Making a Western hat by hand?

[Yahoody]

No my cup of tea but a buddy is a big fan. Likely the easiest western hat in the world to build. Do surely hate to trim a nice 5" brim. One down, two to go.

"Virgil" 100% beaver.



Homburg dent to the crown. Mild dip to the front of the brim and you're done. Pretty much the same hat as the US Cavalry used from the 1870s on. Just way, way better materials.

• Crown: 5″ inches
  Modified Homburg dent
• Brim: 4″ inches
• Color Shown: Black
• Hatband: 1″ Satin with bow
• leather sweat
• satin hat liner

 

[Yahoody]

 

[RJR]

No my cup of tea but a buddy is a big fan. Likely the easiest western hat in the world to build. Do surely hate to trim a nice 5" brim. One down, two to go.

"Virgil" 100% beaver.



Homburg dent to the crown. Mild dip to the front of the brim and you're done. Pretty much the same hat as the US Cavalry used from the 1870s on. Just way, way better materials.

• Crown: 5″ inches
  Modified Homburg dent
• Brim: 4″ inches
• Color Shown: Black
• Hatband: 1″ Satin with bow
• leather sweat
• satin hat liner

Very nice build.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Very nice build.

+1

 

[Yahoody]

Unexpected issue today. New hat block. Never had a hat on it. Really nice form on the felt and a beautiful hat blank. Went to pull it off this morning after a wet block of the crown. Had to use a puller down on the hat body to get it off the block. Top of the crow was really stuck. Had to turn the hat inside out to get it off...and it wasn't any where close to "easy". Early shape of the hat has suffered. Anyone know how to "season" a new hat block? My other block (new same maker) and the older one I used from Scott had no issues.

I've already sanded the felt off the sides of the derby block but wanted a photo before cleaning up the rest of it.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Unexpected issue today. New hat block. Never had a hat on it. Really nice form on the felt and a beautiful hat blank. Went to pull it off this morning after a wet block of the crown. Had to use a puller down on the hat body to get it off the block. Top of the crow was really stuck. Had to turn the hat inside out to get it off...and it wasn't any where close to "easy". Early shape of the hat has suffered. Anyone know how to "season" a new hat block? My other block (new same maker) and the older one I used from Scott had no issues.

I've already sanded the felt off the sides of the derby block but wanted a photo before cleaning up the rest of it.

I wrapped my block in plastic before I put a hat body on it.

 

[humanshoes]

On the advice of Jim (may he rest in peace) from JW Hats in Utah, I treated my homemade hat block with a 50/50 solution of boiled linseed oil and denatured alcohol. I allowed several day for drying time and used plastic wrap covering for the first few hats. It's still going strong after more than 4 years of use. The block I made is an extra long oval convertible that is adjustable for crown height and different style crown tips. It was a real pain in the ass to make and I wanted it to last and least for the rest of my lifetime.

 

[Yahoody]

I wrapped my block in plastic before I put a hat body on it.

Did that once and didn't like the wrap's wrinkles on the open crown's I wear. My fault but not again.

I treated my homemade hat block with a 50/50 solution of boiled linseed oil and denatured alcohol. I allowed several day for drying time....

Bingo

My new block had some sort of glossy finish, unlike my original from the same maker. I figured "good to go". Having to iron the heck out of the crown to get it to felt down and fit the block likely didn't help my situation any. Basically looks like I cooked the felt into the block. Cleaned the block with 320 and 400 grit paper and water. Was able to put the hat back in the block and reblock the hat. Block came out easy enough this time. Felt is good again. Linseed oil and alcohol will be my choice next time. Thank you for that. All fixed now but thought others might want to take note. Nice ot hae the block seasoned now Even happier I didn't wreck a nice hat body.

 

[RJR]

On the advice of Jim (may he rest in peace) from JW Hats in Utah, I treated my homemade hat block with a 50/50 solution of boiled linseed oil and denatured alcohol. I allowed several day for drying time and used plastic wrap covering for the first few hats. It's still going strong after more than 4 years of use. The block I made is an extra long oval convertible that is adjustable for crown height and different style crown tips. It was a real pain in the ass to make and I wanted it to last and least for the rest of my lifetime.
View attachment 110576 View attachment 110578

Nice job on that block,I see why you take care to preserve it.

