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The Conversion Corral

humanshoes

One Too Many
Messages
1,446
Location
Tennessee
I think the powdered dye that I was talking about was just for evening out color where the original dyeing process wasn't applied so smoothly in spots rather than for dyeing the whole hat.
Yep, two separate processes. I'm actually looking to do both. Powdered dye to even out color on finished hats and acid dye to try my hand at getting something close to the blue/gray I love in some of my vintage hats. We'll see what happens.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,786
Location
Central Ohio
Yep, two separate processes. I'm actually looking to do both. Powdered dye to even out color on finished hats and acid dye to try my hand at getting something close to the blue/gray I love in some of my vintage hats. We'll see what happens.
Looking forward to seeing your results.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,786
Location
Central Ohio
My latest project. This is a late '40s - very early '50s Stetson Nutria a friend gave to me a couple of years ago. Not doing anything special with it, just sizing it up and maybe change out the wider ribbon I had on it and possibly go with a thin ribbon. It's seen its better days. The color's faded and there's a weak spot in the back but it's still wearable with plenty of life yet. It's real nice quality vintage felt. Much better than the modern crap that's out there today. Definitely a lost art.

IMG_20180831_081128686.jpg


Nutria_Stetson.jpg
 
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Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
Stetson 4X arrived today and is begging for some sort of conversion.

63ae7ada292f51d7448d5ba7ed1ab54a.png


ca6a361a8c4a3a9bfb6d13b16fabb652.png


6f1d2ce1d19ab1e34fded6389b64b03d.png


The hot glue macrame and leather band completed with a small tasteful feather was hard to part with (he said sarcastically).

A slow painful death to those who use hot glue on fur felt.

11f53a519c88bb89cda033a155671acf.jpg


4cc51ef6df6312906c06e1499747d6b6.jpg


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I steamed it and reshaped it to a long oval and I’ve ironed the brim. I’m not sure yet where I’m going from here, but I’d like to leave it as some kind of western. All I need now is a few hours picking hot glue from the felt. I just received 50 yards of vintage ribbon so I guess I’ll get some practice with my ribbon and bow work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,786
Location
Central Ohio
While I'm waiting on my stiffiner to do the final touches on my Stetson Nutria I took this Silverbelly Bradford 7X Quality apart again and am redoing it. I wasn't quite happy with the way it turned out the first two times. Hopefully the third one's a charm. Definitely going thin ribbon. I'm going to check and see if I have another ribbon laying around to do the brim binding. Like Penman and other well known hatters point out about their creations, all my work and sewing is done by hand. But if I could afford to buy the machines and tools to work with you better believe I wouldn't be hand making this sh*t! This hand making crap can be a tedious pain in the a$$ at times!
IMG_20180906_075514436.jpg
 
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Woodtroll

One Too Many
Messages
1,263
Location
Mtns. of SW Virginia
Stetson 4X arrived today and is begging for some sort of conversion.

The hot glue macrame and leather band completed with a small tasteful feather was hard to part with (he said sarcastically).

So I don't guess you'd be interested in this Resistol Stagecoach then? It's a rare, vintage, hard-to-find example of the Urban Cowboy era! :D I'm pretty sure 90% of the chicken ended up on this one...
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
So I don't guess you'd be interested in this Resistol Stagecoach then? It's a rare, vintage, hard-to-find example of the Urban Cowboy era! :D I'm pretty sure 90% of the chicken ended up on this one...

Um, I actually have that hat in my watch list. No joke. Stagecoaches make some good conversions if you can put in the time. I just wish I had the skill.
 

Woodtroll

One Too Many
Messages
1,263
Location
Mtns. of SW Virginia
Um, I actually have that hat in my watch list. No joke. Stagecoaches make some good conversions if you can put in the time. I just wish I had the skill.

I’m watching that one too but shipping costs to me put it above what I’m willing to pay; if they relist at a lower price I might bite. I watch a lot of stuff on eBay that I don’t really intend to buy, but am curious to see what it sells for.

I have two of the Stagecoaches, both of which I got at a steal. One was in fairly rough shape, so I sewed in a sweatband and made a conversion out of it that I posted a few weeks ago. The other was in nice shape, so I just flattened the brim and put a teardrop crease in it, and it has been my snow/rain work hat for years now. I did set the chicken free from the band :D and someday will replace the macrame band with something less flashy, but it is indeed a good solid hat.
 

