Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The Conversion Corral

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,789
Location
Central Ohio
Just finished converting a Resistol Western, thanks to Anthony who gave the hat to me. I reblocked the crown and sized it up from a 7 1/8 to a 7 1/4, swapped out the sweat from a Stagecoach I had, and used a black two ply thin ribbon I had laying around. The brim was cut down to 2 3/4 and reflanged. It's creased in a Teardrop, 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4.

Resistol_Western_Conversion_2.jpg
Resistol_Western_Conversion_3.jpg


Resistol_Western_Conversion_4.jpg
Resistol_Western_Conversion_5.jpg


On the head...
Resistol_Western_Conversion_1.jpg
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
I agree with Esther that a rounding jack is not strictly a necessity for achieving acceptable results and with Dogman that, if you have some woodworking skills and scrap wood, you can make yourself a jack that will work just fine. I used a compass with a white tailor's pencil and an exacto knife for my first few brim trims, but when I got busy making multiple hats that process didn't make sense time wise so it was into the shop to develop a sturdy, adjustable jack. Even with a proper rounding jack, though, I soon found out that there is some skill involved to make sure the end cut meets the starting cut and there is always a certain margin for error. Still, if you just gotta have a rounding jack, shoot me a PM.

View attachment 69249
That rounding jack is eye pleasing as well as working great! More than a few times we have wished like hell we would have saved a bit and purchased on. I just cannot imagine anyone wanting to cut down a brim and not having one to use. And looking at the finish on yours...amazing for the price!
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
Just finished converting a Resistol Western, thanks to Anthony who gave the hat to me. I reblocked the crown and sized it up from a 7 1/8 to a 7 1/4, swapped out the sweat from a Stagecoach I had, and used a black two ply thin ribbon I had laying around. The brim was cut down to 2 3/4 and reflanged. It's creased in a Teardrop, 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4.

Resistol_Western_Conversion_2.jpg
Resistol_Western_Conversion_3.jpg


Resistol_Western_Conversion_4.jpg
Resistol_Western_Conversion_5.jpg


On the head...
Resistol_Western_Conversion_1.jpg
DANG! You are really very good at what you do to those hats! Amazing!
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
[URL=http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/LoveMyHats2/media/IMAG4930_zpsbk6fpxnx.jpg.html] [/URL]

I was able to get Daniel up and ready for going to some Medical Appointments and set up his phone for some picture taking....and had him wear his BOND fixed up hat from above in this thread topic. This hat looks so nice, and as a silverbelly it goes well with many sports coats or suits Daniel wears. Here he is wearing it with a 1957 Sharkskin suit. This hat has some height in the crown! Elevator UP! Bond's work is nicer than I can capture with a cell phone picture.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,789
Location
Central Ohio


I was able to get Daniel up and ready for going to some Medical Appointments and set up his phone for some picture taking....and had him wear his BOND fixed up hat from above in this thread topic. This hat looks so nice, and as a silverbelly it goes well with many sports coats or suits Daniel wears. Here he is wearing it with a 1957 Sharkskin suit. This hat has some height in the crown! Elevator UP! Bond's work is nicer than I can capture with a cell phone picture.
The Silverbelly color and that suit just goes absolutely great together. I really like that combo. I'd like to get a better look at that sport coat Daniel's wearing, too.
 

LuvMyMan

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
4,558
Location
Michigan
The Sharkskin Suit has one hell of a history and I was so lucky to obtain it. It was made at least before 1957. It comes from a clothing store in Reno-Sparks Nevada. It is easy to date for many reasons. The store's name is Patersons...a bad gas leak in the center of the down town exploded, killing a few people and blowing a few cars around, and of course, burned down a few buildings....here is a link to that history. I purchased this from a family member of Paterson's that had a few suits and ties and shoes and belts and wallets all from the same time period that had never been worn and were in a house storage area instead of the shop!

Link to the history...very interesting events....
http://karlbreckenridge.com/2014/01/26/the-1957-downtown-reno-fire/
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
The Sharkskin Suit has one hell of a history and I was so lucky to obtain it. It was made at least before 1957. It comes from a clothing store in Reno-Sparks Nevada. It is easy to date for many reasons. The store's name is Patersons...a bad gas leak in the center of the down town exploded, killing a few people and blowing a few cars around, and of course, burned down a few buildings....here is a link to that history. I purchased this from a family member of Paterson's that had a few suits and ties and shoes and belts and wallets all from the same time period that had never been worn and were in a house storage area instead of the shop!

Link to the history...very interesting events....
http://karlbreckenridge.com/2014/01/26/the-1957-downtown-reno-fire/
Wow! That jacket has some great history. A story to go with that superior hat. Crown to the clouds!
 

Scooterz

Practically Family
Messages
847
Location
The Great Plains
Just finished converting a Resistol Western, thanks to Anthony who gave the hat to me. I reblocked the crown and sized it up from a 7 1/8 to a 7 1/4, swapped out the sweat from a Stagecoach I had, and used a black two ply thin ribbon I had laying around. The brim was cut down to 2 3/4 and reflanged. It's creased in a Teardrop, 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4.

Resistol_Western_Conversion_2.jpg
Resistol_Western_Conversion_3.jpg


Resistol_Western_Conversion_4.jpg
Resistol_Western_Conversion_5.jpg


On the head...
Resistol_Western_Conversion_1.jpg
Wow that looks great!
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,789
Location
Central Ohio
Giving this 4X Stetson western that moon gave me another go around. I sized it down from a 7 3/8 to a 7 1/4. No problem. Went to take it off the block last week only to find that the inside of the hat was glued. I gave it another shot, only this time I blocked it inside out and got the glue cleaned off....

Before, when I took it off the block last week revealing that the crown was glued inside.
IMG_5405.jpg


After, on the block drying, once again. Only this time it's turned inside out and the glue is cleaned off.
IMG_5494.jpg
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
Giving this 4X Stetson western that moon gave me another go around. I sized it down from a 7 3/8 to a 7 1/4. No problem. Went to take it off the block last week only to find that the inside of the hat was glued. I gave it another shot, only this time I blocked it inside out and got the glue cleaned off....

Before, when I took it off the block last week revealing that the crown was glued inside.
IMG_5405.jpg


After, on the block drying, once again. Only this time it's turned inside out and the glue is cleaned off.
IMG_5494.jpg
Nice going,Terry,it looks brand new.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,140
Messages
3,074,937
Members
54,121
Latest member
Yoshi_87
Top