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Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

viclip

Practically Family
Messages
571
Location
Canada
Hat blocks are oval - not circular. They were chiseled out and sanded - today they are CNC-milled. To my knowledge, hat blocks have never been turned on a lathe.

Do you think hat blocks may have been turned on a lathe initially to get the rough shape, and then made oval by hand? It would save much time & effort to rough-turn them first on the lathe (or perhaps on a turntable).
 

dnjan

One Too Many
Messages
1,690
Location
Seattle
Though I have never made a hat block, my woodworking experience suggest that the shortest path to final results would be a band saw followed by a belt sander.
 

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Do you think hat blocks may have been turned on a lathe initially to get the rough shape, and then made oval by hand? It would save much time & effort to rough-turn them first on the lathe (or perhaps on a turntable).

No, I don't think so. As said: "To my knowledge, hat blocks have never been turned on a lathe". This guy uses the traditional method:

[video=youtube;BxHJk03Uvqg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxHJk03Uvqg[/video]

Even if a 7 1/4 block was initially turned on a lathe, the craftsman wouldn't have anything to use calipers and the "diameter" 7 1/4" for. A 7 1/4 block is not 7 1/4" long or wide.


Though I have never made a hat block, my woodworking experience suggest that the shortest path to final results would be a band saw followed by a belt sander.

Exactly! ;)
 
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viclip

Practically Family
Messages
571
Location
Canada
No, I don't think so. As said: "To my knowledge, hat blocks have never been turned on a lathe". This guy uses the traditional method:

...

Even if a 7 1/4 block was initially turned on a lathe, the craftsman wouldn't have anything to use calipers and the "diameter" 7 1/4" for. A 7 1/4 block is not 7 1/4" long or wide.




Exactly! ;)

OK, good to know, but now we're back to where we were with no good explanation for non-circumference hat sizes :-(
 

John Galt

Vendor
Messages
2,080
Location
Chico
You see it often with stiff felts. They will bow and will not lay flat. It is so common (stretching, tweaking) that some believe this is how they were made.

This is a great point, and one I was thinking about recently. Stiff hats were made and/or conformed to fit a particular head. They are rarely going to (and in my experience, rarely do) fit another head well.
 

viclip

Practically Family
Messages
571
Location
Canada
This is a great point, and one I was thinking about recently. Stiff hats were made and/or conformed to fit a particular head. They are rarely going to (and in my experience, rarely do) fit another head well.

Yes, well, I sport the "Yul Brynner" hairdo (or lack thereof) & rest assured that I quickly learned to abhor stiff hats
 

Mr.Astor

Banned
Messages
246
Location
New Jersey
You see it often with stiff felts. They will bow and will not lay flat. It is so common (stretching, tweaking) that some believe this is how they were made.

Also a hatter friend of mine in Germany told me women are more accepting of padding and tweaking regarding fit. It's all about visual appearance.

I agree with you as far as women's hats! Borsalino Como is a perfect woman's hat! It can be manipulated to what ever you want! apply the right ribbon embellishment you gotta a sale! I've pulled to many stitches off a man's hat around the brim than I wish too count! I'll buy every Como that comes on the market just because they are so versatile!
 
Messages
17,489
Location
Maryland
This is a great point, and one I was thinking about recently. Stiff hats were made and/or conformed to fit a particular head. They are rarely going to (and in my experience, rarely do) fit another head well.

If you stretch a stiff felt too much you will see it in the brim. I am pretty sure all of mine have marked sizes. Many of the ones without self conforming sweatbands were conformed or stretched. Back in the day they must have reworked the entire hat to some degree because you don't see the brim issues.
 

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
OK, good to know, but now we're back to where we were with no good explanation for non-circumference hat sizes :-(

You may be, but I don't feel without explanation. The diameter of the corresponding circle is good enough for me. Most older standards are like that. My guess is, that many older Canadians still use Fahrenheit - and maybe even inches. Talking about weird definitions ;)
 

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Back in the day they must have reworked the entire hat to some degree because you don't see the brim issues.

That's the whole trick in conforming a hat. After heating the break-line, you put the formillion in the opening and work over the brim with a foot tollicker - at least the part closest to the crown. That is the way to get around the "wavery" or "flaring" brim, you'll get on both soft as stiff hats, if you stretch them.
 
Messages
17,489
Location
Maryland
I had an old JHS stiff felt that was nearly round but the brim was fine. It was marked 6 1/2 Point but fit front to back like a 6 Point (big gaps on the side). I wish I still had it so I could see if someone today could change it back.
 
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