Photos of hatters tools

[humanshoes]

Hello, all. Thought I'd post some pics of the new hat block in progress. It's in the rough stage at this point, but I'm plugging along. This one will be a 7 3/8 long oval with a riser insert and interchangeable crown tips. This will allow me to change the height of the block and the style of the crown. This block is modeled after a design from the folks at Guy Morse-Brown so I can claim no credit for the genius of having one basic block to make many styles of hats. It's my first attempt at hat block making, but necessity is a mother. I've grown weary of trying to buy the blocks I need from outside sources. Seems like the price for vintage blocks is rising on the auction sites and the few makers out there are getting a premium for theirs. I have discovered why there are only a handful of folks out there making hat blocks. It's proven to be a real pain in the derrier so far.

 

[tonyb]

Gotta hand it to you, 'shoes.

It is neither my imagination nor wishful thinking that hats are indeed on something of a comeback trail. The youngsters wearing 'em is the surest sign, even if the hats they tend to prefer aren't the ones you and I might rather see. That increasing popularity goes some way toward explaining the escalating prices on blocks and such, I suppose, as does a recovering economy.

Among the challenges of buying old blocks online is that the sellers rarely know what they have, so it can be something of a pig in a poke, and that the more desirable blocks fetch some serious scratch. I suggest you procure some flanges while you can still get 'em at affordable prices. I'm pretty well set for flanges myself, so I'm not shooting myself in the foot for suggesting this. I'm no woodworker, but I suspect that flanges are considerably more difficult to make than blocks, and for that reason the new ones will cost more. And right now old flanges are still selling for less than they're worth.

 

[humanshoes]

Thanks for the input, tonyb. You're absolutely right about the flanges and I'm increasing my stock as availability and funds permit. I suppose I will have to try my hand at flange making eventually, but without a cnc machine I know it will be labor intensive. You're also right, I think, about the gradual comeback of the hat as every day apparel. I'm getting a lot of positive reponse to my hats from younger folks who seem to be trying to recreate a look from bygone days. Could it be that they're wearing those awful (my opinion) cloth fedora wannabes because that's all they can readily get their hands on?

 

[John Galt]

Oliver,

Found on Etsy:

 

[TheDane]

I'm no woodworker, but I suspect that flanges are considerably more difficult to make than blocks, and for that reason the new ones will cost more. And right now old flanges are still selling for less than they're worth.

With large professional CNC-equipment, there're no substantial differences. With hobby-equipment it's actually very much easier to mill/route a flange than a block. In both cases I assume, the block/flange must be made very closely to a certain, well defined profile.

You are absolutely right, that secondhand flanges are cheaper than blocks at the moment (I recently bought three flanges and a stretcher in a BIN on the Bay for $132). I guess, it's because sellers know even less about, what they are selling, when listing a flange(?)

 

[Hatter4]

yes thanks John ,I saw it

 

[Topper]

John: Did you know that the company Allie Maillard who made the comformateur also made a Straw Hat Conforming Machine. I would love to find one of these.
View attachment 12506

Check old Auction for photos http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161270347144

 

[Hatter4]

Thanks Topper,I did not know whatr they were selling for.

 

[humanshoes]

Almost done with my first hat block and I need the help of my fellow loungers. I don't know what finish I should use that will withstand heat and steam. Thanks in advance for any and all input. I do know that I wouldn't want to be a full time hat block maker, although it's been a fun experience so far.

 

[John Galt]

Looks pretty good to me! Long oval?

See my response in Ask a Q re protective coating.

 

[humanshoes]

Yep, 7 3/8 long oval. No taper with a slightly rounded top crown tip. I like the fact that I will only have to make new crown tips, not the whole block, to have different style hats. We'll see how the first hat comes out.

 

[DOGMAN]

Block looks great.Your a talented man.Can't wait to see how your first hat turns out.

 

[humanshoes]

Thanks, Dogman. I've made many hats using vintage hat blocks, my latest being this mid brown rabbit fur with camel ribbon, but none of my old blocks are long oval, so I hope this block will do the trick.

 

[Landman]

humanshoes, beautiful work on both the block and the hat! Being able to easily change out the shape of the crown top is a great idea.

Is that a JW sweatband? It looks very nice in the photos.

 

[humanshoes]

Thanks for the kind words, Landman. The roan leather sweat came from Fern-Thatcher.

 

[humanshoes]

My first hat block is finished. Settled for a finish of half boiled linseed oil and half denatured alcohol on the recommendation of JW from JW Hats. Love that guy and his willingness to share his knowledge. Also, thanks to all the others who offered their expertise on the finish question. Now, on to the sandbag. The flanging bag is actually two canvas bags that will be filled with 25 pounds of sand each and clipped together with a common heating pad in the middle to heat the sand. All that's left to do is fill with sand, sew up the openings, and attach lifting chains or rope. I have no idea if it will get hot enough to work at this point as it's still in the experimental stage, but I'm hopeful and will post my results. IF it works it will be an inexpensive and easy way to press hat brims on the brim flange. Total cost of materials, including the canvas, heating pad, grommets, and sand, was less than $40.

 

[vintage.vendeuse]

Since I've been been acquiring several hats lately, I figured it was time that I purchased a hat brush. This was an eBay UK acquisition. Victorian? Edwardian? I don't know, but it sure is pretty and I got a great deal. I even got to use it the very day it arrived on a Stetson Royal DeLuxe that I purchased the same day.

View attachment 14153

:eusa_doh: :doh: lol

How nice of you all not to burst my bubble and let me know that I actually purchased a dust pan brush.

 

[John Galt]

Dunno. I saw this and took it to be a hat brush, either ebony or faux. Is it soft bristled?

 

[vintage.vendeuse]

I was watching a period film and the housekeeper used a very similar brush with a matching dustpan. The bristles on my brush are quite soft but of course, the item is quite old. Despite its intended use as a dustpan brush, it works very well as a hat brush and that's how I will continue to use it.

Here's a pretty crumb/dust brush and pan set:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Old-Antiq...eAntiques_Collectables_EH&hash=item4d1ef073c9

The curve of a crumb/dust brush is opposite the curve of a hat brush. Here is an old hat brush:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antique-H...llectables_Advertising_ET&hash=item43cafea9bc

(Not my auctions, for reference only.)

Well, I learned something new, anyway!

 

[John Galt]

Yours does look remarkably like the dust brush, and my hat brushes do curve the same direction (so as to brush counter clockwise with the nap), so I think you've correctly puzzled this out.

In my experience hat brushes (except for what Ermatinger calls "stiff brushes") are soft bristled so as not to scratch the felt and properly whisk away powders.

My own dust brushes are also quite soft bristled. I'm wondering what sort of bristles yours has. Maybe it could still serve as a hat brush, especially for a left handed hatter like our colleague, Banky.