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[Hat and Rehat]

I have a Tapatalk question. I have a second phone that I keep charged but don't have a SIM card in. I use it like a mini tablet and kindle reader. While home, tethered to WI-Fi, it works for everything except calls and texts.
Tapatalk does seem to speed up FL navigation on android so I decided to add the AP to it.
At install the thing takes me through steps, making me make choices and accept groups I'm not interested in, which I don't like. I don't remember that from when I added Tapatalk to this phone. I backed out of setup and tried to set it up through the Lounge via email notifications.
It worked, except on that devise, instead of having "Quote", "Like" and the newly added "Gift" (a new absurdity) beneath fellow Lounger's posts, all I have is "Gift". Are there more than one versions of the app, or is there some kind of workaround for this?

 

[Hat and Rehat]

1. Quality. Is it dense? Evenly felted? Is the color saturation even and with good depth?
2. Hand. "Hand" is the quality of the felt as it feels in your hand. Is it soft, smooth, evenly pounced? (Pouncing is the act of sanding the hat to achieve it's finish)
3. Response. How does it respond to manipulation? This is especially true of open crown hats, as most new hats have a pressed crown. Quality vintage felt is often described as "molds like clay." Easy to put a crease in or manipulate. Great felts from vintage hats will often do whatever you want without steam or anything to assist in the process.

To understand these in detail, you will have to handle many hats, newer and vintage, and compare them with each other. Most of us develop an appreciation for the felt qualities over time as we acquire and experience different hats. It's just one of those things that, "you'll understand when you get there," I guess.

Very well said, Jim. It is a learning process, and a little like the way Treasury trains their anti counterfeiting agents. They don't study counterfeit bills. They study the real deal, then the phony is obvious.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

For me, I kept having my definition of "clay-like" malleability redefined as the hats got older and older. My VS Stetson refurb has the most incredible felt.



No steam needed to put that Diamond in. You push the felt and it stays. My 7xCB is likewise very malleable and can easily be manipulated and re-creased. The ease at which it shapes is the most apparent difference, I think.

We also talk about the tactile feel, or hand of the felt. A hat can feel smooth and plush but not necessarily crease very well. Ideally, you want both. The slightly more coarse texture of Akubra felt becomes more apparent compared to vintage, for example.

Then there's the thickness of the felt. There were many more felt grades available historically, but they were generally thinner and more dense than their modern equivalents. Western weight felts especially.

I think this helps illustrate a little bit of the difference. Watch Wayne's hat in the famous final shot of The Searchers. The right side of the brim is folded up by the wind almost like a slouch hat, but then falls back right into place. Even if you worked a bunch of the stiffener out of a modern felt, the brim is not going to flop in the wind like Wayne's hat does.

Related to thickness is density. It seems more time was spent on the actual felting process back in the day. Mercury processed felt allowed the individual barbs of fur to felt tighter, which resulted in a better end product.

Great observations, Jared. Also, as a side note, Le May's novel upon which the movie was based is an excellent read, as is his connected work, The Unforgiven, which I recently reread. Of course, you can't instruct about the hand of felt from either one.
I do love the way you picked up on Wayne's hat in that scene for the purpose of instruction.
You would make a great teacher.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Can it take creases like this dry, seconds apart?

View attachment 205771

View attachment 205770

View attachment 205773

View attachment 205772

Kudos to your lesson as well, Jack.
If I can add one caveat, without offence, I would only say that a long-standing crease first needs to be worked out, with steam, of a well cleaned hat. Even high grade felts can get a little "stuck" after enough time in a given shape.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Boy, you don't fool around!
I don't have to worry about theft as one of my hobbies is breeding giant reptiles and that seems to keep sticky fingered miscreants at bay.
Thank you all for the ideas, I'll post some pics when I figure out what will work here.
The sensible thing to do would be to throw away some of my wife's clothing as that will free up some room.

Makes sense to me.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Hi, Steve. At first I had a wooden closet with shelves built for 33 hats, and I thought that would be sufficient. The first time we left on vacation, however, I worried that the maids might steal them while we were gone. We've had maids steal stuff before, and several of my hats were Optimos that cost 1000 dollars each.
When we returned from vacation I ordered the first metal safe for my Optimos and put it in my bedroom, over Ana's objection. The cost was lower than that of my wooden closet, 'though it can only hold 14 hats, and again I thought that would be the end if it.

