Searching for someone to reblock my hat.

[Erehwon]

Hi,

my problem is, that hatblocks, if you find any 59 cm (7 3/8 inch) on ebay are much much expensive, whether they are dirty, old or new. I've got an Christys hat, which needs to be reblocked, but to block it by a hatter would cost more then the whole hat.

I recognized, that not all of you come from USA, so i wanted to ask if someone near germany or in germany has a hatblock and would reblock my hat for 20€ or whatever. The lining and the grosgrain ribbon would be removed by me before.

By the way: i asked a hatter here in my town to block my head. She said, she can't do it because she doesn't have the original Christys hatblock. But i guess, you can use other Hatblocks in the same size as well?


Photo for you to see: it tapered a little bit in front and back.

Greetings

 

[job]

I'm thinking about one of these. http://www.hatshapers.com/Product Pages/Quickview.htm
I believe it is recommended to get one a size small if the sweatband is staying in while blocking.

 

[jbucklin]

I second the recommendation on the hatshaper. The straight-sided dome they offer would work perfectly for that hat. I ordered the 23" size and I too am a 7 3/8 (23").

 

[scottyrocks]

You can put almost any hat on almost any block. The main exception to this is the small-shaped hat on a large block. It could work, though, if you don't pull the hat body all the way down to the bottom of the block. Try to get a block that's about the same size as your hat. I also recommend getting a domed block, not one with a crease already molded or carved into it, but I like to shape my hats my hats by hand, and don't care for the pre-creased teardrops so rampant from today's manufacturers.

 

[TipTop]

As one who spent the afternoon yesterday reshaping for the first time, tall western crowns to slightly lower ones, I am ready for some help. These buy-a-crease forms seem like a good idea, but I think I'd rather go to an open dome and work from there by hand. My problem is I don't know which steps or creases come first and are followed by what procedure (more steam, cooling, crimping, stretching, etc.). Any of you successful re-bashers wanna produce a video on this?

 

[Erehwon]

I never heard of these hatshapers. Look nice! Thank you guys, i try the one in 23'' for my 7 3/8''.

 

[Iyor]

I never heard of these hatshapers. Look nice! Thank you guys, i try the one in 23'' for my 7 3/8''.

You will need a bigger block than 23" to compensate for the sweatband.

 

[Aureliano]

On the rare occasion that I block a hat with the sweatband on, I use a block either half a size or one full size smaller.

 

[scottyrocks]

Not me. I use the proper sized block and fold the sweat band down and out of the hat. The block is built to compensate for a sweat band being sewn in and making the hat 'smaller' than the block, but back to it's accurate size. I want to block the felt, not the sweat band.

 

[scottyrocks]

As one who spent the afternoon yesterday reshaping for the first time, tall western crowns to slightly lower ones, I am ready for some help. These buy-a-crease forms seem like a good idea, but I think I'd rather go to an open dome and work from there by hand. My problem is I don't know which steps or creases come first and are followed by what procedure (more steam, cooling, crimping, stretching, etc.). Any of you successful re-bashers wanna produce a video on this?

On a new hat that I'm shaping for the first time, I get an idea of what I want it to look like dry-creasing it, but not as sharply as it will be when it's finished. Then I spray it with water and start working on it. This gives me time to crease it the way I like without having to re-steam. Also, water doesn't present the danger of shrinkage that hot steam does if you overdo it.

I'll usually reshape a hat at night so it has time to dry before I wear it the next day.

 

[Aureliano]

Not me. I use the proper sized block and fold the sweat band down and out of the hat. The block is built to compensate for a sweat band being sewn in and making the hat 'smaller' than the block, but back to it's accurate size. I want to block the felt, not the sweat band.

hmm... I'm not a hatter here--maybe Art could add up his opinion-- but if you're blocking just the body, no sweat, sure use the block with the size you want the body to be. Say if you're blocking a 7 1/8 with the sweatband attached, a 7 1/8 block just won't fit.
Also trying to fold a vintage sweatband down could be a bad idea. Better to remove it, reblock the hat and sew it anew.

 

[scottyrocks]

True, the sweat band needs to be in good enough condition to be folded down and out of the hat and not fall apart. If it's not, I would replace it anyway when I reblocked the hat.

 

[Erehwon]

Ok, so, sweatband folded out, use same size as your hat, done?

 

[Erehwon]

Sorry for the second post, but:

US 7 3/8 '' = UK 7 1/4'' = 59 cm = 23'' circumstance?

I second the recommendation on the hatshaper. The straight-sided dome they offer would work perfectly for that hat. I ordered the 23" size and I too am a 7 3/8 (23").

Do you have any experience with the block so far?

 

[scottyrocks]

Ok, so, sweatband folded out, use same size as your hat, done?

Yes, that's how I do it, and it works. US 7 3/8 does = 59cm = 23". I'm not sure about the UK 7-and-a-fraction, however.

 

[Erehwon]

Thanks. I am looking forward to hear jbucklins opinion, but i think i will buy the block in the next weeks. New grosgrain ribbon were delivered just today. I try to put light brown ribbon on the dark brown hat. It could look good, hehe...

 

[scottyrocks]

If you don't already have one, buy a thimble, too. Or use a needle nose pliers to grab the needle and spare your fingers.

 

[Erehwon]

You are too late. My fingers hurt. Yesterday evening, i couldn't wait any longer. I changed the ribbon. And for my first ribbon-change, i am pretty comfortable with. Btw: It's NOT golden, it's a light brown ribbon!

Does anyone else have got the Block "Straight Sided Dome" from HAT SHAPERS and could upload some pics. I am interessted in seeing it from other views than the pic they have got there. I think, it's not a very good pic....

 

[Art Fawcett]

hmm... I'm not a hatter here--maybe Art could add up his opinion-- but if you're blocking just the body, no sweat, sure use the block with the size you want the body to be. Say if you're blocking a 7 1/8 with the sweatband attached, a 7 1/8 block just won't fit.
Also trying to fold a vintage sweatband down could be a bad idea. Better to remove it, reblock the hat and sew it anew.

I've seen it done both ways Gents but I have to tell you it takes a really good sweatband and some very patient hands to get the full sized block into the hat with sweat still in. I've never been happy with the results so I've always pulled the sweat before blocking but that's just me.

The block shaper should work well . Since you are in Germany & I know no hatters there ( I'm sure there are, I just don't know any) I can't be of much help.

 

[jbucklin]

Here are some pics of the straight sided dome from hatshapers.com. Hope this helps.

And here are some pics of hats I reshaped on the dome: