Technical Hat Terms

[SamReu]

Fellow Loungers, I need a glossary of hat terms, i.e., I need to know what each part of a hat is called. I am familiar with the "pinch," of course, but want to be certain of every other part. It's for publication, so I want it to be right. Thanks, as always.

 

[RedPop4]

brim....the extending "flat" part of the hat from the crown to an edge, giving the wearer a modicum of shade.

crown....the top part of the hat which is positioned at the top of the wearer's head

sweatband....the band of material, most commonly made of leather, that is sewn into the bottom of the crown inside the hat, which sits against the wearer's head.

hat band....decorative element which circles the bottom of the crown on the exterior of the hat; it can be made of ribbon, leather, cord, feathers or other material.

wind trolley....a cord attached to a hat, usually wrapped beneath the band or ribbon, it has a button on the loose end which is inserted in a button-hole on the wearer's jacket or shirt to prevent the wind from blowing the hat away from the wearer.


I'm certain our hatters have better offerings than my daffynitions, but I'd thought I'd help get you rolling.

 

[Orgetorix]

Crease or Bash: the shape of the indentations or depressions made in the crown. Examples are center-dent, diamond, c-crown or teardrop, etc.

Liner: The material, usually satin, covering and protecting the inside of the crown.

Bow: The bow at the side of a hat with a ribbon, usually on the left side of a man's hat.

Bound edge: The edge of the brim is covered with a ribbon.

Overwelt: The edge of the brim is folded back on itself towards the top of the hat and stitched down.

Underwelt: The edge of the brim is folded back on itself towards the underside of the hat and stitched down.

Raw edge: The edge of the brim is plain, with none of the above treatments.

 

[RedPop4]

I thought that "bash" was a TFL term. I seem to recall Art Fawcett and other hatters mentioning that term as an amatuer term, and not one the hatters use.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Well Redpop, you are right to a point. I had not heard the term till joining the Lounge. It was always called the "crease" in America but the term originates from Australian hatters ( learned on the Lounge) and has caught on with many Americans. Most hatters I know don't use it but to exlude our profesional Aussie brothers would be wrong.
Sam, so far you've gotten good info without getting too technical. If you have more specific needs feel free to ask.

 

[Orgetorix]

Duly noted.

 

[RedPop4]

Thanks for clarifying that for me, Art. :cheers1:

 

[griffer]

"Hand blocking thingy"- this is the term i used late one night while explaining the difference between cheap wool and fur felt. Words failed me, so took my Akubra from a center dent to a tight pinch tear drop in about 15 minutes with the kettle. And so I says, "Sheeee, that'sh what i mean! You can't do that hand-blocking-thingy wif any old scheep scheep's wool hat!"

Only amatuers with a good supply of scotch should attempt this form of communication.

 

[Art Fawcett]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

lol lol lol

 

[Stoney]

Actually griffer....

You can do that with a sheep wool hat. It just requires more steam, use a pan rather than a kettle, but can be done in about the same amount of time. Another thing, once set, the wool hat will retain it's shape very well. In fact it's set like concrete so don't try to bash it by hand without steam. The real difference between wool and beaver hats is that the wool ones are hard, while the beaver is soft. The wool ones droop badly if they are drenched with water while the beaver tolerates a soaking rather well. I think that makes sense since beavers live in the water, until we kill them to make hats, while sheep are really non aquatic creatures. Either way I'm not one to pooo poo anyone who wears a wool hat. In dryer climates they work quite well and are fine as long as you accept the stiff feel for what it is.

 

[griffer]

Oh, boo, Stoney. Suck the funny right out of my lungs like a pan of ice water to the face. -sigh-

Ok, my only experience will sheeps wool hats has been that the hats don't hold up and you can't wear them in the rain. I would be terrified to try the drunken-hand-shapey-thingy with one, lest it shrivel up to a size only suitable for teddy bears and pet costumes.

 

[Stoney]

Ha Ha,,

griffer, Please stop you're killing me. All seriousness aside, I get a kick out of every post you write. Keep it up.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Hat Glossary of Terms

Has anyone ever put together a thread defining common hat terms? It would be helpful for us newbies to refer to and could include:

Hat types,
Hat construction terms - lining, ribbon, bows, sweat bands, feathers in all their varieties,
Bash types & shapes,
Edge binding types - cavanagh, mode edge, overwelt, etc
Hat maintenance, cleaning and repair terms and tools

What we need is a hat dictionary folks! Any takers to start building one?

 

[Dinerman]

Check these threads out. Any other terms you're wondering about?


Start Here: Links to Important Hat Forum Threads

Fedora Glossary
Technical Hat Terms
Hat Creases
Cavanagh Edge Primer

 

[Lefty]

There are far, far too many variables and varieties of every part of a hat. Check out the Start Here sticky thread for some basics.

edit: beat!

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Good Grief Dinerman! (Sounds like a super-hero for the cafe society!) That's more than enough hat dictionaries.
Thanks for digging them out for me.
Cheers
Neil

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

There are far, far too many variables and varieties of every part of a hat. Check out the Start Here sticky thread for some basics.

edit: beat!

C'mon now Lefty, you only really need a glossary when there are lots of variables!

But...as Diner ponts out, there are already several threads. I just couldnt find 'em in my hasty search.