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The Conversion Corral

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Fixed the white thread on the Westlite bow Terry. Shipping today.

haru4asy.jpg



"Faint hat never won fair lady."
Thanks John! That's really nice! You did a fantastic job with that bow! I can't wait to perch that on my head!
 

bloc

One of the Regulars
Messages
199
Location
Llandovery, Wales, UK
Well, this one has been an unfinished project for a while. With all the horrible weather in Chicago the last 5-6 days or so, I pretty much just stayed in my house and didn't leave. With all that time on my hands, I decided to finish this project once and for all.

This hat started its life as a hat that I made at Fedorafest a couple years back at Buckaroo Hatters. Bill, Robert, and I were allowed to make our own hats and it was a wonderful experience. The hat body I chose was 100% RABBIT and at Mikes shop, I sanded this body down to about 1/2 its weight initially. The body wasn't a western body, but it was a thicker weight dress body that I wanted to make much lighter.


Here's what I made at Fedorafest a couple years back......





It was a 3 inch brim with a 1/4 inch curl and a 6 inch open crown. The block was a bit rounder than I liked, but I wore it this way for a while.


About a year later, I converted the hat into a 30's Style fedora with a high rear brim flange. I kept the ribbon and the crown shape, but the crown had tapered and I found that I never really wore the hat. The brim was cut to 2 1/4 inches and the crown had rounded out to 5 3/4.







Fast forward 4 months after those pics were taken, I decided I wanted something else out of the hat. I took the hat apart completely. I sanded about 1/4 more weight off the hat body and made it into a lightweight felt. The finish is velvety and buttery and smooth as glass. I blocked the hat out to 5 7/8 with one block and then took a second block and just blocked the top down flatter which yielded a total crown height of 5 5/8 - 5 3/4 SQUARED/FLAT top. The brim had to be used for this extra crown material, so I was left with a total brim width of 2 inches.

I then took a 1950's Borsalino brown ribbon, washed it with soap, ironed it, and attached it to the hat. I also used the 50's Borso bow, but I frayed one of the edges to give the hat a 1930's feel. The sweatband was one of my favorite parts. I bought a really high quality leather sweatband from a distributor, rubbed the leather with mink oil to darken it, punched vent holes every 1/4 inch, taped the rear seam, put a vintage brown sweatband bow on, and used a vintage wind trolley for lacing up the rear sweatband seam. The sweatband was a TON of work, but it really give it that vintage feel.

Here it is...........













This is such a great hat "story". I love the most recent incarnation, it is a beautiful piece of work. Do you think you're done with it now or should you never say never?
 

John Galt

Vendor
Messages
2,080
Location
Chico
Thanks for the comments on the Westlite, gents. I think Terry will really like this hat. Slight hitch with the ROTLA, but that will follow tomorrow. One or the other of us will post photos.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."
 

bond

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,535
Location
Third coast
Thanks man o kent,I just wanted to try another look the first time around, I am more attracted to the diamonds in the rough un common look more than the common look, but it's the more popular aesthetics that's easier to sell in the long run.
Either way it's all good.
Cheers
 

John Galt

Vendor
Messages
2,080
Location
Chico
Cross posting photos of my nearly finished Stetson Nutria conversion. This was a really stained & beat up cowboy hat once.

9aqu3yhu.jpg


uqa4uby6.jpg


And also the ROTLA hat I sent Terry today.

segebeby.jpg


yhyvubup.jpg


3epuhevu.jpg





"Faint hat never won fair lady."
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Cross posting photos of my nearly finished Stetson Nutria conversion. This was a really stained & beat up cowboy hat once.

9aqu3yhu.jpg


uqa4uby6.jpg


And also the ROTLA hat I sent Terry today.

segebeby.jpg


yhyvubup.jpg


3epuhevu.jpg





"Faint hat never won fair lady."

Wow! Looks like you're coming right along on that brim binding. Looks really good! Now that you've got that brim binding down we're going to have to chat about a Tom Hardy hat conversion! ;)

Tom Hardy hat.jpg
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
As promised here's pics of the Indy conversion that John Galt did for me. It started out as a Resistol 4X Stagecoach Western which I bought a while back from a fellow and new Lounge member, Kingrat....one thing I particularly like about this hat is the super soft leather sweat John G. put in it. The hat fits perfect! In following Kingrat's lead, I chose to reuse the original lining and sweat bow....Thanks again John G. You did a great job on this hat!

2k35.jpg


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hatguy1

One Too Many
Messages
1,145
Location
Da Pairee of da prairee
As promised here's pics of the Indy conversion that John Galt did for me. It started out as a Resistol 4X Stagecoach Western which I bought a while back from a fellow and new Lounge member, Kingrat....one thing I particularly like about this hat is the super soft leather sweat John G. put in it. The hat fits perfect! In following Kingrat's lead, I chose to reuse the original lining and sweat bow....Thanks again John G. You did a great job on this hat!

2k35.jpg


Fine looking Indy.
 

bond

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,535
Location
Third coast
Here's one I just finished . This is a Stetson Homburg that was a wreck to begin with. Gave it a gas bath, re sized it up from 1/8 to a 1/2 . Original ribbons were faded so I went with a set off an idea from a 1927 color combo in mens hats book. Nice tall crown is still nearly 6" and brim is 2 3/4. Excellent felt to work with.




 

bond

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,535
Location
Third coast
Thank you guys . At first I thought this was a green hat but here is the original ribbon un faded side against felt. I guess the felt is really more of a tan.
 

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