After that I discovered the world of Vintage, and my collection kept growing, so I ordered a 55-hat capacity safe, then a 114, and then a 140, and put them in my home office. I am currently waiting for another 140, which I am putting in the billiards room because there is no more room in the office. This time I am pretty sure it will be the end of it until I build a hat room in the garage.

I put each hat on a wooden custom band block and cover it in a plastic bag with an adhesive label. I have tried to keep them in alphabetical order to make it easier to find the one I want, but since I've run out of room in the safes I will have to wait until the next one is ready and start over. I have thought of subdividing them by "Homburgs", "Stingies", "Straws", "Westerns", "European", "Modern" etc., but I will decide when the next safe finally arrives. It should have been here already

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I say, sick, in the best sense of the word.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Hi, Steve. At first I had a wooden closet with shelves built for 33 hats, and I thought that would be sufficient. The first time we left on vacation, however, I worried that the maids might steal them while we were gone. We've had maids steal stuff before, and several of my hats were Optimos that cost 1000 dollars each.
When we returned from vacation I ordered the first metal safe for my Optimos and put it in my bedroom, over Ana's objection. The cost was lower than that of my wooden closet, 'though it can only hold 14 hats, and again I thought that would be the end if it.

After that I discovered the world of Vintage, and my collection kept growing, so I ordered a 55-hat capacity safe, then a 114, and then a 140, and put them in my home office. I am currently waiting for another 140, which I am putting in the billiards room because there is no more room in the office. This time I am pretty sure it will be the end of it until I build a hat room in the garage.

I put each hat on a wooden custom band block and cover it in a plastic bag with an adhesive label. I have tried to keep them in alphabetical order to make it easier to find the one I want, but since I've run out of room in the safes I will have to wait until the next one is ready and start over. I have thought of subdividing them by "Homburgs", "Stingies", "Straws", "Westerns", "European", "Modern" etc., but I will decide when the next safe finally arrives. It should have been here already

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If you keel over with a heart attack, will they have to bring Geraldo Rivera and a camera crew in to open the vaults, or are the combos secured in a safety deposit box?

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Hi, Steve. At first I had a wooden closet with shelves built for 33 hats, and I thought that would be sufficient. The first time we left on vacation, however, I worried that the maids might steal them while we were gone. We've had maids steal stuff before, and several of my hats were Optimos that cost 1000 dollars each.
When we returned from vacation I ordered the first metal safe for my Optimos and put it in my bedroom, over Ana's objection. The cost was lower than that of my wooden closet, 'though it can only hold 14 hats, and again I thought that would be the end if it.

After that I discovered the world of Vintage, and my collection kept growing, so I ordered a 55-hat capacity safe, then a 114, and then a 140, and put them in my home office. I am currently waiting for another 140, which I am putting in the billiards room because there is no more room in the office. This time I am pretty sure it will be the end of it until I build a hat room in the garage.

I put each hat on a wooden custom band block and cover it in a plastic bag with an adhesive label. I have tried to keep them in alphabetical order to make it easier to find the one I want, but since I've run out of room in the safes I will have to wait until the next one is ready and start over. I have thought of subdividing them by "Homburgs", "Stingies", "Straws", "Westerns", "European", "Modern" etc., but I will decide when the next safe finally arrives. It should have been here already

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Who plays billiards anymore, anyway?

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I will add a humidity-controlled annex if I live long enough and if some real estate projects I am in come to fruition.
It won't have an armed guard, just concrete walls and metal doors with Papaiz locks.
If I ever buy the house I am living in right now it will be easy, because the garage is waaay too big, and it already has concrete walls on three sides. The humidity control will be necessary because the garage is underground.

I plan to put all the hat safes down there, plus shelves to put the hats on the walls for easy viewing when they aren't in the safes. I will also have a work bench to work on them while I watch a big screen TV, and a fireplace.
Ah! I can't wait.

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The good life, for sure, Max!

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Caution:
Don’t look!!
You will never be the same.
B

Did you stare into the abyss, Bowen?

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Who plays billiards anymore, anyway?

