Hat making?? Learning Millinery..

[TWKundrat]

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]

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.

 

[belfastboy]

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.......

 

[harrytemp]

Can a long fur hat be sanded down?

Found a hat but it is long fur.

 

[belfastboy]

all things are possible. How much free time do you have? Buy it and report on your results.

Can a long fur hat be sanded down?

Found a hat but it is long fur.

 

[harrytemp]

all things are possible. How much free time do you have? Buy it and report on your results.

I don’t even know if that is how it works lol.

 

[T Jones]

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.

 

[harrytemp]

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

 

[belfastboy]

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 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.

 

[T Jones]

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

Thank you buddy! Much appreciated.

It would definitely be a task.

 

[belfastboy]

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.

I just noticed that the Millinery Whse has dropped the rabbit suede finish felts. Too bad, they were my stock rabbit felts.

 

[LorenWho]

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.

 

[belfastboy]

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]

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.

 

[belfastboy]

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]

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]

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.

 

[belfastboy]

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.......

 

[LorenWho]

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.