Pouncing???

[suitedcboy]

I have seen the word "pounce" used to describe a step in hatmaking that I understood was the process in stretching and shaping the hat body onto the rounded shape piece (block) used to get hat sized.
But I think about the fact that I had a Resistol fedora that was a "Kitten Finish" model and now I'm left with the image of kittens jumping on hat bodies that some worker is dangling twine on...
Could the holes we often blame on moths be claw prints from kitten pouncing?
This whole hat interest seems to bring up more questions every day.
I now add Kitten pouncing Finish to the list that already includes sweatband and liner hat dating.
HELP!

 

[reetpleat]

I have seen the word "pounce" used to describe a step in hatmaking that I understood was the process in stretching and shaping the hat body onto the rounded shape piece (block) used to get hat sized.
But I think about the fact that I had a Resistol fedora that was a "Kitten Finish" model and now I'm left with the image of kittens jumping on hat bodies that some worker is dangling twine on...
Could the holes we often blame on moths be claw prints from kitten pouncing?
This whole hat interest seems to bring up more questions every day.
I now add Kitten pouncing Finish to the list that already includes sweatband and liner hat dating.
HELP!

I always thought it was watching ebay late at night prepared to snap up a bargain buy it now.

 

[Viper Man]

I thought "pouncing" was sanding the felt to make it's finish fine and smooth.

 

[Belegnole]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) -
pounce3 /paʊns/ Spelled Pronunciation[pouns] Pronunciation Key - Pronunciation noun, verb, pounced, pounc·ing.
–noun
1. a fine powder, as of cuttlebone, formerly used to prevent ink from spreading in writing, or to prepare parchment for writing.
2. a fine powder, often of charcoal, used in transferring a design through a perforated pattern.
3. Also called pounce bag, pounce box. a small bag filled with pounce and struck against a perforated design.
–verb (used with object)
4. to sprinkle, smooth, or prepare with pounce.
5. to trace (a design) with pounce.
6. to finish the surface of (hats) by rubbing with sandpaper or the like.

 

[warbird]

Tigers pounce, tiggers bounce.

 

[Daoud]

Myself, I am constantly bombarded with hat-related terms about which I'm clueless. I'm sure I'm not alone in this! It would be a wonderful thing if someone (or, more than likely, multiple someones) would gather all the necessary terminology and post it as a sticky.........

 

[carter]

from The Handmade Felt Hat by Debbie Henderson, Ph.D. - 2001 Wild Goose Press

To further smooth the hat finish, the surface can be sanded with pumice or emery paper, in a process called pouncing or smoothing. John Thompson describes pouncing as "a term for rubbing down the outside of a hat with a piece of pumice stone, sand paper, or emery paper, whereby the hat is made entirely bare, smooth, and fine, resembling a piece of very fine cloth. These are generally called cassimere hats. This operation is usually performed after dying, and previous to finishing."

There are any number of good books regarding hat making although some are now relatively scarce. This one is available on Ebay. A softcover of 45 pages, it's worth reading and not a big investment.

 

[carter]

References

Good reference work

Also, read threads here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=33563

here:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=13238

here:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=28969

here:
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cg...cle&did=HUMANECOL.MBWOOLLEYHATS.I0001&isize=M

There is a ton of information available to those who spend the time to find and study it. Happy hunting!

 

[suitedcboy]

OK, I stand corrected but now the image is a bunch of kittens licking hat bodies with their coarse tongues. Some industrialist figured out that sandpaper expense could be spared by employing licking kittens!! Far worse than kittens jumping on hat bodies repeatedly!

 

[Woodfluter]

OK, I stand corrected but now the image is a bunch of kittens licking hat bodies with their coarse tongues. Some industrialist figured out that sandpaper expense could be spared by employing licking kittens!! Far worse than kittens jumping on hat bodies repeatedly!

I think you're onto something here. For example, does your hat have a lingering odor of tunafish or seafood buffet? When placed in a cage of mice, do they flee to the far corners? Do dogs sniff and then bark at your hat? Perhaps the secrets of the old hatmakers are about to be revealed.

I envision a frame holding the hat sidewise and slowly rotating past the kittens so they lick the felt in the proper counterclockwise direction.

Note the following:

A Grooming Tool and More
A cat’s ability to groom itself is the result of numerous knobs called papillae on the surface of a cat’s tongue. Located at the tongue’s center, the papillae form backward-facing hooks containing large amounts of keratin, the same material found in human fingernails. These hooks provide the abrasiveness a cat needs for self-grooming.

These little hooks would be far more effective than sandpaper for treating felt. Plus, the kittens would instinctively seek to groom the fur.

A possible research topic for The Journal of Irreproducible Results. (Yes, JIR actually exists and is a hoot if you enjoy scientific silliness).

- Bill

 

[Stoney]

But good lord! watch out for the furballs.

 

[carter]

I mean this in the ha ha, not peculiar, sense.

Bill, You are a very funny fellow! lol lol lol

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Bill, You are a very funny fellow! lol lol lol

Carter, do you mean, like a clown!? Is he here to amuse you?!

I wouldn't take that Bill, if I were you.

 

[carter]

Carter, do you mean, like a clown!? Is he here to amuse you?!

I wouldn't take that Bill, if I were you.

HPG, it is unlike you to stir the pot. shakeshead [bad] Have you, perhaps, sat on a cactus?

Actually, I believe we are here to amuse Bill. And he us. It's mutual. :whistling

There is no need to take what is freely given. :cheers1:

 

[Woodfluter]

For the record, I really am funny in the peculiar sense, and I most certainly am here to amuse you...and share experiences...and BS...and yes, you do amuse me also, so keep it up!

- Bill