The Conversion Corral

[T Jones]

Really nice job on that hat! Looks like something Art would do.

Thank you Scooterz! I appreciate that!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching.

Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform.

Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after.

 

[Bill Hughes]

View attachment 364058 Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching. View attachment 364069 Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform. View attachment 364070 View attachment 364067 View attachment 364059 View attachment 364068
Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after. View attachment 364056 View attachment 364057

The bow work is awesome!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

View attachment 364058 Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching. View attachment 364069 Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform. View attachment 364070 View attachment 364067 View attachment 364059 View attachment 364068
Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after. View attachment 364056 View attachment 364057

Where does the line form? Love the bow!

 

[Blare]

View attachment 364058 Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching. View attachment 364069 Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform. View attachment 364070 View attachment 364067 View attachment 364059 View attachment 364068
Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after. View attachment 364056 View attachment 364057

Dang Randall. Nice work.

 

[Woodtroll]

View attachment 364058 Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching. View attachment 364069 Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform. View attachment 364070 View attachment 364067 View attachment 364059 View attachment 364068
Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after. View attachment 364056 View attachment 364057

That project sure turned out well. Very nice work!

 

[Steve1857]

Super job, Randall. Outstanding bow!

View attachment 364058 Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching. View attachment 364069 Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform. View attachment 364070 View attachment 364067 View attachment 364059 View attachment 364068
Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after. View attachment 364056 View attachment 364057

 

[Randall Renshaw]

The bow work is awesome!

Where does the line form? Love the bow!

Dang Randall. Nice work.

That project sure turned out well. Very nice work!

Super job, Randall. Outstanding bow!

Thanks, guys! Means a lot to me that y’all like this one. Next is a cleaned up, re-blocked late 50s RDL western that’ll be sporting a new campaign bow, lightly rolled edge and Calvary crease.

 

[Tukwila]

View attachment 364058 Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching. View attachment 364069 Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform. View attachment 364070 View attachment 364067 View attachment 364059 View attachment 364068
Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after. View attachment 364056 View attachment 364057

Your execution in all of your work is flawless. I'm so impressed by what you can do. And, WOW! on that ribbon treatment! Home run!

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Your execution in all of your work is flawless. I'm so impressed by what you can do. And, WOW! on that ribbon treatment! Home run!

Thanks, Doug!
Just today I’ve thought up an easy way to jerry rig my sewing machine to be able to see better the line I’m trying to sew.
The big plastic sewing foot is all in the way, but if I remove the front half of the plastic guard I could better see the penciled track lines I always draw on the felt of the brim edge. A simple fix like that will definitely allow for straighter and more uniform rows. Wish I didn’t have to learn, or figure out everything the hard way, can I get a witness?!!!

 

[Tukwila]

Amen!

 

[Redfokker]

View attachment 364058 Vintage re-creation for an FL client who has ordered two.
This is my first duel color bow.
I’ll definitely be making one for myself soon!
I combined a vintage burgundy bow from a Dobbs, that needed a new hatband, and the original black bow for an all old school fedora.
Added 3 light gray decorative rows of brim edge stitching. View attachment 364069 Brim up or down this reimagined late 50s conversion rocks, thanks to a great St. Regis platform. View attachment 364070 View attachment 364067 View attachment 364059 View attachment 364068
Included a few before pics. A nice hat before and a nice hat after. View attachment 364056 View attachment 364057

Killer ribbon work Randall! That color combo just jumps out.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Killer ribbon work Randall! That color combo just jumps out.

Thanks, Mike.
The client pretty much wanted me to decide how it would be adorned. I’m glad y’all like it, and hope that he does too. If not, I won’t mind adding this’n to my collection!

 

[T Jones]

I've always wanted to have a nice clean vintage Stratoliner in my size. It's one of those hats on my bucket list. But, I've given up on ever finding one, let alone being able to afford one if I ever found it. So, I have to make own version of one. I got into my scrap pile of discarded hats that I stripped down and saved and came across this recent vintage 4X Stetson OR body, probably 1990s. I found a good O'Farrell sweat band that I reused on it, and came across a salvaged brim binding that I'm in the process of sewing on. I have to go through my collection of salvaged ribbons and see if I can find a matching 3/8. I've got the sweat sewn in and the binding basted onto the brim and I'm in the process of sewing it on. Here's my Scrapoliner still in the process of being pieced together with salvaged material. I'll have more when it's finished...

