Ask a question, get an answer

[deadlyhandsome]

Thanks Deadly! Much appreciate the info. I'll look into other options. Kinda like the idea of a custom made rabbit fur as opposed to the Stetson I've been looking at. The VS site and Gannon both look good. Do you happen to know of any others you'd feel god about?

Yeah, it's surprising that some custom hatters are so reasonably priced. As for other options:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/thre...-fur-felt-fedora-hatmakers-and-hatters.77957/

I'm not endorsing any of them as I haven't had the pleasure of owning them all. Do realize that most of them are small operations and they have wait times that vary from a couple of months to years. Some are, in my opinion, overpriced too.

If you're looking for a bargain and are not necessarily in need of the highest quality (but still, in my opinion, better than modern Stetsons below the Premier/Royal DeLuxe grade) you should check out D'aquino. They are bargains at about $120 and you should receive it in just over a month. You can specify colors, ribbon, widths, etc., but they are more limited than some of the others. They have an Etsy store and and they give good service from their business in Portugal. Check them out here:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/anyone-know-anything-about-this-hatmaker-daquino.79807/

If you do go with D'aquino realize that they are cheap and you're not getting a hat the quality of a VS or Gannon or Northwest (another great maker at good pricing). You'll get what you pay for.

Good luck. The hunt is half the fun.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hi,
I am curious: is there any way you can protect the inside of the hat from hair-products like pomade?
Thank you for your ideas...

There really isn't any that I'm aware of. If you're worried about damaging a vintage liner (or if your hat is unlined) you can remove the vintage liner and put in a generic liner in about one minute and they are cheap. Just an idea.

 

[blueAZNmonkey]

Yeah, it's surprising that some custom hatters are so reasonably priced. As for other options:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/thre...-fur-felt-fedora-hatmakers-and-hatters.77957/

I'm not endorsing any of them as I haven't had the pleasure of owning them all. Do realize that most of them are small operations and they have wait times that vary from a couple of months to years. Some are, in my opinion, overpriced too.

If you're looking for a bargain and are not necessarily in need of the highest quality (but still, in my opinion, better than modern Stetsons below the Premier/Royal DeLuxe grade) you should check out D'aquino. They are bargains at about $120 and you should receive it in just over a month. You can specify colors, ribbon, widths, etc., but they are more limited than some of the others. They have an Etsy store and and they give good service from their business in Portugal. Check them out here:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/anyone-know-anything-about-this-hatmaker-daquino.79807/

If you do go with D'aquino realize that they are cheap and you're not getting a hat the quality of a VS or Gannon or Northwest (another great maker at good pricing). You'll get what you pay for.

Good luck. The hunt is half the fun.

I'll throw this out there as well... Once you've made the initial investments of a block, flange, sandpaper, and steamer (and dealt with the learning curve), making your own hat is probably the least expensive way to increase your custom lid collection. A hare capelline usually runs around 30-40 bucks. Vintage ribbon is usually around 7.00 a yard. A real leather sweatband is around 17 bucks. And thread is dirt cheap. One hat costs about 65.00 to make.

If you already restitch and reshape vintage hats, the learning curve for making your own is actual not very steep.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I'll throw this out there as well... Once you've made the initial investments of a block, flange, sandpaper, and steamer (and dealt with the learning curve), making your own hat is probably the least expensive way to increase your custom lid collection. A hare capelline usually runs around 30-40 bucks. Vintage ribbon is usually around 7.00 a yard. A real leather sweatband is around 17 bucks. And thread is dirt cheap. One hat costs about 65.00 to make.

If you already restitch and reshape vintage hats, the learning curve for making your own is actual not very steep.

This is on my horizon. I'll practice some more on conversions, but a completely stripped hat is not so different than a new hat body. I will say that I went from a $50 Hat Shapers plastic block to spending well over $700 on "tools" needed for conversions so I'll have to make a couple dozen hats for myself until I reach the break even point. Not a bad excuse to add 24 hats to my collection

 

[belfastboy]

Appreciate the information BFB! I'll keep looking around.