 

[humanshoes]

Nice job on that block,I see why you take care to preserve it.

Thanks RJR! I never want to make another one.

 

[Yahoody]

Thanks RJR! I never want to make another one.

It is a very nice block Guess there is no reason to ask a price and wait time

 

[Cornshucker77]

It is a very nice block Guess there is no reason to ask a price and wait time

Ha, I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Yahoody]

Learned a couple of things today. Working on build 10 from scratch. And the first time I have used my new Derby block. Pretty obvious the Derby crown has a lot less room internally than the modified dome block I have been using. I've had have several custom hats built off what would seem to be a Derby block in the past. Never totally satisfied with either. One I had relocked in fact. Now I understand the issue better. I wanted a 5" crown and likely the only block they had was a Derby. Derby is too tapered in the crown, top to bottom, 360 degees to fit my xl LO head well. Now I know.

Pretty much the same old flat hat, open crown look as before. Just added a bigger sterling silver hat concho to this one.





As always a really nice piece of felt.

 

[humanshoes]

It is a very nice block Guess there is no reason to ask a price and wait time

Thanks for the compliment Yahoody, but this block is definitely a one off. No fancy CNC machine here, just hours of hand carving and sanding. Maybe, when I retire from my day job and have more shop time, I'll think about making a few for sale. Btw, your westerns look really good. Love that open crown, wide brim styling. Classic!

 

[Yahoody]

I am getting an education on why my head is so hard to fit in a custom hat. The end result of a meticulous block with my recently purchased Derby hat block made the real problems pretty clear. Same problem my last 3 hatters had and didn't know how to fix, didn't have the right blocks or simply didn't care. From the delivered hats and the answers I got my guess is they didn't know how to fix it. I had coffee with dinner (really dumb on my part) which resulted in me staying up half the night. That resulted in pulling the most recent big brimmed Derby apart and reblocking it (wet block) with the Modified Dome. Need to felt/form/shirk it to one of my own head sizing blocks next and let it dry over night. I've found that in most crafts isn't how good you are when everything goes well, its if how well you solve problems and fix the mistakes.

The problem for me is the subtle taper on the Derby crow. That results is a unsightly bump just above the sweat band front and back on the finished Derby shape. Some Derby blocks are worse than others but all seem to have the taper.
I suspect it is the same problem many xl LO head shapes have.

My modified Dome block has no taper in the sides of the crown . For my head it is much easier to get a professional level look on a finished and well fitting hat with the Modified Dome.

You can see the change in profile just above the sweat line in the photo below. It isn't terrible but it is there. I took the picture at an agle ot disguise just how bad it really was. But I have also seen much worse!

I really like the look of a big brimmed Derby. Just never gonna work on my head and fit well. The very subtle "cone shaped" derby also wouldn't be the easiest hat to keep on your head. Important attribute in a cowboy hat The tapered crown Derby is always going to try to squeeze itself off your head.



If i were to guess, two of these hats are Modified Dome crowns. I am thinking now Sam Elliot's hat is a slightly different crown shape....but just a guess.

 

[Cornshucker77]

I am getting an education on why my head is so hard to fit in a custom hat. The end result of a meticulous block with my recently purchased Derby hat block made the real problems pretty clear. Same problem my last 3 hatters had and didn't know how to fix, didn't have the right blocks or simply didn't care. From the delivered hats and the answers I got my guess is they didn't know how to fix it. I had coffee with dinner (really dumb on my part) which resulted in me staying up half the night. That resulted in pulling the most recent big brimmed Derby apart and reblocking it (wet block) with the Modified Dome. Need to felt/form/shirk it to one of my own head sizing blocks next and let it dry over night. I've found that in most crafts isn't how good you are when everything goes well, its if how well you solve problems and fix the mistakes.

