Ask a question, get an answer

[gtdean48]

I'm curious, if you want to reshape the crown on your hat, do certain crown styles need more room than others? I want to take a center dent pinch crown 4 3/4 inches and make it a tear drop crown with that great peak at the front.

Some crown creases use up more felt than others. Depending on the desired front height & the inner dome, a teardrop will use a good bit. HTH

 

[Rodkins]

Stetson Restore Question

I picked up a not-so-old stetson cowboy hat (for very little money) to "practice" things like cleaning, brushing, crown bashing, brim reshaping, and so on so that I feel more confident when I do these activities with my nicer hats. The hat sweatband looks like it has never been worn but the hat is so badly faded and mishapen it looks like it was crammed in someone's back seat car window in Florida for years. Anyway, I would like to post some pictures of my activities or "experiments" and have done many google searches (stetson restore, restoration, cleaning, naptha, etc.) and really can't find a proper home for the posts and don't want to put it in the wrong spot. Does anyone have a suggestion for where to post some before, during, questions, worked, what didn't work/oops type pictures?
Thanks,
Mike

 

[malacoda]

I picked up a not-so-old stetson cowboy hat (for very little money) to "practice" things like cleaning, brushing, crown bashing, brim reshaping, and so on so that I feel more confident when I do these activities with my nicer hats. The hat sweatband looks like it has never been worn but the hat is so badly faded and mishapen it looks like it was crammed in someone's back seat car window in Florida for years. Anyway, I would like to post some pictures of my activities or "experiments" and have done many google searches (stetson restore, restoration, cleaning, naptha, etc.) and really can't find a proper home for the posts and don't want to put it in the wrong spot. Does anyone have a suggestion for where to post some before, during, questions, worked, what didn't work/oops type pictures?
Thanks,
Mike

I'm still pretty new to FLS but, if I had to guess, I'd say the Conversion Corral thread is probably the place to post them. Although it started out as a place to post conversions to western styles, it seems to have evolved into the place to post/talk about any reshapes/modifications/conversions.

Hopefully some more experienced members will chime in to confirm whether or not it is indeed the right thread for the posts you want to make.

 

[Richard Warren]

I am in search of a grey/slate/charcoal Bogart Fedora in 7 1/4 for around $150, being specific has netted me nothing yet.

You might like this:
http://www.sterlingleather.com/product.asp?pid=10839

 

[MisterGrey]

I currently own a black fur felt derby, which for the time being will be my only "good" hat. I know that it's generally considered a faux pas to combine black and brown, but owing to the ubiquitous nature of the black derby, would it be permissible to wear it with a brown suit?

 

[BlackBrim]

You might like this:
http://www.sterlingleather.com/product.asp?pid=10839

I'm also considering buying a hat with an open crown.I want it shaped into a center crease.But I'm wondering what I'm getting into.Can an open crown hat be easily shaped into a center crease?Or does it need to be taken to a professional hatter?

 

[zetwal]

A soft felt open crown fedora is very easy to crease yourself. Nothing at all to worry about there!

 

[theinterchange]

A soft felt open crown fedora is very easy to crease yourself. Nothing at all to worry about there!

Agreed, it's a much easier chore than expected. Just take your time and things should go well... unless you get one of those gems that just seem to pop right into the shape you desire and then things go MUCH quicker than normal.

Randy

 

[Pusiek]

Adventurer & Fed IV sizing

Hi,

Thanks for all replies. After I had consulted the hatsdirect guys, I ordered a Carbon Gray Fed IV size 60 cm. I hope, that it will be a it too big and then shrink to the right size. Sadly they don't have a deluxe version in this color (I wonder why?).

ATB,

Piotrek

 

[LeFay]

Hair for tilt hats

Hi!

I have quite long hair and a penchant for tilt hats... But I don't know what to do with my hair.

Can anyone help with ideas?

 

[propp]

Multiple Questions

...and request for info/direction to the appropriate threads.

Read hear a request for info on custom ribbon makers...presumably to find/create more options than what's available for a custom made. I'd like to add as well, a similar question...
Is it appropriate to request additional custom sweatbands from someone making a hat fer' ya? Has anyone done before?
Presently, I have a (very trusted) maker making me up a custom monte*, and another making my first custom felt(highly recommended here, thanks to all the loungers and their valuable info). The first will be resizing and reblocking another monte soon(as soon as he has time given the orders and as the season winds down a little) and the other hopefully will be making more for me in the future if all works out and the workmanship is as described.
Both have paid particular, no..extreme, detail to the details of constrruction and sizing. One sends multiple custom sweatbands sized w/i 1/8th of an inch(not hat sizing, but bands w/i 1/8th an inch..linear) and the other, a custom conformer.
Yet I've had another custom hatmaker deliver a quality raw product that was poorly constructed...a montecristi..good weave count(excellant actually) that simply lacks the ability of an experienced hatmaker to pull off the final product.
So, would it be innappropriate to ask a trusted hat maker to 'throw in' a few additional plain, custom-sized, sweatbands with an order at whatever cost...or would it be insulting?
Because there exists times you'd like another hat re-sized, maybe locally(say an ebay buy that doesn't quite fit correctly) combined with a cleaning or such(that the custom hatmaker might not do) that woulkd really benefit from having those custom measurements, sweatbands...
Any thoughts?

 

[gtdean48]

......
Any thoughts?

I have custom westerns over 10 years old that I wear a good bit & the original sweatbands are still in great shape. If the original is a good quality sweatband, it should last the life of the lid with proper care. Asking for additional sweatbands is not necessary at all. IMHO

 

[zetwal]

Welcome to the Lounge!

If you'd like to have a few extra sweatbands on hand just ask the hatter of your choice to sell them to you. That doesn't seem at all insulting to me. If he or she doesn't have any extras, or for some reason doesn't want to sell them, that's the end of it. No harm done. Right?

 

[Art Fawcett]

The question itself wouldn't be out of line Gents but there might be a caveat. I do not sell or use sweatbands in renovations with my name on them. I use/sell blanks only unless I made the hat originally. If that is acceptable then, no problem. Every one of us must be careful what our name goes on as I'm sure you all understand.

 

[OT1899]

Sweatbands...

I have purchased sweatbands from JW Hats in Salt Lake City and they did not hesitate to sell them to me. As mentioned in the previous post on this thread, they were plain (no name) with just a gold line around them. My understanding is they were the same quality as they use in their hats and also sell to custom hat makers. I purchased them to replace bands in older hats and in newer mass produced hats that have lower quality bands. So, that said, I think it is perfectly acceptable to inquire about replacement sweatbands.

 

[Tomasso]

Hi!

I have quite long hair and a penchant for tilt hats... But I don't know what to do with my hair.

Can anyone help with ideas?

Hi! I think you would get a much better response if you posted your query in the Powder Room.


And welcome to the Lounge.

 

[Yeps]

I couldn't quite find this in my searches (I fail a little bit at that)...

When did Stetson switch to the black sweatbands?

 

[theinterchange]

Hi!

I have quite long hair and a penchant for tilt hats... But I don't know what to do with my hair.

Can anyone help with ideas?

Firstly, welcome to the Lounge! How do you normally style your hair? Having an idea of that could help in giving relevant suggestions.

Randy

 

[Lefty]

I couldn't quite find this in my searches (I fail a little bit at that)...

When did Stetson switch to the black sweatbands?

It's hard to say exactly when, but it appears to be around the mid to late 60s. Don't take this as an absolute rule, as the odd black sweat hat that predates that time can pop-up, and brown sweats certainly can be found in many 60s hats. Take the hat as a whole, considering the markings on the sweat, the style, the liner, etc.

 

[Yeps]

Thanks.

I just picked up a relatively modern OR from the Bay, and it made me curious as to when the switch occurred. This was more for my own hat education than for dating the hat. (I will work on that when it gets here.)