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[Hurricane Jack]

I’ve generally left it on the few hats I have with similar stains... I kinda liked the character.

Clean it or it will eat its way thru the felt.

 

[Gobi]

I clearly have about 700 things on my mind, I took measurements of the block, wrote them down on a piece of paper and then placed it in the garbage. Later searched everywhere for it so I could write them here, then noticed the paper in the trash. Anyway, the bottom of the block is 8 5/16" by 6 7/8".
I dont know what the ratio is but my eyeballs say this block is not a block I would care to use for my own head. My block from Poland is clearly a long oval. I get excited just looking at it and the urge to make a hat for my own head is unbearable. That's the ratio I go by. How excited the block makes me. Lol.

 

[Bamaboots]

Clean it or it will eat its way thru the felt.

Yep.

 

[Frunobulax]

Well I feel better knowing it’s not fifty year old mold...

I've successfully used a white vinegar solution to clean verdigris. Verdigris is basic copper carbonate. Any acid, such as vinegar, will cut through and decompose the carbonate.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Yep.

View attachment 308895

I've seen it go from behind the sweat to behind the ribbon & then first appear in the brim break. I've also seen it get transferred in stacked hats.

 

[Bamaboots]

I've seen it go from behind the sweat to behind the ribbon & then first appear in the brim break. I've also seen it get transferred in stacked hats.

This one came to me with the obvious stain but no through and through until I cleaned it using a white vinegar solution. The nearby sweat threads were degraded and the ribbon and trolley cord came apart where they were stained.

 

[glxie63]

Wondering... were/are all flat caps supposed to be sewn at the front/bill or are some naturally like mine in the photo? This one is a vintage Carriglen made in England. Follow on question..anyone have a flat cap altered to make bigger? Seems like it wouldn't be difficult.
thanks,
glxie63

 

[Zombie_61]

Wondering... were/are all flat caps supposed to be sewn at the front/bill or are some naturally like mine in the photo?...

Assuming you're asking if the crown was attached to the bill/brim in the front, some were/are, some weren't/aren't. And some hatters used a "snap" fitting so the wearer could choose how to wear it.

Of course, if I've misinterpreted your question please disregard this.

 

[belfastboy]

Wondering... were/are all flat caps supposed to be sewn at the front/bill or are some naturally like mine in the photo? This one is a vintage Carriglen made in England. Follow on question..anyone have a flat cap altered to make bigger? Seems like it wouldn't be difficult.
thanks,
glxie63

Yes, some are some are not. It is strictly a style aspect. I have some custom ones that are fastened with a large wooden button/button hole so can be worn either way. Not sure how you would go about making a cap larger. If they have the cloth sweat band you could likely stretch it larger but more difficult with a leather sweat. I have had success shrinking a wool cap with a cloth sweat with hot water immersion and then cold.

 

[glxie63]

Assuming you're asking if the crown was attached to the bill/brim in the front, some were/are, some weren't/aren't. And some hatters used a "snap" fitting so the wearer could choose how to wear it.

Of course, if I've misinterpreted your question please disregard this.

No, you understood my vague question correctly. Thanks for shedding some light.

 

[glxie63]

Yes, some are some are not. It is strictly a style aspect. I have some custom ones that are fastened with a large wooden button/button hole so can be worn either way. Not sure how you would go about making a cap larger. If they have the cloth sweat band you could likely stretch it larger but more difficult with a leather sweat. I have had success shrinking a wool cap with a cloth sweat with hot water immersion and then cold.

This hat is nice but a bit of a beater at the same time. Got it cheap. Was going to see if my tailor could just open up the seam at rear center and add a small bit of black elastic to allow for a bit of a spread. Would still look good from the front and perhaps not hideous from the rear. We'll see.

 

[belfastboy]

This hat is nice but a bit of a beater at the same time. Got it cheap. Was going to see if my tailor could just open up the seam at rear center and add a small bit of black elastic to allow for a bit of a spread. Would still look good from the front and perhaps not hideous from the rear. We'll see.

If you don't need much and it has a cloth sweat I would try the stretch first.

 

[glider]

I have stretched a wool news boy a little, enough for a perfect fit for me. It was pretty tight, I could get it on but it was uncomfortable. I just used water and a hat stretcher. I wet it pretty good around the sweatband with a spray bottle twice.

