The best hat jack in the world!

[avedwards]

Anybody ever heard the term "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"? What if we tried "Marc and John, that's a really nice piece of workmanship you've got there, and I can appreciate the thought behind it, but it's just a little to far out of my price-range." Seriously, some people (grown men!) around here whine like a bunch of armchair quarterbacks... I don't see anybody else around here making improvements to a product that people have complained about in the past, yet you want to tell John Penman he's doing it wrong? Give me a break...

It's a beatiful piece, John. Unfortunately, the second sentiment I wrote above is my own I'm cut off after the last OR I bought


The rest of you who can't criticize something without ripping it to shreds, just grow up.

-AFI

Reading this makes me think I owe Mr Penman an apology for my earlier post which may have seemed to criticise his creation. My post was only intended to show a way of getting around the problem of lack of feet most stretchers have. I can't comment on any of the other design features as I have never had to use a stretcher before as my one fedora has never had any shrinkage problem as it only shrank the half size I wanted it to to fit me.

As far as this stretcher is concerned I may get one when I buy a Penman hat which I still intend to do one day once I have sufficient funds, which will hopefully be by Christmas.

 

[cookie]

Reading this makes me think I owe Mr Penman an apology for my earlier post which may have seemed to criticise his creation. My post was only intended to show a way of getting around the problem of lack of feet most stretchers have. I can't comment on any of the other design features as I have never had to use a stretcher before as my one fedora has never had any shrinkage problem as it only shrank the half size I wanted it to to fit me.

As far as this stretcher is concerned I may get one when I buy a Penman hat which I still intend to do one day once I have sufficient funds, which will hopefully be by Christmas.

You have nothing to apologise about Bending Oak was being a little hypersenstive and precious as J in C pointed out.

 

[Woodfluter]

I have no problem with someone saying they don't like a product but it's another thing when I send a gift to a friend and he is is happy and thankful. Wants to share with everyone and I end up taking it on the chin. If someone can do better please do so. At least I'm trying.

Truly, if I've caused offense it was unintentional and I really am sorry.

I have put a lot of work into making things and understand the investment of thought and labor.

My work requires me to critique other's ideas, and in return propose schemes of my own that receive pointed critiques. I'm comfortable with all that and believe it leads to better outcomes, but it might leave me without sufficient sensitivity to the feelings of those from a different background.

It's an exceptionally well-made stretcher, as I can see from the pictures. Far more nicely finished than any other I've seen.

There may be things about its construction that I didn't appreciate fully, and would sure like to hear about those considerations. For example, in addition to the sizing markers it looks like you might have incorporated a cam-action (red handle thingy) to quickly lock it in or release the pressure? That's quite nice if so. Maybe you felt you needed to include as much mass as you did for some reason...no pressure here, but you could explain it a bit and maybe we'd all understand and want one!

- Bill

 

[Woodfluter]

1. Every one of my hats, vintage & modern, shrink after drying from a sweaty usage. Guess my sweat reacts with leather differently. These are mainly Stetsons, new & old, & Akubras with a few Resistols.
2. Reminds me of vintage ones that I have & like plus the roundness on the sides as somebody mentioned.
3. I have cheap stands that I wish had a built in re-sizer.

Re sweatband shrinkage...this has me baffled. You surely aren't alone - other comments indicate this is pretty common.

Here's a shot of the inside of a Banjo Paterson I've been wearing every day for the past week. The weather has been hot and humid - heat index today 97F and I sweat a lot.



See the wrinkles on the inside (free) edge? They don't go away or smooth out like they would if it shrank, if it lost circumference. Same for the others I have. This is typical although they don't all have the wrinkles!

I've seen newer Resistols shrink but that was the felt. I've gotten vintage hats that had apparently shrunk, but this seemed to be only the felt. The sweatband was rippled, indicating it had not shrunk - as much. I mostly want a stretcher for the latter. To keep them stretched back into form.

I really like the size markings too, and think incorporating all this into an adjustable hat stand might be a winner! Wonder if the makers have pondered this alternative, not little feet but rather a base and a rod to keep it up and away from clutter on top of a desk or chest of drawers. Think I might buy something like that if were available.

Rounder top, and if it had a cam-action lever, you could just plop it on casually most of the time, or alternatively position it more carefully and lever on the tension to bring it back to size? Just a thought.

- Bill

 

[airforceindy]

Maybe you should cut back on the coffee, your attack mode is on overdrive.

My apologies then, sir, it wasn't meant to be an attack. Marc was sharing a prized gift with all of us... which seemed to morph into "Why would you want that?", "Why would you pay that much?", "Mine does it better!", and "Blah blah blah..." useless (and insulting in John's case) banter that should've been just us telling Marc that we're happy that he's happy with it! That's all I was getting at, not trying to be a jerk...

-AFI

 

[John in Covina]

It's tough because we don't always know the manner it which something is meant. And there is as you said, more than one way to say the same thing and they can be said in a way that can be easier to take.

Such as , great construction but I was wondering if it would be posible to have some of the same features in a less expensive, lighter weight model?

Not quite as "challenging" maybe.

 

[John in Covina]

There used to be a disertation onm one of the vender sites about using the heat of an incandescent bulb to shrink the Akubra sweats to size. I know that my first two Akubras are a little small now and I use a jack on them occassionally when they seem too tight.

 

[bendingoak]

Many corporations pay big bucks to hear how to make improvements to their products.

When I hear a good idea , then I'll send the check.

The whole point of the legs is that you don't have to go around the house looking for a cup to prop up your jack. If thats what you want to do , thats fine. I wanted to make a nice piece. This hat jack doesn't need to be lighter because , again it has legs. I personally don't like the hand crack jacks, so I changed it to what I think is better.

Thanks for all those who have said some very kind words and for the Monday morning quarterback. Time to get on the playing field.