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[humanshoes]

Not inexpensive, but probably effective.

https://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/d/hat-block-steamer/6720690738.html

Now that would be fun to play with.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Not inexpensive, but probably effective.

https://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/d/hat-block-steamer/6720690738.html

Sheez....i always wondered where my de-commissioned nuclear hat steamer went!
Now if only i could find my iron??

 

[deadlyhandsome]

There is a Youtube video of Jeff? at Del Monico demonstrating how to crease an open crown Strat. Initially he just does a dry crease that looks really great without anything else. Have you found this to be true of the Strat? If I ordered an open crown Strat, is the top of the crown so soft that dry creasing as shown in the video is really that easy? Looks too easy, which is why I'm asking. Thanks in advance. (Yep, I'm a newb, so bear with me and all the various questions!)

RM

I have three of these open crown Premier/Royal DeLuxe Strats. While they are easy to crease, Fruno had the same experience as I did in that some steam makes it easier and it helps the hat retain your crease. I don’t think that I’d call any of my three hats “soft.” If you’ve see the YouTube video of Moon creasing the Alessandria that is a soft modern hat. I like the modern Strats, but they aren’t top-end hats...except for the Excellent that they no longer make.


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[Rmccamey]

Thank you much. Have not creased a hat before from scratch but I guess I have to start somewhere! Thanks for the info, all.

I have three of these open crown Premier/Royal DeLuxe Strats. While they are easy to crease, Fruno had the same experience as I did in that some steam makes it easier and it helps the hat retain your crease. I don’t think that I’d call any of my three hats “soft.” If you’ve see the YouTube video of Moon creasing the Alessandria that is a soft modern hat. I like the modern Strats, but they aren’t top-end hats...except for the Excellent that they no longer make.


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[deadlyhandsome]

Thank you much. Have not creased a hat before from scratch but I guess I have to start somewhere! Thanks for the info, all.

If you like diamond creases, check out these videos. Your hat will be stiffer but the concept is the same.

 

[Rmccamey]

Very cool, thanks a lot!

If you like diamond creases, check out these videos. Your hat will be stiffer but the concept is the same.

 

[Rmccamey]

Can someone describe (or give me a picture of) hats in Granite, Charcoal, and Steel to compare? Does the Steel tend to have a blue cast or is it just the limitations of cameras and pc screens when that happens? (ie, am I seeing colors that are not really there?)

 

[Zombie_61]

When I fly, I usually just pick a hat for the trip and wear it. I'll just hold it on my lap for the flight...

This is what I did the last couple of times my wife and I flew to Chicago, except I just left the hat on my head. When the flight reached cruising altitude I pulled it down over my eyes so I could nap without being disturbed. Worked like a charm until my wife elbowed me in the ribs to ask if I wanted something to drink or a packet of their stale peanuts.

 

[scottyrocks]

Can someone describe (or give me a picture of) hats in Granite, Charcoal, and Steel to compare? Does the Steel tend to have a blue cast or is it just the limitations of cameras and pc screens when that happens? (ie, am I seeing colors that are not really there?)

Unless they're all in the same photograph you're not going to get accurate representations one to another. Even if they're in the same photo they may be accurate to each other, but none of them may be accurate to real life.

These two are the same hat:

as are these:

 

[belfastboy]

Unless they're all in the same photograph you're not going to get accurate representations one to another. Even if they're in the same photo they may be accurate to each other, but none of them may be accurate to real life.

These two are the same hat:

View attachment 140668 View attachment 140669

as are these:

View attachment 140670 View attachment 140671

I like the one on the right the best!

 

[scottyrocks]

I like the one on the right the best!

There are two on the right.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Can someone describe (or give me a picture of) hats in Granite, Charcoal, and Steel to compare? Does the Steel tend to have a blue cast or is it just the limitations of cameras and pc screens when that happens? (ie, am I seeing colors that are not really there?)

I have a granite and a steel, but I think Eric @Short Balding Guy has all three and might be able to find you a photo of them all in the same light.


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[dutchman4]

I haven't been able to find a hat that matches the style and shape that I want , and I am not wealthy enough to have a custom hat made for me. I have become pretty good at shaping my fur felt hats so I am confident I can make the shape ,if I can start off at least with the right material and amount.

 

[Telemaster]

Does anyone know of a good discussion thread about tips and tricks for traveling with hats (traditional hats, that is, not travel hats made specifically to be folded or crushed)?

Last time I flew over from the states I had two hats boxed together with the box then inside my suitcase with clothes and stuff around as de facto padding. That was in checked luggage. On the plane I wore a third hat during takeoff. Once things calmed down and leveled off, I put it in a cloth bag and placed it on top of everything in an overhead bin. I took it out again and wore it for descent / landing. If there were cases or anything in my chosen bin I may have been concerned about mid-flight turbulence, but sitting on top of a pile of coats seemed safe enough.