 

[Blare]

Assuming you're asking if the crown was attached to the bill/brim in the front, some were/are, some weren't/aren't. And some hatters used a "snap" fitting so the wearer could choose how to wear it.

Of course, if I've misinterpreted your question please disregard this.

Diggin your profile caricature Al

 

[Spellflower]

I bought a vintage Stetson on eBay. The color was described as “cinnamon”, and the pics showed a nice mid-brown:

The hat is lovely, but in person it’s very definitely NOT the color in the pics, and I don't see how anyone could call it "cinnamon". It's more of a gray or taupe. Here it is in indirect sunlight, as captured by an iPhone 7:

Alas, the color just doesn't work for me. I'm a brown hat guy, and I'm too old to change.

The auction terms state no returns. Does eBay’s guarantee cover color discrepancies, or is color subjective, making the description technically correct? Would I be a jerk to ask for a return? Or should the seller deal with the consequences of not taking accurate pictures and using the word “cinnamon”, which implies brown? I feel like if I keep it then I can't honestly give positive feedback, because the pics were not accurate in this regard, and future customers should know that this seller isn't careful about that. I want to be fair to the seller, but I'd also like to get my money back.

I'm sure I can find a good home for it here in the classifieds if need be- it really is in stellar condition, and I'd love it if it was brown. But it would be simpler to just return it.

 

[belfastboy]

I have purchased many hats off Ebay....none have ever approached the colour shown in the listing. I just accept that the actual hat will not match the pic or I ask the seller a lot of questions about how they see the colour, how do they describe the colour. To me that is only way to get even an approx answer as to the true colour. The question that will arise is who pays the shipping back in the event of a return? But it would not hurt to ask...if they are a regular seller they may be protective of their ratings.

 

[Spellflower]

I have purchased many hats off Ebay....none have ever approached the colour shown in the listing. I just accept that the actual hat will not match the pic or I ask the seller a lot of questions about how they see the colour, how do they describe the colour. To me that is only way to get even an approx answer as to the true colour. The question that will arise is who pays the shipping back in the event of a return? But it would not hurt to ask...if they are a regular seller they may be protective of their ratings.

Thanks, belfastboy. Yes, I've bought a ton of hats off of eBay too, and never had this drastic a discrepancy- that's why I'm asking here, before talking to the seller. I will definitely reach out to her and see if we can work out a solution. I'd be happy to pay return shipping.

 

[belfastboy]

Thanks, belfastboy. Yes, I've bought a ton of hats off of eBay too, and never had this drastic a discrepancy- that's why I'm asking here, before talking to the seller. I will definitely reach out to her and see if we can work out a solution. I'd be happy to pay return shipping.

I think that is a fair solution. Now it is a matter of her good will and desire to protect her ratings.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thanks, belfastboy. Yes, I've bought a ton of hats off of eBay too, and never had this drastic a discrepancy- that's why I'm asking here, before talking to the seller. I will definitely reach out to her and see if we can work out a solution. I'd be happy to pay return shipping.

eBay almost always sides with the buyer. If it was a matter of the shade being off I’d say that’s the inherent risks of buying unseen, but as it’s a different color you can get a refund. I don’t go through the seller, I just open a claim, attach photos, and write up my case. eBay has always sided with me and the seller eats shipping both ways and you get a 100% refund.

I don’t send hats back for dirt, superficial moth damage, or minor flaws that I can see the seller not picking up on. If there is a moth hole(s) completely through the felt, or if the seller’s photos showed brown and I received gray then I’d open a case. I get that it probably wasn’t intentional and I don’t get upset, but I always go through eBay as an arbiter to remove the potential for arguing or pettiness. That’s just me, and I’ve also sold over 100 hats on eBay.

 

[Zombie_61]

Diggin your profile caricature Al

Yeah, me too. My old laptop died so I lost the specific information, but that was a character in one issue of Eric Powell's comic book series The Goon. He's a guy who knows how to get pretty much anything done as long as you're willing to pay his price, and he kinda' reminded me of a cross between Buster Keaton and any number of immigrants who made their way to the U.S. before or during The Era and made a life for themselves here.

*Edit: More useless information. He appeared in issue #36 of The Goon, which was something of a special issue featuring the fictional exploits of real life Canadian burlesque dancer Roxi D'Lite, who is a friend of writer/artist Eric Powell. The character's name is Abercrombie, and in the story he's Miss D'Lite's friend/manager/bodyguard/handyman/crime partner/whatever.