Rebashing Modern Stetsons, Dobbs, etc.

[jbucklin]

Living so close (like---7 minutes) to the Hatco Outlet in Garland, I've ended up with quite a few modern Stetsons that I got on the cheap. Now that I have a couple of VS masterpieces I have become quite fond of the tall, non-tapered look of the classic fedoras of the 30s. I was preparing to start selling some of the Stetsons (and one Dobbs) that I never wear because of the unbearable tapered "conehead" look but thought I might experiment with a little rebashing.

Here's a Stetson Saxon:

A Dobbs Dayton:

A Stetson Firenze:

And a Stetson Temple:

I recreased them with a diamond crease---they all came with center-dent creases:

Sorry about the crappy MacBook camera photos.

Anyway, suggestions? Comments? Am I wasting my time, or actually sort of pulling it off?

 

[Chepstow]

Good work jbucklin. The hats looks good. Nothing to see about " conehead "

 

[MikePotts]

I think that one looks MUCH better and if it gets it more 'head time' then it is definitely not a waste of time. I'd be at Hatco Outlet all the time looking for 7 3/8 deals if I lived close too!

MP

 

[monbla256]

They all look good and are somewhat "straighter " looking crqwn wise but are not the 30's look IMHO. You need to get some Adventurer or Federation Akubra's and cut the brims down and put C-crown or Teardrop creases in 'em to get that look.

 

[jbucklin]

They all look good and are somewhat "straighter " looking crqwn wise but are not the 30's look IMHO. You need to get some Adventurer or Federation Akubra's and cut the brims down and put C-crown or Teardrop creases in 'em to get that look.

Oh yeah, I don't even believe they have that 30s look but do think it's an improvement overall. I do own an Akubra Deluxe Fed IV, a Stetson Nostalgia and the two Art Fawcett hats I mentioned, both of which have 5 1/2" crowns. I also have a Stetson Chatham and a modern Whippet, both of which I am happy with---not too much taper and nice proportions for modern hats. My next two purchases will most likely be a Bluegrass Green Campdraft and then maybe a Borsalino Film---the light grey one looks beautiful. Freakin' expensive though!

 

[tonyb]

Yup, putting a diamond in what had been a center dent often does give the crown a more straight-up-and-down look, especially when viewed from the front. That's 'cuz that top treatment tends to push out the sides at their upper reaches. You know, it gets wider at the top while the bottom (at the band line) stays the same, resulting in a less-tapered look.

 

[jbucklin]

You're right Tony. I think the tendency is to think of factory creases as being permanent, thus either never wearing the hat and/or eventually selling it. I think I'll keep them. I know you are a serious hatter, so do you think these are an improvement over the stock Steston conehead crown that we all love to hate so much?

 

[Benzadmiral]

An inspiration for me, jbucklin, as I have two Temples I can't bear to part with, but don't wear much any more. Hmmm . . . I can't imagine you were able to rebash them dry. Did you spray/steam 'em and open the crowns up, then immediately put in the new creases?

 

[jbucklin]

I mostly sprayed them till they were pretty soaked, and then worked them into diamond creases without having to open them up. Much easier than I thought --- especially with the Temple since the felt is much more pliable than the others. The Temple also came out looking taller.

 

[monbla256]

Oh yeah, I don't even believe they have that 30s look but do think it's an improvement overall. I do own an Akubra Deluxe Fed IV, a Stetson Nostalgia and the two Art Fawcett hats I mentioned, both of which have 5 1/2" crowns. I also have a Stetson Chatham and a modern Whippet, both of which I am happy with---not too much taper and nice proportions for modern hats. My next two purchases will most likely be a Bluegrass Green Campdraft and then maybe a Borsalino Film---the light grey one looks beautiful. Freakin' expensive though!

Check out some of the "Reject" Adventurers that DM has for under $100.00 on his site, with a brim size trim, you could get that 30's look you want quite economicaly. My preference is for the mid to late 40's with wider brims and shorter crowns.

 

[jbucklin]

Oh yeah, I've seen that hat at DM. Very tempting indeed.

 

[tonyb]

You're right Tony. I think the tendency is to think of factory creases as being permanent, thus either never wearing the hat and/or eventually selling it. I think I'll keep them. I know you are a serious hatter, so do you think these are an improvement over the stock Steston conehead crown that we all love to hate so much?

I'm about as particular about these matters (well, almost as particular anyway) as just about anyone. But I have to remind myself that a hat is first and foremost just a hat, an item of attire to be donned for the protection of its wearer, and beyond that to reflect his sense of style and, truth be said, to appeal to his vanity. So I keep several hats for use in inclement weather and for when I might expect to see a bit of dirt and grime and such, thus sparing the more precious lids such life-shortening treatment.

Still, if I'm going to get wet and/or dirty, I'd prefer looking as good as I reasonably can while doing so. So of course I'd prefer a more stylish beater hat over a less stylish one. And yeah, to my eye, introducing a bit more verticality to those modern Stetsons improves their look.

As you've noted, turning a center dent to a diamond usually doesn't require opening up the crown entirely. You can usually leave the center dent as is and just make another crease perpendicular to it, about two-thirds of the way toward the back.

 

[T Rick]

For those who want to go a bit further, let's not forget Mr. Dean's approach to the modern Stratoliner. He reblocked the hat on a Hat Shaper, giving it more straight sided appeal. A thought for those who are determined to "have it their way" with a modern Stetson.

 

[scottyrocks]

As you've noted, turning a center dent to a diamond usually doesn't require opening up the crown entirely. You can usually leave the center dent as is and just make another crease perpendicular to it, about two-thirds of the way toward the back.

Yep, that's how I do it.

 

[DesertDan]

Yep, looks much better. I had my Firenze recreased into a teardrop crown which straightened it a bit. But it still has a pronounced taper to it.