The problem for me is the subtle taper on the Derby crow. That results is a unsightly bump just above the sweat band front and back on the finished Derby shape. Some Derby blocks are worse than others but all seem to have the taper.
I suspect it is the same problem many xl LO head shapes have.

My modified Dome block has no taper in the sides of the crown . For my head it is much easier to get a professional level look on a finished and well fitting hat with the Modified Dome.

You can see the change in profile just above the sweat line in the photo below. It isn't terrible but it is there. I took the picture at an agle ot disguise just how bad it really was. But I have also seen much worse!

I really like the look of a big brimmed Derby. Just never gonna work on my head and fit well. The very subtle "cone shaped" derby also wouldn't be the easiest hat to keep on your head. Important attribute in a cowboy hat The tapered crown Derby is always going to try to squeeze itself off your head.



If i were to guess, two of these hats are Modified Dome crowns. I am thinking now Sam Elliot's hat is a slightly different crown shape....but just a guess.

It appears to me that Sam's crown may have a different taper than Kurt's?

 

[Yahoody]

It appears to me that Sam's crown may have a different taper than Kurt's?

agreed. I'd bet green that Paxton is using a Modified Dome. May be Russel as well. But I wouldn't bet on it from just that picture. Gotta think Elliot's is some thing different.

 

[Cornshucker77]

agreed. I'd bet green that Paxton is using a Modified Dome. May be Russel as well. But I wouldn't bet on it from just that picture. Gotta think Elliot's is some thing different.

I think so.

 

[DaveSobel]

I am getting an education on why my head is so hard to fit in a custom hat. The end result of a meticulous block with my recently purchased Derby hat block made the real problems pretty clear. Same problem my last 3 hatters had and didn't know how to fix, didn't have the right blocks or simply didn't care. From the delivered hats and the answers I got my guess is they didn't know how to fix it. I had coffee with dinner (really dumb on my part) which resulted in me staying up half the night. That resulted in pulling the most recent big brimmed Derby apart and reblocking it (wet block) with the Modified Dome. Need to felt/form/shirk it to one of my own head sizing blocks next and let it dry over night. I've found that in most crafts isn't how good you are when everything goes well, its if how well you solve problems and fix the mistakes.

The problem for me is the subtle taper on the Derby crow. That results is a unsightly bump just above the sweat band front and back on the finished Derby shape. Some Derby blocks are worse than others but all seem to have the taper.
I suspect it is the same problem many xl LO head shapes have.

My modified Dome block has no taper in the sides of the crown . For my head it is much easier to get a professional level look on a finished and well fitting hat with the Modified Dome.

You can see the change in profile just above the sweat line in the photo below. It isn't terrible but it is there. I took the picture at an agle ot disguise just how bad it really was. But I have also seen much worse!

I really like the look of a big brimmed Derby. Just never gonna work on my head and fit well. The very subtle "cone shaped" derby also wouldn't be the easiest hat to keep on your head. Important attribute in a cowboy hat The tapered crown Derby is always going to try to squeeze itself off your head.



If i were to guess, two of these hats are Modified Dome crowns. I am thinking now Sam Elliot's hat is a slightly different crown shape....but just a guess.

I think that if you pad your block a size up for blocking the crown, and then shrink the sides to fit your band block you should be able to avoid the bumps front and back, and stop it from trying to squeeze itself off your head.

 

[DaveSobel]

No my cup of tea but a buddy is a big fan. Likely the easiest western hat in the world to build. Do surely hate to trim a nice 5" brim. One down, two to go.

"Virgil" 100% beaver.



Homburg dent to the crown. Mild dip to the front of the brim and you're done. Pretty much the same hat as the US Cavalry used from the 1870s on. Just way, way better materials.

• Crown: 5″ inches
  Modified Homburg dent
• Brim: 4″ inches
• Color Shown: Black
• Hatband: 1″ Satin with bow
• leather sweat
• satin hat liner

That’s a nice looking hat. Is the crown height before or after creasing?