Photos of hatters tools

[Hatter4]

Does anyone have or know where I can get a Potance Frame??? Here is a drawing of one I found in a catalog:

 

[bloc]

Does anyone have or know where I can get a Potance Frame??? Here is a drawing of one I found in a catalog:

View attachment 5390

I'm sorry I can't help but I'm interested in what you do with it. What's it for?

 

[TheDane]

bloc: It's for renovating top hats

Hatter4: If I needed one, I would probably make one. Next to the slipstick it seems as (one of) the easiest hatter tools to make. If you know a guy with a wood lathe, it would be very easy

 

[Hatter4]

bloc: It's for renovating top hats

Hatter4: If I needed one, I would probably make one. Next to the slipstick it seems as (one of) the easiest hatter tools to make. If you know a guy with a wood lathe, it would be very easy

The block part is detachable. I have the blocks for this. The unit is made out of metal.

 

[Hatter4]

I'm sorry I can't help but I'm interested in what you do with it. What's it for?

It's for renovating silk top hats.

 

[TheDane]

The block part is detachable. I have the blocks for this. The unit is made out of metal.

So you "only" need the frame?

 

[Hatter4]

yes,I have two of the half blocks both covered with a soft felt.

 

[TheDane]

I would try to improvise something - maybe with the help of a good friend with a welding unit. I don't know the exact dimensions, but would an old hacksaw frame, mounted on a bracket of some sort, do the job? Just an idea ... [huh]

 

[John Galt]

I would try to improvise something - maybe with the help of a good friend with a welding unit. I don't know the exact dimensions, but would an old hacksaw frame, mounted on a bracket of some sort, do the job? Just an idea ... [huh]

Good idea, but coping saw frame & small hand clamp might be a better choice.

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[bloc]

Did anyone see this adjustable brim block on ebay?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-W...Ol0eaIJ%2FFpt%2B7ZYME%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I was going to bid but after some thought I couldn't see how it would work effectively for blocking. Once you adjusted it, the gaps would surely mark the felt when you blocked. Or am I missing something?

 

[Hatter4]

Thank you both for your ideas--they are worth considering. Here's another view of it and showing how it is used. The views came from "Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools, c.1700-1950 and the tools fo allied trades" by R A Salaman

 

[tonyb]

Did anyone see this adjustable brim block on ebay?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-W...Ol0eaIJ%2FFpt%2B7ZYME%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I was going to bid but after some thought I couldn't see how it would work effectively for blocking. Once you adjusted it, the gaps would surely mark the felt when you blocked. Or am I missing something?

Can't say that I've ever seen such a thing before. And you're right about its basic uselessness for brim flanging (what you called "blocking"). But it appears to be a brim stretcher, similar to those full-crown crown stretchers that are essentially blocks split in two.

Does it work? Heck, I dunno. But every hatter with whom I'm familiar has gotten along just fine without one, as best I know, anyway.

 

[TheDane]

I was going to bid but after some thought I couldn't see how it would work effectively for blocking. Once you adjusted it, the gaps would surely mark the felt when you blocked. Or am I missing something?

Very handy old gadget to have while potty training. You can clamp the kid to the thing and take a powernap while Junior is emptied in a carpet friendly manner

 

[Hatter4]

Here are four pictures showing the potance blocks. I understand that they came in three shapes/sizes. One was called "bell crown", one was "plain" and I'm not sure of the other one. The hole is square on the large one. The large one is the bell crown. The hole is square on one end and round on the other on the smaller one.

 

[tonyb]

Very handy old gadget to have while potty training. You can clamp the kid to the thing and take a powernap while Junior is emptied in a carpet friendly manner

The more I look at that thing, the less certain I am as to just what it's supposed to do. I think your suggestion is as good as any.

 

[aught12]

Not a photo, but a print from about 1689.

 

[Hatter4]

Interesting print. Do you know what country it is from? The clothing looks similar to those on the prints of the hatters from France in the book "The Hatters of 18th Century France" by Michael Sonenscher. Thanks for showing it.

 

[TheDane]

Interesting print. Do you know what country it is from?

The English text points towards Britain

 

[aught12]

Hatter, Dane:

http://hookeslondon.com/2013/08/20/hooke-and-artists-1/

Actually, I see now it isn't a print, but probably a scan or photo. I found it while searching pre-19th century cartography and atlases. At any rate, it is a record depicting 17th century felting and hatting.

Jeff

 

[tonyb]

Interesting print. Do you know what country it is from? The clothing looks similar to those on the prints of the hatters from France in the book "The Hatters of 18th Century France" by Michael Sonenscher. Thanks for showing it.

Thanks to your tipping us to the existence of that book, I just ordered a used copy.

So tell me, is it a good read? Cool pictures? Mine cost me next to nothing, so I'm confident that even if it reads like your typical academic tome, it'll still be worth more more to me than I spent on it.