Woodtroll

One Too Many
Messages
1,263
Location
Mtns. of SW Virginia
While I'm waiting on my stiffiner to do the final touches on my Stetson Nutria I took this Silverbelly Bradford 7X Quality apart again and am redoing it. I wasn't quite happy with the way it turned out the first two times. Hopefully the third one's a charm. Definitely going thin ribbon. I'm going to check and see if I have another ribbon laying around to do the brim binding. Like Penman and other well known hatters point out about their creations, all my work and sewing is done by hand. But if I could afford to buy the machines and tools to work with you better believe I wouldn't be hand making this sh*t! This hand making crap can be a tedious pain in the a$$ at times!
IMG_20180906_075514436.jpg

Hand sewing certainly is a chore but you really turn out some great work! I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with this one.
 
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T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,786
Location
Central Ohio
Hand sewing really is a chore but you really turn out some great work! I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with this one.
Thank you, buddy. Definitely true. Hand sewing is an absolute pain and it's time consuming that requires a lot of patience. I should be grateful that I can do it but I still would like to have the tools and a vintage sewing machine for hats to work with. I think the machine work, as far as sewing goes, does a neater and more precise job. I'd especially like to have one for brim bindings. Anyway, here's an update on my Bradford 7X Quality conversion. I robbed another hat of its ribbon and brim binding which I had from one of my first conversion attempts that I messed up. It's off the block and is creased and flanged with the sweat also sewn in place. I still have to sew on the brim binding and thin ribbon that I took from the donor hat. Everything looks to be a good fit. This is going to be a Strat / OR clone. I always liked the looks of Robert Ryan's OR in the movie, "Bad Day At Black Rock". For this hat I lowered the open crown height to 5 1/2 inches tall and tried to get a more rounded top, but still maintaining the straight sides. The crown is creased in my preferred tear drop with a looser pinch. It's creased to 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 inches to the back. The brim is 2 5/8 and is flanged on a 2 3/4 brim flange, (it's all I have).

It won't be exact but I think I can come close with the addition of a few of my own touches....I always liked the look of Ryan's whole outfit in this movie, too. Amazon has western style belts close to the one he's wearing here.

IMG_20171014_073840036.jpg


Bradford_Strat_Conversion_6.jpg


Brim binding from donor seems to fit pretty good and snug. I just need to tack it in place and then sew on the permanent stitches as soon as I can get to the local fabric store and buy some thread that's close to the ribbon color. Another thing that's noticeable is that the crown isn't as deeply dished after creasing as my other hats since I lowered the open crown height. I have a Resistol Stagecoach in Silverbelly with an OR style thin ribbon which has a tall straight and deeply dished crown that is too boxy looking to more accurately achieve that Strat / OR look. My Bradford and donor hat, side by side.

Bradford_Strat_Conversion_1_A.jpg


This should be easy enough. Just follow the old stitch holes. Uh Oh. Just noticed a little stain on the binding. I'll live with it.
Bradford_Strat_Conversion_2_A.jpg


Now. What do I do with this donor hat that I messed up a few years ago. I'll try to save it! I have a good idea for the stitch holes from the brim binding and I can hide the sewing job where the hat was sliced through with a mid ribbon that's close to the color of the hat! After I finish up my Bradford project I'll see if I can save this one from the trash heap. How about some halo treatment on the brim using the old stitch holes?

Bradford_Strat_Conversion_3_A.jpg
 
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Davidannon

New in Town
Messages
34
So I bought this grey fedora a while back to do a little project on, worn it many times, postponed the actual project many times but today I finally got to it.
Using steam from my water boiler I tried to take the standard crease out as best as I could and put a new cattleman crease in.
I’m actually quite satisfied with it as it is the first time I’ve really ever done something like this.
How do y’all think I did?
1986b5da81b18b74112b7c030a79720f.jpg
0fd13181f80159310a7c1860d8a77f1c.jpg
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
So I bought this grey fedora a while back to do a little project on, worn it many times, postponed the actual project many times but today I finally got to it.
Using steam from my water boiler I tried to take the standard crease out as best as I could and put a new cattleman crease in.
I’m actually quite satisfied with it as it is the first time I’ve really ever done something like this.
How do y’all think I did?
1986b5da81b18b74112b7c030a79720f.jpg
0fd13181f80159310a7c1860d8a77f1c.jpg
Nice job.
 

