Hat stands and stretchers in the Eurozone?

[DanielCoffey]

I have been looking through the posts on the forum about hat stands and stretchers and I was wondering if there were any suppliers of hat accessories of similar quality to John Penman's but in the Eurozone?

I know John's stuff is designed with our hats in mind but all I can find over here are either those scary "one-size-fits-none-of-your-hats" polystyrene heads and I'd hate to have those staring at me when I wake up in the night, or otherwise upright floor stands with a few spikes for us to impale our precious VS felts or Montecristis on!

The stretchers we seem to be able to buy in Europe are also the modern ones which need three hands to keep straight while you tighten them and are too narrow for a full hat band.

Can anyone suggest European equivalents to John's excellent stands and jacks or is my most feasible alternative to mail John and ask about a bundled package deal on a bunch of accessories all at once to minimise postage (and import duties and VAT and that "we know you paid for shipping to your doorstep from the States but here's an extra charge cos we sorted out the customs fees for you" wallop that the Royal Mail hit you with?

 

[The Block Guy]

Call John.....his stuff is top notch..no doubt about it...and he is a great guy to chat with.

Cheers

 

[daizawaguy]

Agreed. Those stretchers are the best there are, bar none. Worth whatever the exchange rate is. No regrets there

 

[DanielCoffey]

As you have suggested, I have just emailed John and he is preparing a quote for combined shipping on a brush, two stands and a stretcher.

Once you find that there are no local equivalents to something, you either source the best and put up with the shipping or do what John did and invent something better. It will be expensive but well worth importing from him in the end.

 

[B.U.H.]

Please help a fellow Eurozone inhabitant:

Who's John and how do I find out more about his products?

 

[DanielCoffey]

You are looking for John Penman at http://www.penmanhats.com/

 

[DRB]

Daniel, I am going to follow suit and also order one of John's hat stretcher/stands. With such a resounding affirmation of the stretcher, I am sure it will be well worth the money for use on our best hats.

Please follow up and let us know what you think of the products.

Best of luck to you.

 

[B.U.H.]

You are looking for John Penman at http://www.penmanhats.com/

Thank you, Sir.

 

[DRB]

Here is the Penman Hat Stand/Stretcher. When I finish wearing my hat for the day, I use a Jack/Stand from Penman hats. It maintains my sweatband while it dries and my hat does not touch anything as it sits on a table. I set it for the proper stretch one time and then from then on it remembers my setting. I HIGHLY recommend it. http://www.penmanhats.com/Hatbrushes___Hatboxes.html

 

[Ronald]

That looks awesome!

 

[milandro]

Very interesting and OP seems to be happy about the solution, yet, he asked about this being found in the EU, which I think is a crucial thing here ( NL).

The thing is that buying from outside the EU produces all sorts of extra costs. Shipping, 21% VAT ( value added tax) + a mysterious “ handling through customs” . These last two surcharges are levied not only on the item but even on the shipping costs.

 

[Bamaboots]

( NL).

9 year old thread.

 

[milandro]

thank you but the “problem” is active and unresolved to date.

I am very active on other fora and we encourage not only the use of the archives (which are kept for a purpose) but also continuing old threads. There is nothing specially old or new about this issue.

 

[Bamaboots]

thank you but the “problem” is active and unresolved to date.

I am very active on other fora and we encourage not only the use of the archives (which are kept for a purpose) but also continuing old threads. There is nothing specially ol or new about this issue.

Fine. Thought you may not have noticed. The problems you speak of discussed regularly in other threads.

 

[milandro]

Thank you I found this by searching in the titles and a thread is good as any other.

I have found some Millner supply in Italy with Aluminum block-stretchers
http://www.formecappelli.com/english/le_forme/le_forme.php
then there are makers in the UK (how long they are going to stay in the EU is anybody’s guess at this point)
https://www.hatblocks.co.uk/accessories/
This site in the Netherlands indicates several suppliers
https://www.nederlandsehoedenvereniging.nl/en/ontwerpers/materialenleveranciers
Italian hat blocks maker
http://www.formepercappelli.it
http://www.laforme.fr/it/formes/index.html