Hat making?? Learning Millinery..

[TWKundrat]

A couple shots of the hat being worn by it's new owner with the Arizona sunset in the background

 

[Who?]

That is certainly a hat that he can wear anywhere with pride.

 

[TWKundrat]

That is certainly a hat that he can wear anywhere with pride.

Thank you. Now I just need to make a block in my size so I can actually make a hat for myself for once.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I don’t know if this video has been posted here before. I found it interesting that the hatter made some things custom, but also cut corners. I’ve had one hat with a sweatband sewn directly to the felt like this (made by Clearwater Hats), and it was not good. It really looks like someone who was self-taught and maybe doesn’t know all the intricacies?

 

[belfastboy]

I don’t know if this video has been posted here before. I found it interesting that the hatter made some things custom, but also cut corners. I’ve had one hat with a sweatband sewn directly to the felt like this (made by Clearwater Hats), and it was not good. It really looks like someone who was self-taught and maybe doesn’t know all the intricacies?

I have watched it before having stumbled on it during a YouTube search. My take is he had training from a milliner not a fedora maker. Pinning the brim as he did is definitely a milliner's technique.

 

[Darrell2688]

I watched this video before and I noticed that the person making the hat was using waxed thread to sew the sweatband into the hat. The only time that I use waxed thread is when I am making something with leather, belts, cellphone cases and I use what is called a saddle stitch. There is no way that I would even consider using waxed thread on a fur felt hat of any sort.

 

[belfastboy]

I watched this video before and I noticed that the person making the hat was using waxed thread to sew the sweatband into the hat. The only time that I use waxed thread is when I am making something with leather, belts, cellphone cases and I use what is called a saddle stitch. There is no way that I would even consider using waxed thread on a fur felt hat of any sort.

Some hatters do use a waxed thread. It gives it a bit more substance and less likely to twist and tangle.

 

[belfastboy]

Beaver felt prices continue to rise......a frightening amount. The gap between rabbit and beaver was previously never that significant but from some of my suppliers beaver felt is 2 to 2 1/2 times the price of rabbit now....when they have beaver in stock. I know small custom hatters that have been waiting for almost a full year for delivery and no firm date provided.
The scary part is some distributors are warning of more price increases to come. It could be few rough years in the custom hat business.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Beaver felt prices continue to rise......a frightening amount. The gap between rabbit and beaver was previously never that significant but from some of my suppliers beaver felt is 2 to 2 1/2 times the price of rabbit now....when they have beaver in stock. I know small custom hatters that have been waiting for almost a full year for delivery and no firm date provided.
The scary part is some distributors are warning of more price increases to come. It could be few rough years in the custom hat business.

Just today Michael Gannon told me he’s been waiting for over 10 months for Winchester to send him western beaver hat bodies in granite. He’s been trying to get me a mid-weight (between dress and western) 6oz beaver body in steel but it looks like it won’t arrive by the time I’m at the top of his queue.

Mike at Northwest is making me a beaver western using the Millinery Warehouse Ukrainian beaver felt, and I suspect it’s partly do to getting what’s available. He did say he liked the felt and it would make a less stiff western that I prefer. He’s honoring his website pricing, but warned of a significant premium in the future.

 

[dmeist]

Have you tried the Coypu's from Sunrise Hats? They seem to have more in stock and the price is significantly lower. Just had a couple delivered. Can't find any beaver in a decent color.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Have you tried the Coypu's from Sunrise Hats? They seem to have more in stock and the price is significantly lower. Just had a couple delivered. Can't find any beaver in a decent color.

I have around ten of these Nutria hats in both dress and western weight. I think that for most hats beaver has the potential to make a better hat, but it’s not by much. The hat bodies I’ve received from Sunrise have been inconsistent as far as quality (color saturation, stiffness, sizing, etc.), but then I’ve had the same issues with Winchester and their beaver bodies, and I’ve heard of similar issues with FEPSA felt. I think it’s often a matter of catch-as-catch-can. Sunrise does have the advantage of having some unique colors.