Desert dog

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,291
Location
California
Looks good, fun playing with felt isn't it?
So I bought this grey fedora a while back to do a little project on, worn it many times, postponed the actual project many times but today I finally got to it.
Using steam from my water boiler I tried to take the standard crease out as best as I could and put a new cattleman crease in.
I’m actually quite satisfied with it as it is the first time I’ve really ever done something like this.
How do y’all think I did?
1986b5da81b18b74112b7c030a79720f.jpg
0fd13181f80159310a7c1860d8a77f1c.jpg

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Messages
18,379
Location
Nederland
Thank you, buddy. Definitely true. Hand sewing is an absolute pain and it's time consuming that requires a lot of patience. I should be grateful that I can do it but I still would like to have the tools and a vintage sewing machine for hats to work with. I think the machine work, as far as sewing goes, does a neater and more precise job. I'd especially like to have one for brim bindings. Anyway, here's an update on my Bradford 7X Quality conversion. I robbed another hat of its ribbon and brim binding which I had from one of my first conversion attempts that I messed up. It's off the block and is creased and flanged with the sweat also sewn in place. I still have to sew on the brim binding and thin ribbon that I took from the donor hat. Everything looks to be a good fit. This is going to be a Strat / OR clone. I always liked the looks of Robert Ryan's OR in the movie, "Bad Day At Black Rock". For this hat I lowered the open crown height to 5 1/2 inches tall and tried to get a more rounded top, but still maintaining the straight sides. The crown is creased in my preferred tear drop with a looser pinch. It's creased to 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 inches to the back. The brim is 2 5/8 and is flanged on a 2 3/4 brim flange, (it's all I have).

It won't be exact but I think I can come close with the addition of a few of my own touches....I always liked the look of Ryan's whole outfit in this movie, too. Amazon has western style belts close to the one he's wearing here.

IMG_20171014_073840036.jpg


Bradford_Strat_Conversion_6.jpg


Brim binding from donor seems to fit pretty good and snug. I just need to tack it in place and then sew on the permanent stitches as soon as I can get to the local fabric store and buy some thread that's close to the ribbon color. Another thing that's noticeable is that the crown isn't as deeply dished after creasing as my other hats since I lowered the open crown height. I have a Resistol Stagecoach in Silverbelly with an OR style thin ribbon which has a tall straight and deeply dished crown that is too boxy looking to more accurately achieve that Strat / OR look. My Bradford and donor hat, side by side.

Bradford_Strat_Conversion_1_A.jpg


This should be easy enough. Just follow the old stitch holes. Uh Oh. Just noticed a little stain on the binding. I'll live with it.
Bradford_Strat_Conversion_2_A.jpg


Now. What do I do with this donor hat that I messed up a few years ago. I'll try to save it! I have a good idea for the stitch holes from the brim binding and I can hide the sewing job where the hat was sliced through with a mid ribbon that's close to the color of the hat! After I finish up my Bradford project I'll see if I can save this one from the trash heap. How about some halo treatment on the brim using the old stitch holes?

Bradford_Strat_Conversion_3_A.jpg
Very cool to see your process, Terry. Very informative.
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,786
Location
Central Ohio
Very cool to see your process, Terry. Very informative.
Thank you steur. I've got the binding basted in place. I just have to go to a fabric store and buy some thread to match the binding. I'd like to finish it up this weekend provided that the wife doesn't continually interrupt me like she usually does..."Terry, Buffy needs to go out."..."Terry, did you wash me any clothes?"...."Terry, can you get me some ice cream with a plastic spoon."....blah, blah, blah. Looks like this hat won't be finished until next week sometime.
IMG_20180907_141059287.jpg
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,786
Location
Central Ohio
I have three hat projects that I'm working on at the same time. Two of them are nearly finished. I just need some matching thread to finish the brim binding on my Bradford 7X Quality Strat / OR Conversion and some hat stiffener to give brim support to my 40s - early 50s Stetson Nutria. While I'm waiting on stuff to finish the other two, I'm curious to see if I can save this damaged Bradford donor hat and do something with it. I removed the brim binding and am using it on my other Bradford conversion. I noticed that I could use the stitch holes in the brim to do a whip stitch binding. So, I'm going to try and save it despite the stitched up damage to the back of the hat. I hope I can save this one. There's a real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in saving an old vintage classic from the trash can and giving it new life. Crossing my fingers....

