My First Attempt at Making a Fedora.

[jbucklin]

Will do. Does he know you simply by RBH?

 

[RBH]

He should know me by Rusty... tell him I'm Mike Moores friend from Arkansas.

 

[Rogera]

Man that is a great looking hat. One of these days I am going to gather some equipment and try it for myself. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[g.durand]

Darrel-I'm with everyone else--that is a great first effort. I'm not sure what your background is, so you may know this already, but as a self-taught lifelong visual artist (furniture designer/maker, sculptor, painter) my advice would be to look and look and look at as many examples of other hatters' work as you can. As you experiment and make more hats, you will begin to relate to the things they had to learn how to do, and see in their work how they adapted to the learning curve. If you can only look at photographs then do that. There are thousands of great examples here on the Lounge. One piece of advice I got as an artist is to be your own best critic and never think you've got it down, because there is always something to improve upon. MarkJohn said just think how hat number 10 will be. I would add think where you will be in five years if you keep at it.
I've got to hand it to you for taking the leap and making a hat. I do a little work on my less precious hats, and I've considered taking the leap myself. But so far I haven't, because I'm not sure I need another craft/hobby/trade. I haven't really mastered the other ones!

 

[Mark G]

Nice job! I agree with tonyb, the wooden blocks would be much easier.

 

[Jedwbpm]

Tell us what you started with. Where did you get the body? And stuff like that

Jeff

 

[DarrelMorris]

Jeff, I started with a fur felt dress body from Winchester. I don't know a whole lot about how to do this so I soaked it in very hot water and blocked it on a plastic Hat Shaper. When it was dry, I trimmed the brim. The brim, in my mind, is the weakest part. It is quite uneven. I sanded it for several hours and when I thought it looked about right, I installed the sweatband and did the final shaping. I wish I could explain this more eloquently, but I really don't know what I'm doing.

 

[DarrelMorris]

Hat number 2...

 

[fedoralover]

If you learn how to stitch the ribbon on from the inside of the edges of the bow they will be invisible and makes for a cleaner look. It's a good start, keep in mind most hatters learned a lot by trial and error and experimenting outside the box and coming up with their own way of doing certain things.

fedoralover

 

[DarrelMorris]

Thank you for your input everyone. I will work on trying to implement all of your recommendations.

 

[splintercellsz]

:eusa_clap

Each hat is better than the last!!

I agree on the bow. Try to use the smallest thread you have, matching the bow color, and doing it on the edges. If you look at any production hats, new or vintage, you will see what I mean

 

[Chepstow]

Darrel, great job done, looks professional!

 

[Silvan]

The brim is the only serious weakness I see, and you'll get that better under control when you have the right equipment. I would be extremely proud to have made either one of the hats, and I'm mildly jealous.

 

[bloc]

Hope my first fedora attempts are as good.

 

[carranty]

Hope my first fedora attempts are as good.

I like the sound of that, we have a severe shortage of hat makers here in the UK, heck, there aren't many in all of europe! I'm sure you'll find lots of helpful folk here on the lounge

 

[Matt Crunk]

So, how exactly is one self-taught in the art and craft of hat making? I seriously wouldn't know where to begin, but am very intrigued.

 

[bloc]

I like the sound of that, we have a severe shortage of hat makers here in the UK, heck, there aren't many in all of europe! I'm sure you'll find lots of helpful folk here on the lounge

Thanks carranty, I am beginning to get that impression. I have so much to learn, making the transition from milliner to hatter. I thought I would already have a lot of the equipment and skills but having spent some time on the forum I feel like a complete beginner again. I wonder if there is some difference between the American and British terminology. I have a good friend with a Victorian hat factory in Luton, I shall be visiting him very soon. I'll post some pictures, I'm sure they would be of interest to the chaps on here.

 

[ManofKent]

Thanks carranty, I am beginning to get that impression. I have so much to learn, making the transition from milliner to hatter. I thought I would already have a lot of the equipment and skills but having spent some time on the forum I feel like a complete beginner again. I wonder if there is some difference between the American and British terminology. I have a good friend with a Victorian hat factory in Luton, I shall be visiting him very soon. I'll post some pictures, I'm sure they would be of interest to the chaps on here.

We're definitely interested!

 

[John Galt]

Darrel: Hard to criticize. It looks pretty good. I've noted that my first efforts benefited greatly from the purchase of a flat iron for forming a good crease at the foot, where the brim meets the crown. I can't tell if yours dips there like my first efforts, but if so you may benefit from such a purchase.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."