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The Conversion Corral

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
I wasn't exactly satisfied with the way the brim turned out on my 4X Western Stetson conversion that Moon gave me. I got the brim flange out again and reworked it. Looks a whole lot better this second time around...

On the flange. Ironed out and cooling.
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_3.jpg


After letting it cool for a while I took it off the flange and snapped the front down.
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_11.jpg


I scavanged the ribbon and bow off of a modern Stetson Whippet.
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_5.jpg


Stetson_4_X_Reflange_6.jpg


Stetson_4_X_Reflange_9.jpg


Stetson_4_X_Reflange_4.jpg


On the head...
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_on_head_4.jpg



 

Fed in a Fedora

Practically Family
Messages
739
Location
Dixie, USA
Off the block. Sized up. Sweat band in and ready to crease and then to sew on the ribbon. Always check the inside of the hat for semetry as you're creasing.
IMG_20170512_103408465_HDR.jpg
IMG_20170512_110020228_HDR.jpg


I was pretty bummed out over this Bradford OR clone. It was originally a 7 1/8 and I needed to size it up to a 7 1/4. I had planned to sew the thin ribbon back on it and then this happened....
IMG_20170512_082842687_HDR.jpg


When I was stretching the hat over the block it ripped on me. No amount of glue and fur fluff was going to hide this, let alone hold it together. I didn't want to throw it away since it was nice felt. So I taped it together and sewed it and hid the stitching under a bronze colored mid ribbon. It seems pretty solid. I don't foresee any problems with it. It's just that I wanted that thin ribbon back on it.

Recreased. Resized, and reflanged.
IMG_20170515_145104243_HDR.jpg
IMG_20170515_145521605_HDR.jpg


IMG_20170515_145403370_HDR.jpg
Bradford_Conversion_005.jpg


The pictures aren't very good. I kept the ribbon and bow work plain and simple to accentuate more of the crown. The open crown height is 5 3/4. I gave it a teardrop crease with a tight pinch. It's 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 to the back. The color is Silverbelly with a bronze colored mid ribbon. The brim width is 2 5/8.

On the head
Bradford_Conversion_001.jpg

Actually, I think the mid sized ribbon balances that hat nicely. It is what I would have chosen anyway.

Fed
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
I wasn't exactly satisfied with the way the brim turned out on my 4X Western Stetson conversion that Moon gave me. I got the brim flange out again and reworked it. Looks a whole lot better this second time around...

On the flange. Ironed out and cooling.
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_3.jpg


After letting it cool for a while I took it off the flange and snapped the front down.
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_11.jpg


I scavanged the ribbon and bow off of a modern Stetson Whippet.
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_5.jpg


Stetson_4_X_Reflange_6.jpg


Stetson_4_X_Reflange_9.jpg


Stetson_4_X_Reflange_4.jpg


On the head...
Stetson_4_X_Reflange_on_head_4.jpg


Super job,Terry.
 

Windsock8e

A-List Customer
Messages
472
I wasn't exactly satisfied with the way the brim turned out on my 4X Western Stetson conversion that Moon gave me. I got the brim flange out again and reworked it. Looks a whole lot better this second time around...

On the flange. Ironed out and cooling.
Very nice, looks great. What size flange did you use / do you have?
 

Wesslyn

Practically Family
Messages
836
Location
Monmouth, Illinois
Undertaking my 4th conversion. An old Dynafelt. So far I've gotten the brim trimmed about half an inch, which I need to get trimmed a bit more evenly, a center crease, and a temporary ribbon.
About a 5 1/2 inch crown but a ton of taper. A very wonky brim. And a gash in the felt in the back that mostly covered by the ribbon. Dunno if it should be considered a compromise of the hats physical integrity or not.
Sweatband is dried out, too, and frankly the lowest quality sweatband I've come across on a "real" hat before.
Hoping to get a Fed IV. In the meantime I'll pretend this beater is one.
2017-05-28 18.20.28.jpg
2017-05-28 18.20.39.jpg
2017-05-28 18.20.52.jpg
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
Finished converting this Bradford 7X Quality Westerner last week. I've been wanting a '40s era Stratoliner for quite a while but I don't own a gold mine to bid for a nice one on ebay. Social Security and part time warehouse wages certainly isn't going net me a nice one either. So, I did the next best thing, I converted one from a '50s era Bradford western hat that I had. I have a few blocks so I used one that was closer to the open crown shape of a Stratoliner. The ribbon and bow work was scavenged from another Bradford I have. I wasn't able to scavange the brim binding from the other hat since the brim on my conversion is 2 3/4 and the brim on my donor hat is 2 5/8. So, I had no choice but to go with a raw edge brim. The felt on this hat is phenomenal, easily shaped and not thick and stiff like Westerns today. The particulars on this hat is a 5 3/4 open crown, creased in a C crown. It's 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. The brim is 2 3/4 and flanged with a nicely cupped fedora curl. It's a Silverbelly color with a matching 3/8 thin ribbon...

Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_3.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_10.jpg


Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_5.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_9.jpg


On the head...I'm under a tree so I'm covering up my coffee in case of any surprises being dropped from overhead, and I was thinking of my hat too.
Bradoliner_7_X_Quality_3a.jpg
 

KarlCrow

One Too Many
Finished converting this Bradford 7X Quality Westerner last week. I've been wanting a '40s era Stratoliner for quite a while but I don't own a gold mine to bid for a nice one on ebay. Social Security and part time warehouse wages certainly isn't going net me a nice one either. So, I did the next best thing, I converted one from a '50s era Bradford western hat that I had. I have a few blocks so I used one that was closer to the open crown shape of a Stratoliner. The ribbon and bow work was scavenged from another Bradford I have. I wasn't able to scavange the brim binding from the other hat since the brim on my conversion is 2 3/4 and the brim on my donor hat is 2 5/8. So, I had no choice but to go with a raw edge brim. The felt on this hat is phenomenal, easily shaped and not thick and stiff like Westerns today. The particulars on this hat is a 5 3/4 open crown, creased in a C crown. It's 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. The brim is 2 3/4 and flanged with a nicely cupped fedora curl. It's a Silverbelly color with a matching 3/8 thin ribbon...

Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_3.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_10.jpg


Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_5.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_9.jpg


On the head...I'm under a tree so I'm covering up my coffee in case of any surprises being dropped from overhead, and I was thinking of my hat too.
Bradoliner_7_X_Quality_3a.jpg
great work, it looks new.
 
Messages
15,276
Location
Somewhere south of crazy
Finished converting this Bradford 7X Quality Westerner last week. I've been wanting a '40s era Stratoliner for quite a while but I don't own a gold mine to bid for a nice one on ebay. Social Security and part time warehouse wages certainly isn't going net me a nice one either. So, I did the next best thing, I converted one from a '50s era Bradford western hat that I had. I have a few blocks so I used one that was closer to the open crown shape of a Stratoliner. The ribbon and bow work was scavenged from another Bradford I have. I wasn't able to scavange the brim binding from the other hat since the brim on my conversion is 2 3/4 and the brim on my donor hat is 2 5/8. So, I had no choice but to go with a raw edge brim. The felt on this hat is phenomenal, easily shaped and not thick and stiff like Westerns today. The particulars on this hat is a 5 3/4 open crown, creased in a C crown. It's 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. The brim is 2 3/4 and flanged with a nicely cupped fedora curl. It's a Silverbelly color with a matching 3/8 thin ribbon...

Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_3.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_10.jpg


Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_5.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_9.jpg


On the head...I'm under a tree so I'm covering up my coffee in case of any surprises being dropped from overhead, and I was thinking of my hat too.
Bradoliner_7_X_Quality_3a.jpg
I'd hate to see bird droppings on that one;)
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
Finished converting this Bradford 7X Quality Westerner last week. I've been wanting a '40s era Stratoliner for quite a while but I don't own a gold mine to bid for a nice one on ebay. Social Security and part time warehouse wages certainly isn't going net me a nice one either. So, I did the next best thing, I converted one from a '50s era Bradford western hat that I had. I have a few blocks so I used one that was closer to the open crown shape of a Stratoliner. The ribbon and bow work was scavenged from another Bradford I have. I wasn't able to scavange the brim binding from the other hat since the brim on my conversion is 2 3/4 and the brim on my donor hat is 2 5/8. So, I had no choice but to go with a raw edge brim. The felt on this hat is phenomenal, easily shaped and not thick and stiff like Westerns today. The particulars on this hat is a 5 3/4 open crown, creased in a C crown. It's 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. The brim is 2 3/4 and flanged with a nicely cupped fedora curl. It's a Silverbelly color with a matching 3/8 thin ribbon...

Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_3.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_10.jpg


Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_5.jpg
Bradford_7_X_Conversion_Hat_9.jpg


On the head...I'm under a tree so I'm covering up my coffee in case of any surprises being dropped from overhead, and I was thinking of my hat too.
Bradoliner_7_X_Quality_3a.jpg
You've developed a real touch for conversions,Terry.I can't help but think that your Bradford conversion is very much equal in quality to the '40s strat you've wanted.Wear it proudly that's a heck of a job,imo.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,795
Location
Central Ohio
You've developed a real touch for conversions,Terry.I can't help but think that your Bradford conversion is very much equal in quality to the '40s strat you've wanted.Wear it proudly that's a heck of a job,imo.
Thank you, RJ. I really appreciate the comment.
 

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