IMG_20180908_104821101.jpg


IMG_20180908_104831768.jpg


Bradford_Strat_Conversion_3_A.jpg
 
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T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,786
Location
Central Ohio
One of three hat projects finished, maybe. Going back to my favored thin ribbon fedoras. This was a 7 1/8 Bradford Ltd. OR clone that I won on a bidding site about five years ago. The hat was way too small. When I first started experimenting with doing conversions I thought I'd mess with this one to get it to fit me. I really messed it up. It ripped out at the crown when I was trying to tug on it. It became a donor hat for its thin ribbon and brim binding for my Bradford 7X Quality that I'm also working on at the moment. I was going to throw this one in the trash but decided to see if I could save it and make it at least wearable. I taped the torn part together and then stitched it up as best I could. I reblocked it to a 7 1/4 to fit me and it held together! I found another thin ribbon and bow that I had laying around, put in a new sweat, and got it put back together. It ain't pretty in the back but it's definitely wearable, and it's a favorite! I wish now I had a 3/8 ribbon to do the brim binding. I got a 5 3/4 open crown out of it and a 2 1/2 inches wide brim in the size up. The proportions are nice and the crown is fairly tall and is creased in my preferred teardrop. I really like this one. I think from the fact that I was able to save it and make the hat wearable rather than throwing it in the trash, gave me a sense of accomplishment. Like I said, it's not pretty in the back and it's not perfect but it's nicely proportioned and it has a lot of wear left wear left.

Mein Frankenhut....

Bradford_ltd_4_A.jpg


Bradford_ltd_6_A.jpg


Bradford_ltd_5_A.jpg


Bradford_ltd_2_A.jpg


Bradford_Ltd_conversion_16_A.jpg


On the head

Bradford_Ltd_conversion_14.A.jpg


Bradford_Ltd_conversion_8_A.jpg


Bradford_Ltd_conversion_10_A.jpg
 
Last edited:
Messages
18,379
Location
Nederland
One of three hat projects finished, maybe. Going back to my favored thin ribbon fedoras. This was a 7 1/8 Bradford Ltd. OR clone that I won on a bidding site about five years ago. The hat was way too small. When I first started experimenting with doing conversions I thought I'd mess with this one to get it to fit me. I really messed it up. It ripped out at the crown when I was trying to tug on it. It became a donor hat for its thin ribbon and brim binding for my Bradford 7X Quality that I'm also working on at the moment. I was going to throw this one in the trash but decided to see if I could save it and make it at least wearable. I taped the torn part together and then stitched it up as best I could. I reblocked it to a 7 1/4 to fit me and it held together! I found another thin ribbon and bow that I had laying around, put in a new sweat, and got it put back together. It ain't pretty in the back but it's definitely wearable, and it's a favorite! I wish now I had a 3/8 ribbon to do the brim binding. I got a 5 3/4 open crown out of it and a 2 1/2 inches wide brim in the size up. The proportions are nice and the crown is fairly tall and is creased in my preferred teardrop. I really like this one. I think from the fact that I was able to save it and make the hat wearable rather than throwing it in the trash, gave me a sense of accomplishment. Like I said, it's not pretty in the back and it's not perfect but it's nicely proportioned and it has a lot of wear left wear left.

Mein Frankenhut....

Bradford_ltd_4_A.jpg


Bradford_ltd_6_A.jpg


Bradford_ltd_5_A.jpg


Bradford_ltd_2_A.jpg


Bradford_Ltd_conversion_16_A.jpg


On the head

Bradford_Ltd_conversion_14.A.jpg


Bradford_Ltd_conversion_8_A.jpg


Bradford_Ltd_conversion_10_A.jpg
Nice save, Terry. You can always put a mid or wide ribbon on it if you want to cover up its battle scars. I know a hatter who actually makes some of his hats this way, that is with separate brim and crown stitched together. I can imagine how satisfying it is to save a good vintage felt from the scrapyard. Great job as usual.
 

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