Photos of hatters tools

[John Galt]

Here's a close up of Hatter4's hat ruler, which is a J.B. Mast. I've adjusted the contrast & sharpness a bit for detail of the sizing.

Thanks for the photo, Oliver. I'm building a spreadsheet of the various hat/head size charts from the hat rulers I've seen, and will post it in the near future.

 

[John Galt]

All right, this has been an ongoing project of mine, and I have not started a real analysis, but here's a spreadsheet of 7 vintage hat rulers & their hat/head size charts. Resistol is partial because there was no further information on the ruler.

Stevens, JB Mast, RP Kenyon, and Gauss-Langenberg appear identical when conformed for sizes represented, and the Hart's slide out is substantially similar enough to make me want to go back & look again after tweaking the photo, to see if I misread it.

As a generalization, hat circumference is 7/8 to 1" larger than head circumference.

I've got this in an excel spreadsheet if anyone wants to crunch the data a little more.

Thanks to Hatter4 and everyone else who posted photos. Please post any unrepresented here...

 

[John Galt]

I'll update with pdf's when I can - these iphone photos are rather small.

 

[TheDane]

John, I know you posted me about my ruler - and I haven't replied to that ... sorry! I'll try to take a pic a little later today

Actually mine has a couple of oddities: Hat-size for 6-1/4 is 20-5/4". Hat-size for 6-3/8 is 21" - which is 1/8" less than 20-5/4" (= 21-1/4").

Furthermore it jumps from size 7-5/8 to 7-5/4 - but 7-5/4 equals 8-1/4!

Quite a funny ruler ... not following standard rules. Rulers rules! lol

 

[ManofKent]

I think the Christy's I posted was a bit different, but then we are talking proper hat sizing rather than US sizes

 

[John Galt]

I'll go back and look. I don't know why I didn't include it - maybe I couldn't read the sizes...

 

[John Galt]

Thanks Òle

 

[ManofKent]

I'll go back and look. I don't know why I didn't include it - maybe I couldn't read the sizes...

They are pretty badly printed...

 

[TheDane]

Here's my ruler (it has no company designation):



Note the last number for "Size": 7-5/4 - and the "Head" number for 6-1/4: 20-5/4" - and the "Hat" number for 6-7/8: 22-5/4" - and "Head" number for 7-1/4: 22-5/4".

Pretty funny ruler =)

 

[John Galt]

Thanks Olė, I'll add it to my spreadsheet.

MOK, I looked for a while, but only got about 1/2 way through this thread. I will keep scanning...

 

[John Galt]

Here's a photo I nabbed from a Garve hat stretcher, with 1/2" increments in circumference for each 1/8 inch in size.

 

[TheDane]

Here's a photo I nabbed from a Garve hat stretcher, with 1/2" increments in circumference for each 1/8 inch in size.

Very weird!

 

[John Galt]

Well, I guess the 1/2 inch increments don't directly match up, but rather, fall between the sizes. This stretcher - including the size plate itself - is very much like my stretcher. Enough so that I am now sure mine is also a Garvé. Here is the size plate from my stretcher:

Incidentally, my size plate had a very similar sort of patina that made it difficult to read, and I successfully cleaned it with white vinegar. The acid content is low enough (I believe) not to damage the plate, while removing the oxidation that obscured its' legibility.

Other Garvé stretchers from an internet search:

This last one is substantially identical to mine...

 

[John Galt]

Here's a similar design by Reslaw Hats of London (by way of Luton), owned by Paul Walser & Co. Ltd. (get it?) in business from 1906 to 1960's. According to the author of the book Hatatorium, the company originally focused on straws (thus the factory in Luton) but eventually was a major supplier of fur felts and straw hat bodies to milliners.

Edit - A blog I found states the company continued until 2009, but apparently did not use the "Reslaw" trademark...

 

[Hatter4]

John: I have two wooden stretchers like that. The bigger one has no measurement marks and on the bottom it says "Made in France". The smaller one doesn't say who the manuacturer is, but I believe it is the one listed in Hatters Supply, but it has measurements etched in - shown in the picture.

 

[John Galt]

Very cool. I can't make out all of the measurements, and like my stretcher, there does not seem to be direct identity between sizes & measurements, but very cool!

 

[alanfgag]

Two stretchers I own... photographed for another thread when I purchased them several years ago.

 

[Garrett]

This reminds me - I need to send my 6 1/2 NOS panel cap to have it stretched to a 6 7/8-7. Think it'll work with one of those stretchers?

 

[Mr.Astor]

Dane, I noticed you changed your avatar, very nice,you surely must be impressed with your creation!! Nice job. Mike is a true southern gentlemen.

 

[alanfgag]

This reminds me - I need to send my 6 1/2 NOS panel cap to have it stretched to a 6 7/8-7. Think it'll work with one of those stretchers?

I'm not sure how you could get the fabric components and seams to expand an inch and a quarter without shredding and tearing. I've coaxed a few hats up a size. 3-4 sizes is going to be a stretch.