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TWKundrat

One of the Regulars
Messages
104
Hat block question…

I understand the purpose of the center hole on the underside of a hat block. However, I don’t understand the purpose for the deep circular trough.

Is it to make the block lighter? Maker it easier hold onto? Is there equipment that needs to be attached to the underside that needs the resess?

Thanks,

-Loren
The old equipment used in hat factories like crown irons and pouncing machines would clamp on to the center boss inside the cavity. These machines are hard to come by and expensive now but many of the high-end hat makers still use them.
 

TWKundrat

One of the Regulars
Messages
104
Not my photo but this is a good shot of an old crown iron and the fingers that clamp onto the center of the block.
Screenshot_20231103-211901-550.png
 
Messages
10,840
Location
vancouver, canada
Not my photo but this is a good shot of an old crown iron and the fingers that clamp onto the center of the block. View attachment 557712
I had a great conversation with Rodney from NorthValley. What a great guy. He has been making hats, accumulating equipment for over 40 years. He has over 3000 flanges and about the same number of blocks. Interestingly he says he does not bother with flanges even on his fedoras. When I asked how he managed that....he replied, "when you been making hats this long you pick up the odd technique here and there."
If I had an extra $100K I would pick up a few different hat making machines just to have toys to play with.......
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,789
Location
Central Ohio
Can a long fur hat be sanded down?

Found a hat but it is long fur.
Sand down a long fur hat?!

DON'T DO IT!!!!

Long haired hats are desirable. They make for some nice looking fedoras. I converted a couple of long hair Westerns into fedoras. The tan one is a Biltmore and brown one is a 4X Stetson. Before and after pics, not in order.
 

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Last edited:

harrytemp

One of the Regulars
Messages
101
Sand down a long fur hat?!

DON'T DO IT!!!!

Long fur hats are desirable. They make for some nice looking fedoras. I converted a couple of long hair Westerns into fedoras. The tan one is a Biltmore and brown one is a 4X Stetson. Before and after pics, not in order.
Wow those look amazing. That brown one is so nice.

I’m just asking and I wouldn’t even know where to begin for such a task. Lol
 
Messages
10,840
Location
vancouver, canada
I have been playing around with the reverse.....working the felt to raise the nap on a smooth finished hat and creating a semi long hair finish. I will call it an "Angora" finish.
DON'T DO IT!!!!

Long haired hats are desirable. They make for some nice looking fedoras. I converted a couple of long hair Westerns into fedoras. The tan one is a Biltmore and brown one is a 4X Stetson. Before and after pics, not in order.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,789
Location
Central Ohio
I have been playing around with the reverse.....working the felt to raise the nap on a smooth finished hat and creating a semi long hair finish. I will call it an "Angora" finish.
I've done a few like that, working smooth felt to raise
the nap. Only I call mine 'Suede' finish :) Raising the nap adds depth to the felt, imo.
 

LorenWho

New in Town
Messages
47
I have blocks with the void and with just the one or two holes for the block stand. I have never thought twice about....if I don't need it or use I don't think about it. It does make it easier to hold on to though.
Not my photo but this is a good shot of an old crown iron and the fingers that clamp onto the center of the block. View attachment 557712
Perfect! picture says it all!
I have blocks with the void and with just the one or two holes for the block stand. I have never thought twice about....if I don't need it or use I don't think about it. It does make it easier to hold on to though.
I am going to attempt to make a few wood blocks and see how they feel without the void.
 
Messages
10,840
Location
vancouver, canada
Perfect! picture says it all!

I am going to attempt to make a few wood blocks and see how they feel without the void.
I have blocks from European old school craftsmen and they don't have the void. They just have the holes for the block stands. I do have contemporary blocks made by CNC machine and they have the void. The only difference is the ones without the void are heavier.
 

LorenWho

New in Town
Messages
47
Belfastboy,

On the blocks you have purchased, do they have any sort of reinforcement around the hole? Do you feel reinforcement is needed?

Thanks,

-L
I have blocks from European old school craftsmen and they don't have the void. They just have the holes for the block stands. I do have contemporary blocks made by CNC machine and they have the void. The only difference is the ones without the void are heavier.
 
Messages
10,840
Location
vancouver, canada
Belfastboy,

On the blocks you have purchased, do they have any sort of reinforcement around the hole? Do you feel reinforcement is needed?

Thanks,

-L
No reinforcement needed that I have found so far. The newest ones with the void have not been used much as they are a style not as popular as others. My vintage ones with the void have a steel ring attached as a reinforcement where the block stand spindle is inserted. I wet block most of my felts (except for the light weight 95 & 115 gram ones) and steam the heck out of them so the blocking is done with relative ease on a dress weight. If I have to push toooo hard on the blocking it is likely I have not steamed it enough. So the stress on the blocks in not great. I have some composite blocks that are very fragile....cannot use a blocking stand. These are seldom used styles that I bought composite to save money. They are extremely fragile but I just place the block on the table's edge and even these fragile blocks have held up over multiple uses.
 

LorenWho

New in Town
Messages
47
No reinforcement needed that I have found so far. The newest ones with the void have not been used much as they are a style not as popular as others. My vintage ones with the void have a steel ring attached as a reinforcement where the block stand spindle is inserted. I wet block most of my felts (except for the light weight 95 & 115 gram ones) and steam the heck out of them so the blocking is done with relative ease on a dress weight. If I have to push toooo hard on the blocking it is likely I have not steamed it enough. So the stress on the blocks in not great. I have some composite blocks that are very fragile....cannot use a blocking stand. These are seldom used styles that I bought composite to save money. They are extremely fragile but I just place the block on the table's edge and even these fragile blocks have held up over multiple uses.

Thanks for the info Belfastboy - that helps. I will likely start with a block that has no reinforcement and no recess, and see how I like it.

Take care,

-Loren
 

Darrell2688

A-List Customer
Messages
397
Location
Piner, Kentucky
Well it has been a while since I posted anything on the forum and I just finished a fedora that I just finished so I thought that I would post a few photos of my work. I have a couple of hats posted for sale on Ebay with a lot of people watching. Any way I have come up with a name for my hats and here is my latest creation.
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LorenWho

New in Town
Messages
47
I just received an email from Sunrise announcing their receipt of new stock. I clicked on the price and gasped to see they had risen to $210....Yikes! But then I noticed it was showing Canadian $$ not US. The felts are still at the $150US price......

Thank you!

Have you ever ordered the Sea Glass color from them? I was wondering how it compared - in color - to their Sage.
 

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