It's popular in Mexico

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[Hat and Rehat]

Ha
I’ve tried counting hats to go to sleep, it worked great! I was so exhausted from carrying the mattress on my back i passed out and slept like a hat in a box.
B

Great, Bowen!
I easily have 500 hats at this point (don't tell my wife, but it might be closer to 600).
Many of them are junk hats that I thought I could improve on my path to becoming a hatter. They're cannon fodder, if nothing else, but I still hope to use them to perfect skills without burning the house down.
I came into this with more enthusiasm than wisdom, but the balance has been shifting. My eye is still on the prize.
I have walls of hats on hooks. I plan to order rubber balls to make the hooks more hat friendly. I keep the brushes handy, because hung hats do get dusty.
I'm not even sure what my hats are worth. It's a bit crazy, and I need to pull back and line up some ducks.
The Lounge is a bit dangerous for me. It fuels my lust.
I'm quite certain now that I need a pocket hat.
I now have a new watch list after my hiatus.
Yikes!

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I'm currently working on Phase 2 of my hat storage after the wife complained (rightfully so) about my hats covering the chest freezer. The first iteration consisted of shelving in the entry way:
View attachment 205541
Easy for grab and go, though the top shelf requires the use of a stool to reach. I put rarely used hats up there. The mounting system allowed for additional shelves to be added and/or moved as my collection grew.

The westerns hanging on the end have brim widths of 3.5" and 4" and required an alternative method. Many others here have recommended the use of tennis balls which I have found to be a great idea. Drill/cut a hole in one and slide over a cup hook.

I've since outgrown this space, so I've been afforded to store more in the computer/study room:
View attachment 205542
This time I went for the vertical hanging method, again using cup hooks with tennis balls. (Please forgive the unsorted hodgepodge arrangement.) Not as flexible but I'm also approaching the point where I want to cap how many hats I have. Once I hit (50) I'm wanting to institute a one in one out policy.

As has already been mentioned, dust is perhaps the main issue with storing/displaying your hats out in the open like this. I also don't have any direct sunlight shining on these areas. Please note that I've only been collecting for about 18 months, and therefore I cannot comment on the long term negative consequences of this methodology. While I am happy with this setup, others who have been collecting longer may point out the folly in this method and be able to point you in a better direction.

Hooks 12" apart will work for almost any collection.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

If you have forced air heating in your house then dust will likely be an issue. I would love to keep my hats out on display but don't have the time nor patience to do the brushing that would be required. So I keep them in hat boxes with labels written in large block letters so I can easily pick out the one I am after.

I let most of them get dusty, then brush them one at a time before wearing. Moths worry me more than dust.

 

[belfastboy]

I let most of them get dusty, then brush them one at a time before wearing. Moths worry me more than dust.

I am not as organized as you and don't usually have the time to brush before I go. It is grab a hat and go.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Just a guess. Seems that hair treatments could be as thick and slick in the 1930s as in the 1950s. I grew up in the "vinyl wrap everyrthing" era. My mom had (I still have) an incredible set of red velour luggage with custom fitted vinyl covers. I'm not sure I have owned any hat from the 1930s with a protector over the crown lining.

View attachment 204523

It could be that back when bathing was reserved for Saturday night, natural oils played a role.
When I was small we had a bath every other day, but only got the hair washed on Saturday night.
In Jr. High School someone said something about my greasy hair and I wanted the earth to swallow me up.
Cultural trends changed. Most people, though not all, used to take a bath. Now, most people shower. It's much easier to keep hair clean in a shower.
I'm not certain how quickly showers phased in, but as a remodelling carpenter I've seen quite a few bath tubs from the early 60s that had no shower head.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

It seems to me that shiny hair dressings for men were popular in the 1930s. The liner of the hat serves as felt protection as well as a way to finish the product and provide advertising to the manufacturer and retailer. Paper (European hats) cellophane and plastic crown protectors seem to be a post-war thing.

I think protecting the logo was the major consideration.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I am not as organized as you and don't usually have the time to brush before I go. It is grab a hat and go.

Well, I am known to wear them dusty too.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I am not as organized as you and don't usually have the time to brush before I go. It is grab a hat and go.

Now THAT is funny!
If you arent as organized as me you need hip waders.

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[Hat and Rehat]

It's popular in Mexico

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I was just trying to give you a rationale for more safes, Max.
Just doing my part.

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