Surgery on a Mallory...

[Aureliano]

I've been searching for a brim cutter for a long time. Nothing. So I went the Gene way (thank you for the inspiration! ) and did it myself. First of all, let me tell you that I was terrified. I love this hat but its 3 inch. brim was just too big for me. I decided to trim it to a 2 1/2 inch.

Before picture, bad fluorescent lightning near my piano:

Step one: I used a beater and nested it tight inside the Mallory.

Step two: I said a prayer to the demiurge and proceeded with brand new scissors to slowly, and I mean sloooowly cut the brim following the edge of the beater. Notice that the Mallory had a thin sewn line around the brim, which had to be sacrificed . This is how much I trimmed:

After sanding the new edge: (thanks to my wife for suggesting taking the pictures in the bathroom where, :eusa_doh: , we have regular bulbs) I wonder if you can tell the difference in brim size from the pictures
[huh]

All in all, I'm thrilled with the results and somehow proud of my pulse! guess what hat I'll be wearing tomorrow!

 

[RBH]

I think you did good!!!
Looks great! And it will now be worn!!
Cant beat that!!!

 

[tonyb]

Congratulations on what appears to be a neat job.

Brim cutting is almost always an anxiety-inducing undertaking. Even with a rounding jack it's still frightfully screwupable. The key, as I've learned through bitter experience, is in the preparation. Once that's done, the cutting itself takes but a matter of seconds. (Again, with the right tools.)

 

[mayserwegener]

Looks fine to me too. :eusa_clap

 

[Aureliano]

Congratulations on what appears to be a neat job.

Brim cutting is almost always an anxiety-inducing undertaking. Even with a rounding jack it's still frightfully screwupable. The key, as I've learned through bitter experience, is in the preparation. Once that's done, the cutting itself takes but a matter of seconds. (Again, with the right tools.)

Yes, very frightening. And with a pair of scissors it took what seemed a half an hour! I still want to own a rounding jack, though.

 

[Ordinary Guy]

You are much braver than I sir....

 

[Aureliano]

Thanks Rusty, Tonyb and Mayserwegener

 

[Aureliano]

 

[CRH]

Excellent, Aureliano. Nice lid.

One of these days, with the right hat, I'll get the nerve.

 

[Aureliano]

Thanks CRH. Guys check this one out (in case you haven't already)

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/7047

 

[fluteplayer07]

You are very brave. I never could have done that to mine! It does look very nice. You've got a steady hand- it looks perfect. I do like the newly edited brim, better.

 

[RobFedoraField]

gotta do it..

I've been eyeing a akubra snowy river that's on clearance ($40) at a local tack shop, but the brim is way too big on me. I've thought about cutting it down to 2 1/2 inches and flipping it up in the rear and putting a dark brown ribbon it it.

I think I may have to mozey over there this weekend...

 

[tonyb]

Thanks CRH. Guys check this one out (in case you haven't already)

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/7047

Yup, Mark DeCou makes some nice stuff. A touch on the spendy side, but the quality of the materials and workmanship justifies the price. Besides the rounding jacks, he also makes foot tollickers and curling shackles and puller downers and runner downers (gotta love the names of those hat-making tools, eh?) and band blocks. It's great that someone is able and willing to produce these tools, seeing how they haven't been mass produced in several decades and the old ones can be difficult to locate.

Speaking of band blocks ... a rounding jack doesn't do you much good without them (unless you happen to be making or refurbishing a hat with a crown exactly the same height as the crown block you're using) because you have to have something unyielding for the rounding jack to push against. So, unless you happen upon a screaming deal on a rounding jack and band blocks, the cost wouldn't seem worth it. But those brim cutters you see at Western wear shops are considerably less expensive and would do a satisfactory job in most cases. But some brims aren't of uniform width all the way around. (I ain't talkin' "dimensional" brims here, either. I mean uneven brims as a result of sloppy manufacturing.) So, it a brim started out uneven, it would remain uneven if it were trimmed with one of those little brim cutter gizmos.

 

[Aureliano]

Tony, any link for a brim cutter from a western store? cannot find any!

 

[tonyb]

Tony, any link for a brim cutter from a western store? cannot find any!

Try this, page 67 of their online catalog.

http://www.noconabelts.com/Online-Catalog.aspx

 

[Mario]

You're a braver man than me, Aureliano, you really are...and you did a very good job, too! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Now go out and wear it!

 

[Aureliano]

You're a braver man than me, Aureliano, you really are...and you did a very good job, too! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Now go out and wear it!

Thanks, Mario. I will be wearing it tomorrow! can't wait!

 

[Aureliano]

Try this, page 67 of their online catalog.

http://www.noconabelts.com/Online-Catalog.aspx

Interesting little thing, Tony. Do you know how it works?

 

[tonyb]

Interesting little thing, Tony. Do you know how it works?

I don't have one, and I've never used one. But I've seen 'em, at Byrnie Utz (that legendary hat retailer in downtown Seattle) and at Western wear shops. Looks like there's a blade that cuts off an eighth or a quarter inch with each pass, depending on model. Looks pretty easy.

Should you buy one, let me know how much it set you back. I can see having use for one.

 

[Aureliano]

I don't have one, and I've never used one. But I've seen 'em, at Byrnie Utz (that legendary hat retailer in downtown Seattle) and at Western wear shops. Looks like there's a blade that cuts off an eighth or a quarter inch with each pass, depending on model. Looks pretty easy.

Should you buy one, let me know how much it set you back. I can see having use for one.

It looks weird. It almost looks like an exacto blade with a fancy case. Doesn't seem very helpful. I wonder if it has a way to secure the brim in position... it costs almost $60!
I think I can make do with my method... I paid $10.50 for the scissors at staples[huh]