Hat Stiffeners

[Harry Gooch]

Do any of the Canadian members know where I can get some type of felt stiffener? I hear Scout is good, but I don't seem to be able to find it in the greater Toronto area.

Regards,

Gooch

 

[Canadian Cowboy]

Try these guys,
Pleasant Ridge Saddlery & Western Wear
Western Tack · Western Wear ... 653 Colborne St. West, Brantford, Ontario, Canada. N3T 5L5. Phone:519-756-5840 Fax:519-756-2736 Email: info@pleasantridge.ca ...
www.pleasantridge.ca/ - Cached - Similar

CC

 

[Harry Gooch]

Thanks.

 

[Canadian Cowboy]

Thanks.

Let me know,if they don't have it,you may be able to order online from a western dealer outside of Ont. and have it shipped to you.
CC

 

[Harry Gooch]

Let me know,if they don't have it,you may be able to order online from a western dealer outside of Ont. and have it shipped to you.
CC

Turns out they use an "all purpose" starch that they get from box stores, Canadian Tire etc. I'm not too keen on trying that, so if you know of a Canadian supplier I can use, that would be great.

Thanks again.

 

[Canadian Cowboy]

Here is a place you can buy your stiffener it is a Bickmore product which all their products are top of the line,I use their bick 4 for all my exotic Lucchese boots.
They will ship to your door it took some time to find you a Canadian retailer in ON,I buy mine in MI as I am there all the time,

BeauChapeau Hat Shop
42 Queen St.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
L0S 1J0, Canada * Name:
* Email:
Phone:
Toll-free: 1.877.YOURHAT (968.7428)
Local: 905.468.8011

Home / Accessories / Cleaning Products
Kahl Felt Hat Stiffener
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Price: $17.00
Product ID: 10FPR131-W10
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Description

FELT HAT STIFFENER: This is the original hat stiffener used by professional hat makers to add shape and body to felt hats. Once you have your felt hat in the desired shape, spray it all over with Kahl Hat Stiffener to hold the shape. Will not yellow or flake off. Gentle on tone and texture. Will not affect future blocking or cleaning. 8 oz.

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[Tatude]

Amazon and Village Hat also carry that same product. It might even be on EBay.

 

[Canadian Cowboy]

Amazon and Village Hat also carry that same product. It might even be on EBay.

He was looking for a Canadian Retailer in ON.
CC

 

[Harry Gooch]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Gooch

 

[Canadian Cowboy]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Gooch

No problem Bickmore is a quality product you can see it on their website.
CC

 

[Canadian Cowboy]

No problem Bickmore is a quality product you can see it on their website.
CC

http://www.beauchapeau.com/

CC

 

[Doc Glockster]

Is there a "trick" to using Kahl's Hat Stiffener?

Either this product is the worst stuff ever made or I'm doing something wrong.

On some hats I've had remarkably good results, on others not so much.

On the bad attempts it seems like I have to use a whole bottle of the stuff to get the desired stiffness, then as the hat dries it leaves "white spots" all over the hat. Usually I can hold the hat over a steaming pot of water and the white spots will go away. This also tends to help the stiffener "set" to my desired stiffness of really, really, stiff.

But I'm getting tired of the effort it takes to get a good result.

There's got to be an easier way to use this stuff.

 

[OT1899]

Hi, I used it before with pretty good results. I did notice that spray tip clogs easily, so you may want to make sure that the tip is clear and is spraying an even mist. I applied several "fine mist"layers letting it dry between applications until I had the results I wanted. As you noted, it helps to add steam to the mix. I steam the hat a little to heat the felt, apply the stiffener, let it dry and then use the steam again to set everything like you want it. Hopefully, this is helpful.

 

[Brother cavefish]

No problem Bickmore is a quality product you can see it on their website.
CC

bickmore for sure

 

[Brother cavefish]

Bickmore hat stiffener consequences

i have used this many times in the past and have used it recently , and it does what it does, , My question is , does stiffening a hat make it more brittle, more fragile i guess one would say as when creased / bent, it would crack or divide hairs to bring on a weakened split, almost like a cardboard effect,

 

[fedoracentric]

I hope others chime in, but unless it was stiff as a hard derby, I doubt you'll get cracking. It would have to be pretty darn shellacked to crack, I would think.

 

[Brother cavefish]

I hope others chime in, but unless it was stiff as a hard derby, I doubt you'll get cracking. It would have to be pretty darn shellacked to crack, I would think.

i was watching outlaw Josey wales and man that guy was smashing the hell out of his hat , sleeping , etc, this pondered my curiosity, i have akubras and Bickmored them and Akubras are supposed to be very durable , and from the factory are shellacked within the fur process, but still, reduced flexibility could promote you know---- my thoughts

 

[tonyb]

There are softer hats and harder hats. As a general rule, I avoid adding stiffener to felt hats. The exceptions are those with crown styles that won't hold without more stiffener than was in the body as received from the supplier. For a style with sharp vertical creases front and back, and a diamond top, I stiffen the hell out of the crown. (I don't use Bickmore, by the way. I buy some no-name stuff in larger quantities and at a far lower price from a supply house.) Oh, and I apply it to the INSIDE of the crown.

Among the reasons you may wish to steer clear of stiffener is that the hat (and you) will be more forgiving of someone who may sit upon it. With soft hats, you can generally push the hat back into shape, and you'd have to know it had suffered the indignity to detect any sign of it. A stiffer hat is likelier to "fold" in such a way as to leave visible lines. Steam and a bit of massaging may all but erase those lines, and it may not.

So yeah, you're kinda on to something, 'fish. But, as fedoracentric observed, anything less stiff than a derby wouldn't likely crack under circumstances short of actually trying to crack it.

 

[Brother cavefish]

maybe a couple rains and or time will take the stiffener out anyway right

 

[T Jones]

I have a couple westerns that I may consider for conversions. How would I get the stiffener out of the brims?