I have picked up my new Stetsons on Ebay from Sewmaster53. They offer samples, clearouts etc and about 50% off retail. They always have some listings. And at 50% it brings the modern Stetson down in price enough to make them attractive.

 

[blueAZNmonkey]

This is on my horizon. I'll practice some more on conversions, but a completely stripped hat is not so different than a new hat body. I will say that I went from a $50 Hat Shapers plastic block to spending well over $700 on "tools" needed for conversions so I'll have to make a couple dozen hats for myself until I reach the break even point. Not a bad excuse to add 24 hats to my collection

Dang, DH! 700.00 on tools is an investment, indeed! Although, IIRC you have a larger head size so vintage blocks would be difficult to locate.

One of these will be the next addition to my collection:

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Dang, DH! 700.00 on tools is an investment, indeed! Although, IIRC you have a larger head size so vintage blocks would be difficult to locate.

One of these will be the next addition to my collection:

Oooh. I can see me ruining all sorts of vintage hats with that. 6 3/4 sized up to 7 5/8....sure.

I would like to have such a tool at some point. If you come across one you don't need keep me in mind.

 

[blueAZNmonkey]

Oooh. I can see me ruining all sorts of vintage hats with that. 6 3/4 sized up to 7 5/8....sure.

I would like to have such a tool at some point. If you come across one you don't need keep me in mind.

Coming across one that I can afford is the first step =)

 

[belfastboy]

Hat making and woodworking. Not so much of a stretch. It's all about taking one thing and turning it into another thing.

if it is a hat then it is turning on thing into another GOOD thing

 

[andysturm]

There really isn't any that I'm aware of. If you're worried about damaging a vintage liner (or if your hat is unlined) you can remove the vintage liner and put in a generic liner in about one minute and they are cheap. Just an idea.

Thank you. Though it's not a vintage one it might be a thing to think about indeed.

 

[GamaH]

Is the only difference between a standard fedora (think tear drop or generic "borsalino") and an open crown fedora the bash?

For instance if I buy a normal fedora with a center dent and remove the crease, would it be the same thing as an open crown?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Is the only difference between a standard fedora (think tear drop or generic "borsalino") and an open crown fedora the bash?

For instance if I buy a normal fedora with a center dent and remove the crease, would it be the same thing as an open crown?

Most of the fedoras that come with a crease already put in have had them done in hydraulic presses and they have had stiffener added. Those creases are not easily removed. Popping out the factory creasing is simple, but there will remain the remnants of the crease and they are not easy to reshape into something different. On top of that, since the crown does not have to be supple and pliable they are often constructed with inferior felts that are not easy to shape by hand. The get even mediocre results it's helpful to have a block.

Why not just start with an open crown hat?

 

[GamaH]

Why not just start with an open crown hat?

That's what I'm considering doing. I was just wondering if shaping an open crown hat into the crease you wanted was interchangeable with simply removing the crease in a pre-shaped hat (which you answered).

 

[GHT]

What a dilemma, I'm recovering from a hip replacement operation, thank you all again for your well wishes, by the way. The physiotherapist has given me a regime of exercises which I have been doing. I'm also instructed to wear loose fitting clothes so as not to have any garment aggravating the wound. Tracksuits are recommended. I tell you, I'm going up the wall with boredom.

Now I have a new instruction, I must exercise the leg with non impact exercises like walking swimming and cycling. No mention of loose fitting clothes, but I had better take it as read that it would be silly to wear something that rubbed the wound, especially as the healing is coming along so well.
So, question is, what hat? No jokes about a swimming cap in the pool thank you. My bike dates back to the pre-war era, and Tina made me a pair of trousers to match that era, 22" wide, wider, in fact, than my tracksuit. Esther made a fabulous straw to go with the trousers but I need something rain proof and I have rather a large dome. Seven and three quarters or 62cm in metric. I have a classic brown felt fedora, but I was wondering if something in ivory/cream or gold might be worth considering. Flamboyant is a word I often hear about my clothing and I rather like that, even if it's meant as a subtle insult. Any thoughts?
I'm only just starting to venture out, so for now Esther's straw is the order of the day, I will keep a brolly tied to the bike.

