Ask a question, get an answer

[Dan Allen]

A resistol 100 would have cost 100 dollars when new. A lot of money in the early '60s, when you could pick up a good quality fur felt resistol for $12.50. Top of the line.

I picked it up thinking fishing hat--maybe I should rethink that??

 

[randooch]

I picked it up thinking fishing hat--maybe I should rethink that??

Let's see a picture!

 

[randooch]

Mystery Markings

I'm sure many of you have noticed them hastily scrawled on the felt itself beneath a sweatband. I'm wondering what they meant. Are they early versions of "Inspected By #475" or something?

Here's an example from a 1950's Stetson Twenty I have. In case the photo is too poor to tell, it says "13" and seems to be in ink --- a fairly broad stroke, like a crayon marker.

Ideas?

 

[Landman]

Randall,

I have a 7 3/8 Stetson Open Road that I removed the old sweatband. It has the same 13 marked on the felt at the rear. This may be coincidence on my hat but the 1 is a long mark that is exactly where the rear of the sweatband should meet and the 3 is to the right of it. Maybe it is not a 13 but a mark showing the center rear of the hat and a 3 for 3/8ths? Just a wild guess.

 

[randooch]

Mike, you may be spot on! I rechecked mine and the "1" is exactly centered. Now we need a 7 5/8 owner to take a look for a "15."

 

[Landman]

Mike, you may be spot on! I rechecked mine and the "1" is exactly centered. Now we need a 7 5/8 owner to take a look for a "15."

Randall, I just checked a 7 1/2 and it had 12 (in a white chalk) with the 1 centered. I think that might be it.

 

[randooch]

Soon there'll be no mysteries left in the universe.

Good detective work!

 

[Landman]

Soon there'll be no mysteries left in the universe.

Good detective work!

I also checked a 7 5/8 Dunlap hat and it has a centered 1 and 5/8 out to the side. I think we can put this mystery in the solved category. What's next on the list Dr. Watson?

 

[m0nk]

Hi. I am new to wearing hats. I have been reading about hats and have one question I could not find the answer to:
Are "crushable" felt hats "shapable"? If I attempt to shape a crushable hat will it just bounce back to its original shape?
Is there a way to shape a crushable felt hat?

I have a "crushable" felt fadora hat with the brim curved up over the ears, cowboy hat style.
I rather have the brim flat. What is the best way to flatten the brim? This is the hat:
http://www.amazon.com/Scala-Classic...343524296&sr=1-1&keywords=australian+hat+felt
It looks like a flat rim in the picture, but mine has the rim curved up over the ears.

Thank you.

Most crushable wool hats that I've seen have the brim edge welted in a way that shapes the brim. It's not easy to reshape these because of this, and if you were trim the brim inside the welted edge the brim will loose all shape ruining the hat altogether. Personally, I believe if you're after a specific shape, find a nice fur felt hat that has the general shape you're after, and if need be, you can adjust it slightly for a greater impact.

 

[Equality 7-2521]

Stretching a hat from size 7 to 7 3/8, would a professional hat maker be able to do this or is the size difference too much and would ruin the hat? Thanks

 

[danofarlington]

I don't really know, not being a practitioner, but that's got to be way too much of a stretch. One size maybe, and not even reliably.

 

[jlee562]

Stretching a hat from size 7 to 7 3/8, would a professional hat maker be able to do this or is the size difference too much and would ruin the hat? Thanks

IMHO, that's too much. A size or two seems to the be the limit. It may be possible to use the felt body to make a new hat, but in that case, you'd be losing brim width.

 

[DNO]

Stretching a hat from size 7 to 7 3/8, would a professional hat maker be able to do this or is the size difference too much and would ruin the hat? Thanks

I tried stretching from 7 to 7 3/8. The results weren't terribly satisfactory. I'd say it was definitely one size too many. On the other hand I have stretched a hat from 7 1/8 to 7 3/8 with no ill effects at all.

 

[wolfv]

crushable hat not shaping

Most crushable wool hats that I've seen have the brim edge welted in a way that shapes the brim. It's not easy to reshape these because of this, and if you were trim the brim inside the welted edge the brim will loose all shape ruining the hat altogether. Personally, I believe if you're after a specific shape, find a nice fur felt hat that has the general shape you're after, and if need be, you can adjust it slightly for a greater impact.

Thank you m0nk for sharing your knowledge! You are a gentleman.

 

[John in Covina]

Stretching a hat from size 7 to 7 3/8, would a professional hat maker be able to do this or is the size difference too much and would ruin the hat? Thanks

If you use a hat jack you will often find that the stretching will put waves / dips into the brim at some point. The leather sweat band may tear or pop stitching as well as the ribbon on the outside. It depends on the hat. A hat jack I say should be used for 1 size up so from 7 to 7-1/8th. My experience is the brim contorts when you go to far.
Seem to recall sometimes pros have to reconfigure the hat because the brim material needs to become part of the crown to accomodate the size change.

 

[Equality 7-2521]

Alright thanks for the information fellas .

 

[scooter]

Hey different topic, and I hope this is the right forum, but where have Ale and JTL been? I duck in and out according to my schedule, but those guys are a couple favorites and have certainly been laying low lately. I miss hearing from them.

 

[casechopper]

It's been pretty slow in general recently Scooter. I would guess a lot of the regulars will be around more once the temps drop and fur felts become more wearable. That's the way it usually seems to go anyway.

There are always some people who move on (Goose as an example of a guy who I really liked reading on here that's no longer around) and new people who join up.

 

[Rabbit]

Hey different topic, and I hope this is the right forum, but where have Ale and JTL been? I duck in and out according to my schedule, but those guys are a couple favorites and have certainly been laying low lately. I miss hearing from them.

Ale is taking a break from the Lounge. He really is being missed around here - I miss his posts, too.

 

[Rick Blaine]

3x Strat

Was yhere a 3x Stratoliner made?