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[hatsRme]

Thanks for the tip about Paul's. Not the site I had been looking at. The make and style of hat is https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2016/03/05/standard-san-francisco-thin-ribbon-fedora/. The reason I'm interested in getting a replica is that this is the hat my Father wore to work.
Thanks again, Hal

Lucky for you, Hal, that's a pretty standard, still popular style. Also, plenty of vintage ones are regularly available at auction if you're not a melon head. If you need a size 7-1/8 or less, it won't be a long hunt. Maybe there's one here.

 

[Bigger Don]

...and it sure will work on a fedora!

Hmmm....mebbe next time I'm between projects I'll hang out in front of Batsake's with a "Will work for fedoras" sign.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Hmmm....mebbe next time I'm between projects I'll hang out in front of Batsake's with a "Will work for fedoras" sign.

If I lived closer to a hat shop...I would talk people into buying two hats at once...one for them...and one for US here at home!
Just hand out home made cookies or on a warmer day...some bottled beer!

 

[1mach1]

If I lived closer to a hat shop...I would talk people into buying two hats at once...one for them...and one for US here at home!
Just hand out home made cookies or on a warmer day...some bottled beer!

Or better yet, draft beer. [emoji14]

 

[Frunobulax]

OK...another question, or few, to which I think the answer is obvious, but being a newbie I'm going to ask anyway.

I've seen a number of posts around the interweb about stretching/shaping hats by using steam and a hat jack. Every time someone has asked about a wool hat the answer has been "No", then I notice the hat in question is woven or knitted.
?
I have my eye on a less expensive hat (Hey! I'm expecting a bespoke from Gus Miller @ Batsakes within the next week-10 days so this is to give me 2 "winter" hats without paying for a divorce lawyer, too!). It's made of wool felt and comes in XL, described as 7½-7⅝. I'm a 7 5/8 XLO.

Should I move forward shaping/sizing, with a decent level of confidence, with this wool felt hat?

Is there something special regarding wool versus fur felt that makes stretching/shaping different?

Assuming trying to stretch/shape wool felt isn't feasible, why not? What makes felt from sheep different from felt made with rabbit or nutria or beaver or any other short-legged animal different?

...and not for the biggie, why is wool felt inferior from the smaller animal felt?

Since nobody else has weighed in, I'll give it a shot.

Wool doesn't get a lot of love around here. Primarily, I assume, because most of the wool hats we see around are "El Cheapos." They don't shape as nicely, the quality is lower, and the styles aren't what the FL members really like. When confronted with a less expensive wool hat, it won't respond like a decent fur felt. getting them wet or steaming them can cause them to become tapered or misshapen.

Now, if you go over to the German and Austrian Hutmachers thread, you'll see mayserwegener posting on occasion some fantastic old European wool and wool/fur felt blend hats. He'll tell you (and he knows) that these wools are fantastic, feel great, and are of high quality. Daniele Tanto will say the same thing. It seems the knowledge of making a quality wool hat didn't get on the boat, though. We don't see them here in the States.

There is a difference in the fur vs. wool, however. Fur, as I understand it, has little hooks on it which can assist in creating a better felting process (I'm going from memory here, so...). Wool doesn't have this feature. This will produce different felting qualities.

If you haven't, and I think you have, visit the Important Hat Forum Threads thread. Watch the John B. Stetson video explaining the fur felting process. It will likely give you some greater insights.

Again, all of this is from memory - and I got less sleep last night than I'd like - so there could be some errors in here. But I think that's the nut of it.

 

[RJR]

Since nobody else has weighed in, I'll give it a shot.

Wool doesn't get a lot of love around here. Primarily, I assume, because most of the wool hats we see around are "El Cheapos." They don't shape as nicely, the quality is lower, and the styles aren't what the FL members really like. When confronted with a less expensive wool hat, it won't respond like a decent fur felt. getting them wet or steaming them can cause them to become tapered or misshapen.

Now, if you go over to the German and Austrian Hutmachers thread, you'll see mayserwegener posting on occasion some fantastic old European wool and wool/fur felt blend hats. He'll tell you (and he knows) that these wools are fantastic, feel great, and are of high quality. Daniele Tanto will say the same thing. It seems the knowledge of making a quality wool hat didn't get on the boat, though. We don't see them here in the States.

There is a difference in the fur vs. wool, however. Fur, as I understand it, has little hooks on it which can assist in creating a better felting process (I'm going from memory here, so...). Wool doesn't have this feature. This will produce different felting qualities.

If you haven't, and I think you have, visit the Important Hat Forum Threads thread. Watch the John B. Stetson video explaining the fur felting process. It will likely give you some greater insights.

Again, all of this is from memory - and I got less sleep last night than I'd like - so there could be some errors in here. But I think that's the nut of it.

Agreed.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

OK...another question, or few, to which I think the answer is obvious, but being a newbie I'm going to ask anyway.

I've seen a number of posts around the interweb about stretching/shaping hats by using steam and a hat jack. Every time someone has asked about a wool hat the answer has been "No", then I notice the hat in question is woven or knitted.
?
I have my eye on a less expensive hat (Hey! I'm expecting a bespoke from Gus Miller @ Batsakes within the next week-10 days so this is to give me 2 "winter" hats without paying for a divorce lawyer, too!). It's made of wool felt and comes in XL, described as 7½-7⅝. I'm a 7 5/8 XLO.

Should I move forward shaping/sizing, with a decent level of confidence, with this wool felt hat?

Is there something special regarding wool versus fur felt that makes stretching/shaping different?