 

[belfastboy]

I have around ten of these Nutria hats in both dress and western weight. I think that for most hats beaver has the potential to make a better hat, but it’s not by much. The hat bodies I’ve received from Sunrise have been inconsistent as far as quality (color saturation, stiffness, sizing, etc.), but then I’ve had the same issues with Winchester and their beaver bodies, and I’ve heard of similar issues with FEPSA felt. I think it’s often a matter of catch-as-catch-can. Sunrise does have the advantage of having some unique colors.

I would really like to like the Sunrise but have worked on 5 of their felts and have problems with each one. It is the dye penetration that seems to be the issue. I stopped using them due to the issues and back then the price was almost double that of Winchester beaver. Now the Sunrise felt's pricing is much better than most beaver felts out there but I am still hesitant to use them. I love their colour selection and if you can get past the dye issues they do make a nice hat.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I would really like to like the Sunrise but have worked on 5 of their felts and have problems with each one. It is the dye penetration that seems to be the issue. I stopped using them due to the issues and back then the price was almost double that of Winchester beaver. Now the Sunrise felt's pricing is much better than most beaver felts out there but I am still hesitant to use them. I love their colour selection and if you can get past the dye issues they do make a nice hat.

Gannon has had an issue with one, but the rest worked out without any real problems. The hat hat David at VS made me with one didn’t have an issue, but the one Rick at Phoenix made me was very mottled. You know how yours went.

Gannon has said he likes working with them, but he still prefers Winchester’s beaver. He isn’t a fan of the FEPSA beaver felts he got from Tim. I have another hatter working on a Sunrise nutria and I’m curious to see how it turns out. I also sent another to Gannon a couple months ago that should be getting close to the top of his queue.

 

[jlee562]

Gannon has had an issue with one, but the rest worked out without any real problems. The hat hat David at VS made me with one didn’t have an issue, but the one Rick at Phoenix made me was very mottled. You know how yours went.

Gannon has said he likes working with them, but he still prefers Winchester’s beaver. He isn’t a fan of the FEPSA beaver felts he got from Tim. I have another hatter working on a Sunrise nutria and I’m curious to see how it turns out. I also sent another to Gannon a couple months ago that should be getting close to the top of his queue.

Just curious if he said anything more specific about the FEPSA felts other than a general dislike?

 

[belfastboy]

Just curious if he said anything more specific about the FEPSA felts other than a general dislike?

Yes, I am curious as well. They are definitely at 95grams a much much lighter felt but I have found them great to work with. I had problems with one, a Flagstone colour beaver. Some dye bled out in the steaming/blocking and ended up with light patches. I made it up for myself and called it my 'distressed' look!!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

It was after he made Doug @Tukwila a hat from FEPSA beaver. I don’t recall the actual comments, but neither Michael nor Doug were greatly impressed with the resulting hat. It wasn’t bad, but they were both underwhelmed.

This reminds me that Doug also had Northwest make him a nutria hat from Sunrise and Mike was not impressed with the felt…again, I don’t recall the exact words.

 

[belfastboy]

It was after he made Doug @Tukwila a hat from FEPSA beaver. I don’t recall the actual comments, but neither Michael nor Doug were greatly impressed with the resulting hat. It wasn’t bad, but they were both underwhelmed.

This reminds me that Doug also had Northwest make him a nutria hat from Sunrise and Mike was not impressed with the felt…again, I don’t recall the exact words.

It would be fun to get a group of hatters in the same room for an open discussion about the trade, about the various felts - their strengths and weaknesses. Not gonna happen but it would be fun.

 

[Frunobulax]

It would be fun to get a group of hatters in the same room for an open discussion about the trade, about the various felts - their strengths and weaknesses. Not gonna happen but it would be fun.

The FL could be a good vehicle for arranging a "video convention." Do it on Teams or Zoom or something. Then it could be recorded for posterity.

 

[belfastboy]

The FL could be a good vehicle for arranging a "video convention." Do it on Teams or Zoom or something. Then it could be recorded for posterity.

That is more likely to happen. Let me think on it!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

That is more likely to happen. Let me think on it!

I spoke to Bill @buler a couple days ago and he reminisced about the early days of the Lounge and the in-person meet ups.

Might be fun to see if There is interest in reviving the Fedora Fest?