Photos of hatters tools

[TheDane]

Here's another handy tool. I love these very tapered little Gingher scissors & put them on a string...

... so they're always handy. I just wish the finger holes were a tiny bit bigger. The tip is so fine that they can get into very tight spots without fear of unintended consequences.

Most professional seamstresses use a thread snipper instead. They come in different variations, but they are all held inside the closed hand - with the blades sticking out between thumb and index finger. Some have a single loop for second or third finger, and some are completely without loops. A seam ripper is also a must to have for a "barefoot hatter"

A substitute for the tall hatbox could be a drumcase - a conga case would be close to perfect. When you see a standard drumkit on a stage, there are usually two or more drums mounted ontop of the bass-drum. They are called side-toms and the cases for those are perfect for travelling hatcases. They even come in different diameters and heights, and many will take two or three stacked hats with foam rings inbetween.

 

[John Galt]

Thanks TD! I actually have both a seam ripper & a thread snipper, but find that these scissors are much more handy for my purposes. They serve both functions better for me than the other two items. They allow me to reach more accurately into spots and make cuts I wouldn't feel comfortable making with a thread snipper, and the edge is sharper than a seam ripper which lets me slice through stitching easily with only one blade. The very narrow long tip also works pretty well as a seam ripper.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

As for the hat box case, I have several ideas based on cardboard construction (concrete) forms.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[Hatter4]

Dane, I wrote a letter to the hatter in vienna Austria Mr Shmuel Shapira over a month ago, still no answer. I think its a lost cause.

 

[John Galt]

Today's antique store purchases. I don't think this is an actual slip stick, but it's pretty close. I've been using a pallet knife, so it's an improvement in any event.

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

Not a tool so much as a useful accessory, but I really like this style of hat stand:

This particular one lives on the edge of my desk, and usually holds this "Real Nutria Quality" Whippet-like Stetson fedora.

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[Landman]

Great hat stand!

 

[TheDane]

- and you can sit at the desk and practice your skeet shooting skills on old beaters ... "Pull" ... "Pull"

 

[Hatter4]

John. where are you getting your hat bodies? Are they wool felt or fur felt, or both?

 

[John Galt]

Great hat stand!

Thx!

- and you can sit at the desk and practice your skeet shooting skills on old beaters ... "Pull" ... "Pull"

I'll have to try that ;-)


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

John. where are you getting your hat bodies? Are they wool felt or fur felt, or both?

Hatter4,

Until recently, I've been buying old hats with high quality fur felt and completely rebuilding them, which has proven pretty economical. I did buy a raw nutria blend body from Winchester a while back though, and that's the one I'm making for my brother.

I'm also going to buy two more raw bodies from Winchester and make a couple of OR style hats for a high rolling friend with a big noggin (7 3/4).

I am tempted to buy some of eBay seller's 40acresofoaks' so-called "wool" hat bodies, which he acquired from Langenberg ($20.00 each). I'm betting most are actually fur felt.

I'll probably try one or two. I am also thinking about ordering a couple from FEPSA, but haven't gone far that way yet.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[humanshoes]

In keeping with the hatter's tool theme, I'm happy to report that my homemade rounding jack worked as expected. The first hat is finished. Although imperfect, it turned out to be an adequate first attempt and great fun (although sometimes frustrating) to build. I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the good folks here on the lounge who shared your knowledge and helped immensely in speeding up my learning curve.

 

[TheDane]

Great work! That's a very well executed first hat, you've build. Also a very nice rounding jack - oak is some darn hard stuff to work. You surprise me!

 

[humanshoes]

Thanks, TheDane. You're so right about the oak, a real pain to work with, but there's something about the enduring quality of the wood that makes it worth the effort.

 

[Hatter4]

everything looks great, the hat and the tools. you can pat yourself on your back you did a nice job.

 

[Landman]

Your hat turned out great! I really like the sweatband. It looks fantastic in the photo.

 

[humanshoes]

Thank you, Gentlemen. Who knew that the sweatband would be the most challenging, at least to me, part of the hat. JW at JWHats told me that the sweat is the most important part of the hat and that it should be made first with the rest of the hat being built around it. Even with all the excellent advise from folks like JohnGalt, JW, and others, I managed to screw it up on my first and second attempts. Third time was definitely a charm.

 

[ManofKent]

Well done - you should be proud of that.

 

[John Galt]

I am usually pretty good with my hands myself, but also initially underestimated the art and skill that is involved in this craft. It looks like you did very well on your first build, and exceptionally well on the hatter's tools. Many happy returns!


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[bond]

Nice work human shoes.
Here's my "electric tolliker" that I use for ironing out brim at crown base to give me a nice crease there .
This is a vintage German model and works like a charm. Measures approx 5x 2 3/4