Bashing Question

[Longplay]

I'm looking at this eBay listing and am wondering if this hat can be re-bashed to make the sides slope in a bit. It appears to have fairly vertical sides which don't look too good on me. It also appears that this could have been blocked on a form. If that is the case, does that make it harder to re-work?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Darn. Just my size, too. If I needed another gray hat, I'd grab it. As for your bashing question, I think re-doing it with a center dent would make the side of the crown appear to slope a little more -- at least, I've read here that going to a C-crown (like this one has) tends to make a crown straighter.

 

[jlee562]

1) maybe, probably not. A teardrop does tend to push the sides out and reduce taper. Hard to say what the block looks like open crown
2) looks hand creased to me; but, yes, formed crowns are difficult to reshape.

 

[tommyK]

It doesn't appear to have been shaped on a form to me. Hats that sit with a shape for decades in a closet or attic don't always take to a new bash so easily. Either way, if you want to start over you should get some kind of hat block or hat shaper to re-block the hat to open crown then you can start from scratch and make it anything you want. Then you're not fighting the previous shape that's there. I've done it with many hats. It's quite satisfying.

 

[Brother cavefish]

sweet hat, got a nice deal too, , you could bash this one very nice, but reblocking to get a taper, hum, thats almost like a shrink job on a block

 

[tommyK]

i was thinking that too. If you like taper to your crown buy a new hat. Leave vintage full crown hats to the guys who like them that way

 

[Hat Dandy]

I would be wary about rebashing a vintage hat. I purchased a Churchill and it didn't take the bash well at all. I also have a Beaver Brand hat that doesn't like to be reshaped at all. Work under the assumption you cannot make any changes.

 

[jlee562]

Erm, have to disagree. A vintage felt will reshape much easier than a modern hat. Did you have the hat properly reblocked? Or did you just try steam? Getting it reblocked is quite helpful. Felt does tend to have a 'memory' but it's usually the case that the vintage felt (which designed to be for an open crown hat to begin with) can be reshaped.

 

[Redshoes51]

It doesn't appear to have been shaped on a form to me. Hats that sit with a shape for decades in a closet or attic don't always take to a new bash so easily. Either way, if you want to start over you should get some kind of hat block or hat shaper to re-block the hat to open crown then you can start from scratch and make it anything you want. Then you're not fighting the previous shape that's there. I've done it with many hats. It's quite satisfying.

View attachment 22885 View attachment 22886

Great looking hat!!!

~shoes~

 

[tommyK]

Thanks shoes, it's one of nearly a dozen vintage hats I've reblocked myself. As jlee said, vintage felts are great to reblock and reshape. Some hats come to you with a great shape like this Dobbs;

I wouldn't change a thing, but maybe it comes to you a little beat up like this Cavanagh;

i had a block that looked a similar shape, a little ironing and steam gets it to open crown;

and you can start over like a new hat and do whatever you want