 

[Frunobulax]

I haven't been able to find a hat that matches the style and shape that I want , and I am not wealthy enough to have a custom hat made for me. I have become pretty good at shaping my fur felt hats so I am confident I can make the shape ,if I can start off at least with the right material and amount.

New or vintage? New and cheap would be the Stetson outlet in Garland, or it's sister site in St. Joseph, MO. Not certain about Akubra, as the only raw edge OC by them I know of is the "Fedora."

Vintage? The usual suspects.


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[deadlyhandsome]

I haven't been able to find a hat that matches the style and shape that I want , and I am not wealthy enough to have a custom hat made for me. I have become pretty good at shaping my fur felt hats so I am confident I can make the shape ,if I can start off at least with the right material and amount.

The Akubra Federation IV is open crown with a raw edge too.

If you’re looking for newish and outlet hats, ask or search for the Stetson Nostalgia. The Nostalgia has been out of production for a couple of years so the outlets might have seen their last come through their doors.

The vintage market is catch-as-catch-can.

If you’re more ambitious, you can go on Etsy where Agnoulita sells fur felt hat bodies starting at l as than $40 and you can make your own. Agnoulita also sells nice sweats and he can probably get you a liner. Other Etsy sellers also offer liners. All you need is a block, a flange, a....


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[Woodtroll]

The Akubra Adventurer comes to mind (the version by David Morgan, the US distributor, is larger in crown and brim than the version sold by Australian distributors, I believe) if you're looking for a brand-new hat. It does have a ribbon, but that is not at all difficult to remove. Another option may be to find an inexpensive "cowboy" hat on Ebay, and cut it down to suit. That's what I did when I was experimenting to figure out the hat dimensions that suited me best. Take a look at the "Conversion Corral" thread to see some of the fantastic work others have done along this line. There are lots of good ideas and different looks there.

Good luck!
Regan

 

[deadlyhandsome]

The Akubra Adventurer comes to mind (the version by David Morgan, the US distributor, is larger in crown and brim than the version sold by Australian distributors, I believe) if you're looking for a brand-new hat. It does have a ribbon, but that is not at all difficult to remove. Another option may be to find an inexpensive "cowboy" hat on Ebay, and cut it down to suit. That's what I did when I was experimenting to figure out the hat dimensions that suited me best. Take a look at the "Conversion Corral" thread to see some of the fantastic work others have done along this line. There are lots of good ideas and different looks there.

Good luck!
Regan

Great call on the western conversion idea. As long as you don’t need a dress weight felt, conversions make rugged hard wearing hats. If you want a raw edge it hardly matters if the brim gets trimmed down.

Lots of hats make great conversions, but I’m particularly fond of the high crowned Resistol Stagecoach line.


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[belfastboy]

I have a granite and a steel, but I think Eric @Short Balding Guy has all three and might be able to find you a photo of them all in the same light.


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I have a 2 in Granite and a Steel. Very different colours. I bought the dress weight Granite first as it looked Grey in the swatch and I was disappointed that it has definite Brown tones to it. My second Granite is a western weight and it is much more Grey with just slight brown tones. The Steel I have (dress weight) has a very definite blue tone to it. I would tend to describe it more in the Blue camp than the Grey.....or Blue with def Grey tones to it. And not as dark when finished as it looked in the swatch but then that is the case with most felts. I love the Steel and have ordered a second one, diff style same colour.

 

[belfastboy]

The Akubra Adventurer comes to mind (the version by David Morgan, the US distributor, is larger in crown and brim than the version sold by Australian distributors, I believe) if you're looking for a brand-new hat. It does have a ribbon, but that is not at all difficult to remove. Another option may be to find an inexpensive "cowboy" hat on Ebay, and cut it down to suit. That's what I did when I was experimenting to figure out the hat dimensions that suited me best. Take a look at the "Conversion Corral" thread to see some of the fantastic work others have done along this line. There are lots of good ideas and different looks there.

Good luck!
Regan

The post above is the one I was about to write. I have had great fun working with cheap western hats picked up on Ebay. If you have patience there are some great scores to be had. Then you get to have the fun of playing with them with little risk on the $$$ side. One of my favourite fedoras is a Miller Bros western picked up for $20. I gave it a naptha bath, cut down the brim, reblocked and had my custom hatter send me the ribbon work. I picked up a brand new Bailey 7X Beaver for $25 in pure white. I dyed it, cut the brim and reblocked it. I now have a $500 hat (full retail) that cost me $50.