 

[Redfokker]

Dang, DH! 700.00 on tools is an investment, indeed! Although, IIRC you have a larger head size so vintage blocks would be difficult to locate.

One of these will be the next addition to my collection:

Beautiful. I want one of these too. Just for display purposes, I'm not as brave as yourself.

 

[Redfokker]

What a dilemma, I'm recovering from a hip replacement operation, thank you all again for your well wishes, by the way. The physiotherapist has given me a regime of exercises which I have been doing. I'm also instructed to wear loose fitting clothes so as not to have any garment aggravating the wound. Tracksuits are recommended. I tell you, I'm going up the wall with boredom.

Now I have a new instruction, I must exercise the leg with non impact exercises like walking swimming and cycling. No mention of loose fitting clothes, but I had better take it as read that it would be silly to wear something that rubbed the wound, especially as the healing is coming along so well.
So, question is, what hat? No jokes about a swimming cap in the pool thank you. My bike dates back to the pre-war era, and Tina made me a pair of trousers to match that era, 22" wide, wider, in fact, than my tracksuit. Esther made a fabulous straw to go with the trousers but I need something rain proof and I have rather a large dome. Seven and three quarters or 62cm in metric. I have a classic brown felt fedora, but I was wondering if something in ivory/cream or gold might be worth considering. Flamboyant is a word I often hear about my clothing and I rather like that, even if it's meant as a subtle insult. Any thoughts?
I'm only just starting to venture out, so for now Esther's straw is the order of the day, I will keep a brolly tied to the bike.
View attachment 98151

Glad to hear you are on the mend my friend. I would say, anything that comes your way in that size is a blessing. Great overall look! You rock!

 

[OldStrummer]

A question regarding hat spacers:

I have found that a couple of my hats are just a tad too large. This is solved by adding hat spacers to the headband. The hat I'm wearing today seems to fit best with only "half" a spacer, or put another way, a spacer on only one side of the headband. My question is this: which side?

My inclination is to put the spacer on the "high side," meaning I don't wear my hats flat on my head, but usually with a slight rake to them. I've put a single spacer on the high side, but I think this might make it more susceptible to being blown off. Is there a proper placement of a single hat spacer?

 

[jlee562]

A question regarding hat spacers:

I have found that a couple of my hats are just a tad too large. This is solved by adding hat spacers to the headband. The hat I'm wearing today seems to fit best with only "half" a spacer, or put another way, a spacer on only one side of the headband. My question is this: which side?

My inclination is to put the spacer on the "high side," meaning I don't wear my hats flat on my head, but usually with a slight rake to them. I've put a single spacer on the high side, but I think this might make it more susceptible to being blown off. Is there a proper placement of a single hat spacer?

Short answer: don't over think it.

Most people don't have perfectly oval heads, so the ideal spot for the spacer is going to be the 'flat' spot(s) in the curve of one's head. But unless you've had a conformateur used on your head, you don't necessarily know.

 

[OldStrummer]

Yeah, thanks @jlee562. I guess trying the spacer in different spots until I find the most comfortable is the way to go!

 

[moontheloon]

A question regarding hat spacers:

I have found that a couple of my hats are just a tad too large. This is solved by adding hat spacers to the headband. The hat I'm wearing today seems to fit best with only "half" a spacer, or put another way, a spacer on only one side of the headband. My question is this: which side?

My inclination is to put the spacer on the "high side," meaning I don't wear my hats flat on my head, but usually with a slight rake to them. I've put a single spacer on the high side, but I think this might make it more susceptible to being blown off. Is there a proper placement of a single hat spacer?

I've found it is best to put small pieces of reduction tape about 2 inches long placed strategically

for example a piece at 11 o'clock and a piece at 1 o'clock ... if needed 5 and 7 as well