Assuming trying to stretch/shape wool felt isn't feasible, why not? What makes felt from sheep different from felt made with rabbit or nutria or beaver or any other short-legged animal different?

...and not for the biggie, why is wool felt inferior from the smaller animal felt?

Pretty much has been said already but I'll chip in anyway. I have far more experience with wool felt than I do with fur & how to ruin them. First thing, you have to be very careful when using steam to shape a wool felt hat as they'll shrink down a size in no time at all, so it's best to use as little steam as you can & not get too close to it. Secondly, they are much more difficult to stretch permanently as they tend to shrink back to their original size soon after stretching.
I don't have any actual difficulty in shaping them (& they keep their shape pretty well) but the creases are less fine & sharp than in fur felt.
The main difference between wool & fur is that fur has barbs which interlock & form a much tighter felt, wool on the other hand does not & needs to be thicker to have any kind of resistance.
I've also found that wool felt loses it's 'stiffness' much faster than fur felt & so needs a top up of stiffener from time to time.
Not all wool felts are of equal quality & when hats are sized S.M.L. etc. rather than precise sizes, they aren't usually of the best quality.

 

[Rick Blaine]

IS THIS A STETSON BOSS RAW EDGE?

 

[Bigger Don]

Thanks for all the info

Wool doesn't get a lot of love around here.

Yea, and serious numismatists aren't all that impressed with my well-circulated pre-'64 dimes and quarters. A collection has to start somewhere, and my interest is driven as much by practicality as style.

I figure that at this point my two cloth hats (no bragging on those, although the whitish one gets compliments) plus the soon-to-be-delivered Gus Miller and my it's-all-about-character Wooden Boat watch cap, I need at least one more to get me through the winter without riling the home CFO too much (the Gus Miller is an extravagance). Heck, I may even go for a flat cap before the temps rise again!

Fur, as I understand it, has little hooks on it which can assist in creating a better felting process (I'm going from memory here, so...). Wool doesn't have this feature. This will produce different felting qualities.

Ah...there's the info I've been looking for...what makes fur felt structurally different than wool felt. Until I started thinking about hats, "felt" was something bought in a craft store.

 

[Bigger Don]

First thing, you have to be very careful when using steam to shape a wool felt hat as they'll shrink down a size in no time at all, so it's best to use as little steam as you can & not get too close to it. Secondly, they are much more difficult to stretch permanently as they tend to shrink back to their original size soon after stretching.

When I said "shaping", I think I should have said "sizing"...as in moving it from what is probably mostly round to an XLO.

Your words of experience-based wisdom re going easy on the steam will be taken into account. My thought is to go through multiple cycles of a little steam, jack it a little, let dry, try it on.

I've also found that wool felt loses it's 'stiffness' much faster than fur felt & so needs a top up of stiffener from time to time.

Thanks for that advice, too.

Not all wool felts are of equal quality & when hats are sized S.M.L. etc. rather than precise sizes, they aren't usually of the best quality.

Understood, but since Duluth Trading has an unlimited return policy, I'm willing to take the chance. If it doesn't satisfy, back it goes.

In the mean time, I'm still searching for affordable 7 5/8 fur felt fedoras on ebay and elsewhere while squirelling away funds for next summer's fine Panama.

 

[Bamaboots]

IS THIS A STETSON BOSS RAW EDGE?

Sure looks like my black, thin ribbon one. Did you snag that, Rick. Quite a steal if you did.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Sure looks like my black, thin ribbon one. Did you snag that, Rick. Quite a steal if you did.

Thanks Bama'!
I did.
But I am no João, I dunno where I might wear it tho'...?
Not allot of Rodeos around here...

 

[Bamaboots]

Thanks Bama'!
I did.
But I am no João, I dunno where I might wear it tho'...?
Not allot of Rodeos around here...

May not be that wide a brim, Rick. Hard to tell from the pics. Mines dimensional, a little over 3" on the front and back and a tad over 2 1/2"" on the sides. Once again, nice catch.

 

[bolthead]

How do I post a tutorial video on here? They're only 15 to 30 sec clips, if that matters. I use tinypic as a host for posting photos, I tried using their site to post one, but unsure if it worked. Thanks in advance.

 

[Zombie_61]

How do I post a tutorial video on here? They're only 15 to 30 sec clips, if that matters. I use tinypic as a host for posting photos, I tried using their site to post one, but unsure if it worked. Thanks in advance.

Your video played fine for me, but other members appear to have had issues.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Thanks Bama'!
I did.
But I am no João, I dunno where I might wear it tho'...?
Not allot of Rodeos around here...

So why did you got it?
If it is a boss raw edge? Hard to tell. No X markings, no beaver crest... only a Stetson crest... pray for a tag behind the sweatband.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

How do I post a tutorial video on here? They're only 15 to 30 sec clips, if that matters. I use tinypic as a host for posting photos, I tried using their site to post one, but unsure if it worked. Thanks in advance.

Youtube?
I banned flash from my computers. Youtube abandoned flash for html5. URRAY to Youtube (and Apple for banning flash on iOS). Adobe lost, Macromedia won (well at least their owners won when they sold it to Adobe).

 

[EstherWeis]

Upload on Vimeo. Then share link.

 

[bolthead]

Upload on Vimeo. Then share link.

Maybe I'll give that one a try, thanks Esther.

 

[fetching]

Hi folks, I'm looking for some instructions on how to make grosgrain hat bands and the bows. I can't seem to find any video tutorials anywhere and I really don't want to reverse engineer my vintage hats and mess them up. Are the bands and bows one continuous piece of ribbon or are they separate and how exactly do they connect together, and to the hat?
Thanks in advance for any info.