitching it down with the machine. A press cloth is in order, and a spray bottle filled with water might come in handy, too.

But man, it's lookin' good so far. Excellent for a first attempt, I'd say.

lol I thought I had it good and tight, I even loosened it up a little and now I am making adjustments.:eusa_doh: About half the brim is finished. As the final stitching goes in and tightens everything up it made enough slack that I will have to undo the closed stitch at the rear and do it when I get there. I had a couple perfect on the top but missed the bottom spots and started over, but it is coming better than I planned.:eusa_doh: lol

I would post a pic of the halfway job but ... lol

 

[Brad Bowers]

I stand corrected. I will have to try mine with a finer needle and different thread; apparently, I've been missing out on the tool's true potential. Thanks, Brad.

You're welcome.

The trick to getting consistent stitch sizes on bound edges is to make the width of the stitch the same number of ribs each time. I like a 4-rib size. But yes, it's quite tedious and requires a lot patience. I'd love to have a sewing machine that does that, but can't afford a decent one right now.

Brad

 

[tonyb]

lol I thought I had it good and tight, I even loosened it up a little and now I am making adjustments.:eusa_doh: About half the brim is finished. As the final stitching goes in and tightens everything up it made enough slack that I will have to undo the closed stitch at the rear and do it when I get there. I had a couple perfect on the top but missed the bottom spots and started over, but it is coming better than I planned.:eusa_doh: lol

I would post a pic of the halfway job but ... lol

Yeah, all that (and more) has happened to me, too. My method is always undergoing revision. It's a hybrid of all I've learned from others, and all I've learned from my own mistakes. I've found that you really gotta go slow, and proceed with the knowledge that something can go wrong (and probably will) with each and every one of those seemingly simple little steps.

Seeing how you're binding this edge on your own hat, for your own use, it might be best to settle for "good enough." I bet you'll be the only one who will ever notice whatever imperfections there might be. I have every confidence that this one will come out well, especially considering that it's your first crack at it. And next time you'll do it even better.

 

[indycop]

As long as any imperfections are on the bottom of the brim I will be happy. What makes it so nerve wracking is it's a brand new hat I haven't even creased yet let alone had a chance to wear.

 

[handlebar bart]

I'm really impressed Indycop.:eusa_clap

 

[indycop]

I did not really want to post this one, but to help anyone else that might think of this for the first time I will. My intent with this project was to see if a Fed with a bound brim could look "Whippetish" and be what I was hoping for with the bound Nostalgia that never happened. Now I will be happy if it just doesn't look like a hack job.

This is about half of the brim done. I have to undo the end where it is sewn together and tack it down again. The threads hanging out are just not clipped off yet. I will do all that after I get the whole thing bound.

 

[KY Gentleman]

Wow- I think it looks great so far. You are probably instilling the courage to others to try their own hat modifications! :eusa_clap

 

[tonyb]

I did not really want to post this one, but to help anyone else that might think of this for the first time I will.

This is about half of the brim done. I have to undo the end where it is sewn together and tack it down again. The threads hanging out are just not clipped off yet. I will do all that after I get the whole thing bound.

It's looking pretty good. You may wish to keep a ruler handy, so as not to rely solely on your eyes to judge whether you're maintaining even ribbon widths top and bottom.

Do this another time or two and guys here will be sending you their Akubras for the IC edge treatment.

 

[indycop]

It's looking pretty good. You may wish to keep a ruler handy, so as not to rely solely on your eyes to judge whether you're maintaining even ribbon widths top and bottom.

Do this another time or two and guys here will be sending you their Akubras for the IC edge treatment.

Funny thing I did use a ruler but failed to take into account that the thickness of the brim shortened the underside just enough to give me trouble. I think I was also trying way too hard to get the stitching as close to the edge as I could.

IC edge sounds like a cigar!lol

 

[BobC]

I did not really want to post this one, but to help anyone else that might think of this for the first time I will. My intent with this project was to see if a Fed with a bound brim could look "Whippetish" and be what I was hoping for with the bound Nostalgia that never happened. Now I will be happy if it just doesn't look like a hack job.

This is about half of the brim done. I have to undo the end where it is sewn together and tack it down again. The threads hanging out are just not clipped off yet. I will do all that after I get the whole thing bound.

That looks pretty darn good, IC. I have a heritage fawn Fed Dlx IV and another one in moonstone. Shall I send them to you?

 

[Mr. Paladin]

Man, I think its looking great. Is this the new "detective hat" in the works for March?

 

[RobFedoraField]

motivation

you've got me motivated, a country store by my house has an akubra snowy river for $55, I've often thought about buying it, cutting down the brim to Fed VI standards and putting a thin ribbon on it.

I'll have to go back and see if they still have the hat.

 

[HamletJSD]

You've emboldened me to post mine IC, despite that I'm less than thrilled with the results. Pics are loading from card to computer now ...

 

[indycop]

Man, I think its looking great. Is this the new "detective hat" in the works for March?

Could be!

 

[bolthead]

you've got me motivated, a country store by my house has an akubra snowy river for $55, I've often thought about buying it, cutting down the brim to Fed VI standards and putting a thin ribbon on it.

I'll have to go back and see if they still have the hat.

That's what so great about this place.

 

[indycop]

I have lined the ribbon back up, hopefully it's even this time. I tacked it down differently this time and it seems to work better. The left side is the way I had been doing it and on the right you can just see the new way that seems better for me. This way it keeps the ribbon tight against the brim and seems to have less pucker.