My Experimental William Powell hat - UPDATE

[BellyTank]

Great stuff!

The block available to me measures 24" so I may just be lucky.
It's also about 8" tall... so some creative amateurishness will be called for.

If you had a snug fitting ring(ahem), or flange to put over the tied break to hold it down, on the string or the break, maybe with some weight or clamps on a workbench..?

I think there'll always (probably should) be a difference/discrepency with a head-mesurement and a sweatband mesurement- the sweat is a regular shape and needs to conform slightly your head- maybe less apparent with a custom fitted hat.

I admire your sterling and stalwart efforts enormously and peruse this thread with great gobs of gusto and glee!
(not ghee)

B
T

 

[Brad Bowers]

UPDATE: 14 May 2006

Here is what I have so far:

The sweat has been sewn in.

The ribbon has been attached. I'm having trouble getting a nice 90-degree break in the hat, as you can tell. It's got that tall 1930s look to it, though.

The brim needs to be flanged, and I can tell that whatever stiffener was in it before is now long gone, and needs some more to hold its shape. The edge just goes any which way if you even breath on it.

Oh well, I think I'm learning from my mistakes. We'll see.

Brad

 

[Marc Chevalier]

That-is-great! Wow! I'm very impressed. Keep on going, Brad!

 

[Citizen Ed]

From this amateur's point of view it's very impressive Brad. Good job!

 

[Jake Sullivan]

Brad, you have the paitience of a saint, but talent to go with it. Good Job!!

 

[Brad Bowers]

UPDATE: May 21

Here's the hat on the flange.

You have to iron the heck out of it to get the edge of the brim to shrink into the curl. I can see where those heated sandbag irons are a nice thing to have! One thing about working on these Cavanagh Edges - it's easy to iron them flat, right back into the brim Again, I used my little iron by placing the front curve of the iron where the Cav. Edge meets the brim, and using some slight downward pressure and pulling the iron towards me, I popped the Edge back up. Pain in the ***, but it worked. They made irons for Cavanagh and welted edges way back when. I need to see if I can find one. Don't know if they make flanges for them or not.

Anyway, some shots of the finished hat. I had to go back and redo part of the ribbon and bow, and tighten the sweat in again, but all is shipshape now.

Franz Shubert is casting a critical eye on my work:

A lower angle shot to show the flange curl:

From the front:

I initially creased it with a Center Dent, as I've seen Powell use that before, but I've also admired the Diamond Dent he's also used, so that's what I did. I love a felt that creases without the need for steam!

A close up of the bow. It's not necessarily a copy of one on Powell's hat, just something I thought looked nice. I increased the brightness so that the bow would show up a little better.

Finally, an angled shot.

I'll have my wife take some shots of me wearing the hat tomorrow, and post them.

I'm glad it's over. I feel pretty good about the way it turned out, though I'm also critical about it as well. It looks better in person, I think, than in the photos. For some reason, I think it looks better in the photos I posted last time.

But I'm pleased as punch with this hat block. I've said it before, I'll say it again - it makes a great 1930s style hat!

Brad

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Very nice...

:eusa_clap Brad,
Great job and the hat and bow work look spot on.

I'll send you a couple of my Platinum 5000X beaver hat body's one for you and one for me. Well folks we have another fine hatter here.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Fedorista]

Beautiful!

Will you reattach the wind string?

 

[shoeshineboy]

:eusa_clap Brad,
Great job and the hat and bow work look spot on.

I'll send you a couple of my Platinum 5000X beaver hat body's one for you and one for me. Well folks we have another fine hatter here.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Hey Roger,

Is that those CLOUD WEIGHT felts that you have been telling me about ??? Make sure you have one to show me when we get together next week !!!

mark tssb

 

[J.B.]

Trumpet-Time!

Drumroll :drum: and a Fanfare, puhleeze!

Brad -- I am truly impressed!

You did one heck of a great job, guy!

 

[feltfan]

Congrats

Excellent work, Brad, and it shows in a fine result.

I know my fingers cannot do some of the things you have
done. Looking forward to seeing it on your head.

One question- the reverse taper seemed pronounced in an
earlier picture. Now a lot of it has gone away. Is that
largely a result of the diamond crown?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Make me a hat like yours ... please!!!! But with the reverse taper intact.

 

[Nick Charles]

YOU HAVE A TELEPHONE CALL MR. BOWERS

AHH BULLSEYE..

 

[Brad Bowers]

YES! I have Mr. Powell's approval!

Thanks, fellas. I appreciate the compliments!

To answer a couple of questions:

Will you reattach the wind string?

I'd love to, but the old one is now too short by a few inches. Need to get a new one.

One question- the reverse taper seemed pronounced in an
earlier picture. Now a lot of it has gone away. Is that
largely a result of the diamond crown?

Nope, it's a result of my Long Oval noggin. The earlier shots were as it came off the block. I've been wearing the hat most of the week, however (except for "Straw Hat Day" on Monday), and it has started to adjust to my head, which has stretched it more at the front and back and pulled it in at the sides. I was sad to see the reverse taper leave, but I don't think there is anything I can do about it, unless I can find a LO block sometime, which might "reinstall" it! Or a vise to reshape my head.

Brad

 

[mthatter]

erased by mt