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Lookin good, T.
Some of my favorite hats are scrapped together, hand built Franckenhats.

 

[Blare]

I've always wanted to have a nice clean vintage Stratoliner in my size. It's one of those hats on my bucket list. But, I've given up on ever finding one, let alone being able to afford one if I ever found it. So, I have to make own version of one. I got into my scrap pile of discarded hats that I stripped down and saved and came across this recent vintage 4X Stetson OR body, probably 1990s. I found a good O'Farrell sweat band that I reused on it, and came across a salvaged brim binding that I'm in the process of sewing on. I have to go through my collection of salvaged ribbons and see if I can find a matching 3/8. I've got the sweat sewn in and the binding basted onto the brim and I'm in the process of sewing it on. Here's my Scrapoliner still in the process of being pieced together with salvaged material. I'll have more when it's finished...

Looking great so far Terry!

 

[T Jones]

I've always wanted to have a nice clean vintage Stratoliner in my size. It's one of those hats on my bucket list. But, Iv given up on ever finding one, let alone being able to afford one if I ever found it. So, I have to make own version of one. I got into my scrap pile of discarded hats that I stripped down and saved and came across this recent vintage 4X Stetson OR body, probably 1990s. I found a good O'Farrell sweat band that I reused on it, and came across a hat band that I'm in the process of sewing on. I have to go through my collection of salvaged ribbons and see if I can a matching 3/8. I've got the sweat sewn in and the binding basted into the brim and I'm in the process of sewing it on. Here's my Scrapoliner still in the process of being pieced together with salvaged material. I'll have more when it's finished...

Looking great so far Terry!

Thank you Blare!

 

[T Jones]

Lookin good, T.
Some of my favorite hats are scrapped together, hand built Franckenhats.

Thank you Randall! Yup. I've done a few like that and I'm always surprised at what comes out of these scrap piles.

Although I believe Id rather have the real deal!

 

[Pkyoakum]

Just finished doing a quick fedora conversion from this '50s era Resistol 10 Homburg. A fellow Lounger gave this one to me. This is a super nice hat and the felt quality is amazing. I always wanted to try a Homburg but when I put it on, it was obvious that a Homburg just wasn't me. The hat is super clean inside and out and all original. I didn't take anything apart for this quickie conversion. The biggest skill set required for this one was care and patience...and having a fedora brim flange helps. Pretty easy if you take your time. I just ironed out the to flatten out the kettle curl and then ironed again on a brim flange. Unlike my other conversions, I didn't strip this one down. I wanted to leave all that was original to the hat intact. For the crown, all I did was to pop out the center dent to an open crown and then I misted it damp with water from a spray bottle, not soaking. From then on, it was easy. I recreased the crown to my preferred tear drop....

Before

On the head

You did an amazing job. The hat looks great on you. I also received a beautiful 1950s Borsalino Homburg and is in mint condition. I just don't like the look on me seeing the underside of the brim while looking straight ahead. I used my hand to straighten the curl on the sides, so it looks flat and the look is great. Now I need t find out if is possible to straighten the brim so it lays flat while maintaining the curled Homburg curl. I wished I had a cheap had to experiment on because I don't want to damage this one. Any suggestions?

 

[T Jones]

You did an amazing job. The hat looks great on you. I also received a beautiful 1950s Borsalino Homburg and is in mint condition. I just don't like the look on me seeing the underside of the brim while looking straight ahead. I used my hand to straighten the curl on the sides, so it looks flat and the look is great. Now I need t find out if is possible to straighten the brim so it lays flat while maintaining the curled Homburg curl. I wished I had a cheap had to experiment on because I don't want to damage this one. Any suggestions?

Thank you buddy! If that pic you took was after you flattened the sides out, I think it looks good on you the way it is. With my hat, I have a brim flange that I used to get mine to look that way.

I also have a RD Stetson Homburg that I converted too. This one I took apart and re-blocked. I also had to take the brim binding off to iron the brim curl flat so it could be flanged properly. Unfortunately, though, I wasn't able to reuse the binding as I planned since the brim circumference changed when I ironed out the curl and reflanged it. I was able to reuse everything else, except for the sweat, that was original to the hat...

Before:

After: