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[Hercule]

Sizing - How are hats sized from felt blanks? Are several different sizes formed from one size blank? If so what's the range?

 

[T Rick]

And another Q on sizing- I've read of Optimo and others re-sizing a vintage hat, sometimes even going up two or more sizes (eg; size 7 to size 7 1/4). Wondering if a simple blocking is likely to be able to stretch a hat from a tight 7 to say a 7 1/8?

I have a near perfect Trimble (still need to shoot pics for the "New Hats" thread!) and I've bought and used a stretcher. It is STILL just a bit too tight. Marked as a 7, I think it may be closer to a 6 7/8 (?), though it has little signe it was ever worn. I believe it probably spent the last 55, 60 or so years in it's box in someone's closet. Pity, such a beautiful hat. Would a hatter with a proper heated block have better luck than my wooden stretcher?

ETA: The sweatband appears to have room to grow. Whether the ribbon (which is quite unique on this hat) does or not is unknown to me.

 

[gtdean48]

And another Q on sizing- I've read of Optimo and others re-sizing a vintage hat, sometimes even going up two or more sizes (eg; size 7 to size 7 1/4). Wondering if a simple blocking is likely to be able to stretch a hat from a tight 7 to say a 7 1/8?

I have a near perfect Trimble (still need to shoot pics for the "New Hats" thread!) and I've bought and used a stretcher. It is STILL just a bit too tight. Marked as a 7, I think it may be closer to a 6 7/8 (?), though it has little signe it was ever worn. I believe it probably spent the last 55, 60 or so years in it's box in someone's closet. Pity, such a beautiful hat. Would a hatter with a proper heated block have better luck than my wooden stretcher?

ETA: The sweatband appears to have room to grow. Whether the ribbon (which is quite unique on this hat) does or not is unknown to me.

Usually, a hatter will remove sweatband, ribbon, liner & re-block the hat to the size you want. There are heated stretchers that fit the entire crown where the ones we have just go about the sweatband. Heat to a vintage leather sweatband can be bad for them.

 

[zetwal]

Wondering if a simple blocking is likely to be able to stretch a hat from a tight 7 to say a 7 1/8?

I'm not sure what you mean by a simple blocking. A hat can be reblocked to go up a size.

 

[T Rick]

Usually, a hatter will remove sweatband, ribbon, liner & re-block the hat to the size you want. There are heated stretchers that fit the entire crown where the ones we have just go about the sweatband. Heat to a vintage leather sweatband can be bad for them.

Thank you, much information I was not aware of! I know when I spoke to my local guy, he referenced having heated blocks (we were not talking about a hat that needed to be made larger at that point, but my Mallory which he wanted to clean and block).

Interestingly, when I asked if the liner would be removed for the cleaning, he informed me that a normal hat would be cleaned (tumbled in a machine I think) with the liner in place. But that with a vintage hat like mine, they would clean it "by hand" so as not to remove the printing from the sweatband and liner (said the chemicals used in the tumbling process would remove the printing).

Obviously, there is much more to the "cleaning and blocking" than I'd been aware (remember, I'm a newbie ), and just as obviously, I need to deal with someone other than Henry The Hatter for such repair/refurbish type work (keeping in mind, he also insisted that the ribbon needed to be replaced even before he saw it, I was already leaning towards finding someone more in tune with vintage restoration for that one).

I'm not sure what you mean by a simple blocking. A hat can be re-blocked to go up a size.

Obviously, I was mistaken on precisely what a "re-blocking" was. While I was semi aware of how the process works, I was unaware that the interior of the hat was generally removed in order to accomplish this (seeing above, you can see where some of my erroneous impression came from).


Thanks again for sharing the wealth of knowledge Gents .

 

[Auron]

Is anyone an expert on how hats are made? Particularly fedoras (of course), but I'm also interested in top hats (because of Gene Wilder/Willy Wonka). I've looked for a "How It's Made," but can't seem to find it.

 

[sulla]

Thanks all. I'll try the steam today and let you know how it turns out. If that doesn't do the job, I'll look into Scout Felt Stiffener.



Nope, I am asking for my older Indy lid. My new Moonstone Fed is in great shape.

I steamed the hat. The brim firmed up a little. Thnaks for the tip.

 

[Tomasso]

I've looked for a "How It's Made," but can't seem to find it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6obvkyCLPU&feature=related

 

[Chinaski]

Tomasso posted a great link, and you can also view the "stickies" at the top of the hat forum. There are links to important threads, a link for how felt is made, etc. Welcome...

 

[fmw]

Is a portable clothing steamer adequate for steaming hats?

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Is a portable clothing steamer adequate for steaming hats?

I use one of these (I have both, the travel one is good for hat steaming too) with good results. They will stand on a table so you can have both hands free. Just remember not to let the water get stale; if you leave water standing in a portable steamer and then use it several days later, it will spit and sputter hot water.

 

[fmw]

Excellent. Thanks.

 

[Johnny J]

I was wondering if anyone knows when Stetson decided to stop making their hats open crown?

 

[Rodkins]

I was wondering if anyone knows when Stetson decided to stop making their hats open crown?

The Stetson Nostalgia is still open crown

 

[T Rick]

I was wondering if anyone knows when Stetson decided to stop making their hats open crown?

Everything I've read here seems to indicate it was after WWII that many manufacturers began the practice of setting a factory bash. Of course I'd imagine it was gradual, not an "all at once" proposition.

Wanting to get one of those Nostalgia's!

 

[easportsracer13]

QUESTION: i have a Fed Iv and im having the darndest time trying to shape it. It seems to only wan to hold one pinch and one height when worn. Any advice on shaping this thing and having it keep it? Ive been workinthe felt pretty hard but it always wants to go back to the same shape. Id post a pic but im not home...i want to have it look like the Akubra bogart but no luck.

 

[jlee562]

QUESTION: i have a Fed Iv and im having the darndest time trying to shape it. It seems to only wan to hold one pinch and one height when worn. Any advice on shaping this thing and having it keep it? Ive been workinthe felt pretty hard but it always wants to go back to the same shape. Id post a pic but im not home...i want to have it look like the Akubra bogart but no luck.

Spray it with distilled water from a spray bottle, shape it, let it dry. Or just wait until it rains.

 

[Johnny J]

The Stetson Nostalgia is still open crown

Thanks Rodkins, but I guess I did not explain myself right; I mean looks like the vintage ones were always left open, right? So right now the only
one open is the Nostalgia. But when did they stop making all of them like the Nostalgia?

 

[Johnny J]

Everything I've read here seems to indicate it was after WWII that many manufacture lrs began the practice of setting a factory bash. Of course I'd imagine it was gradual, not an "all at once" proposition.

Oh ok. Thanks T Rick for the info. Would be nice if all were left open. Does it cost them more to do that? Looks like the crown is left alot shorter when they leave a factory bash. Maybe they save money that way; less felt I guess?

 

[Jedwbpm]

Johnny I have no prof but I think a lot of it had to do with the changing way America shopped and wore hats after WWII. As department stores grew you had fewer staff on had to cease a hat. I am sure in the good old days high end stores and hat shops had many staff that could crease a hat in any number of styles. So as a cost saver for the stores I bet they asked for precreased hats thus needing skilled fewer employees. I am lucky that I have a full service hat shop near my house most don't. I could buy a Nostalgia and have DelMonico's crease or block it for me.

I don't think it cost much either way for the hat maker open crown or creased, but I think it saved the stores a lot of money. Just my thoughts

Jeff