The Conversion Corral

[thunderw21]

I give you the "Chinatown".

Was a Stetson cowboy hat, now a Stetson fedora. 6 1/2" open crown with brim cut down to 2 3/4" front and back, 2 1/2" on the sides.

 

[RBH]

Fats I have just caught that Resistol THAT HAT LOOKS GREAT! It seems to have a TALL straight crown. I love it.

Thunder that looks great ! I like the brim style.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

thunderw21, Very, very, very impressive! Did you design the ribbon and bow, yourself? I've seen some good conversions, but I have to give that one the prize. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[thunderw21]

thunderw21, Very, very, very impressive! Did you design the ribbon and bow, yourself? I've seen some good conversions, but I have to give that one the prize. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Thanks guys! Yes, I did, with much blood, sweet and tears. My fingers were numb after that one.

 

[fatwoul]

Fats I have just caught that Resistol THAT HAT LOOKS GREAT! It seems to have a TALL straight crown. I love it...

Yes, the crown was fairly tall, once I put it on the Shaper and got rid of the centre crease that was already there.

The hat itself is actually quite closely comparable to my new Fieldmaster, in terms of felt and colour, but where my Fieldmaster has a tight front crease all the way down, the Resistol just has a little pinch in the top to hold the front dents in place. Still tighter than you'd have liked, but closer to your sort of style, RBH.

I have some 1/2 inch ribbon that matches the crown ribbon exactly, so I couldn't resist. The Resistol is currently having an edge binding put onto its brim, but it is slow, slow work. 3 hours, and all I had to show for it was this:

(sorry if this picture is a little big for some people, but I wanted you to see the binding properly)


That was 2 or 3 weeks ago and I haven't had chance to continue it since! I just don't want to goof it up, since I think with the edge on it, the hat will truly be finished. The binding will also help to reduce the effects of my ham-fisted dimensional cut.

Thanks guys! Yes, I did, with much blood, sweet and tears. My fingers were numb after that one.

It was blood well-spent. That ribbon is a great piece of work. Any chance you could take another picture of it so we can see the pleats between the crosses?

Very nice.

 

[thunderw21]

Yes, the crown was fairly tall, once I put it on the Shaper and got rid of the centre crease that was already there.

The hat itself is actually quite closely comparable to my new Fieldmaster, in terms of felt and colour, but where my Fieldmaster has a tight front crease all the way down, the Resistol just has a little pinch in the top to hold the front dents in place. Still tighter than you'd have liked, but closer to your sort of style, RBH.

I have some 1/2 inch ribbon that matches the crown ribbon exactly, so I couldn't resist. The Resistol is currently having an edge binding put onto its brim, but it is slow, slow work. 3 hours, and all I had to show for it was this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/fatwoul/Fedora/EdgeBind01.jpg
(sorry if this picture is a little big for some people, but I wanted you to see the binding properly)


That was 2 or 3 weeks ago and I haven't had chance to continue it since! I just don't want to goof it up, since I think with the edge on it, the hat will truly be finished. The binding will also help to reduce the effects of my ham-fisted dimensional cut.



It was blood well-spent. That ribbon is a great piece of work. Any chance you could take another picture of it so we can see the pleats between the crosses?

Very nice.

Thanks, Fatwoul. I'll try to get some better pics of it.
And that binding, it looks great so far. You are a much braver man than I for trying it. It will definitely add to your already great looking hat.
Cheers!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

The Resistol is currently having an edge binding put onto its brim, but it is slow, slow work. 3 hours, and all I had to show for it was this...

I was talking with Jimmy Pierce (J.P. Designs) on Saturday. He said once in a while someone wants a hand stitched edge binding (instead of machine). He will do it for $15.00 per hour, while he watches t.v. I think he said it takes him 8 to ten hours. I do believe that's one skill I'll put off cultivating for a while!

 

[indycop]

I give you the "Chinatown".

Was a Stetson cowboy hat, now a Stetson fedora. 6 1/2" open crown with brim cut down to 2 3/4" front and back, 2 1/2" on the sides.

Cool! I would call it the "lights out"! with the 2 big X's!

 

[indycop]

I have some 1/2 inch ribbon that matches the crown ribbon exactly, so I couldn't resist. The Resistol is currently having an edge binding put onto its brim, but it is slow, slow work. 3 hours, and all I had to show for it was this:

(sorry if this picture is a little big for some people, but I wanted you to see the binding properly)

Robin what is the blue thing on the brim? Is that something you are sewing it with?

 

[Fatdutchman]

I WISH I could find some smooth edge ribbon. All I can find is sawtooth edge ribbon. Smooth edge would make a much nicer looking binding.

I (re) sewed on a new binding on a hat the other day. Watched Die Hard 2 and something else while doing it. About 3 hours or so. After finishing, I decided that if I had done it differently, it would have taken rather less time, but I weren't gonna rip it all back out....

I'm a fair tailor, and am used to sewing stuff for myself.

I'm not crazy about how I joined the two ends together at the back, but it isn't horrible. I do think I did a good job of sewing the binding on otherwise.

I'll get photos later.

OK, now, here's a quick shot. A hat I had Jimmy Pierce make for me a year or so ago. All Beaver and velvety. DARK brown...darker than I'd really like, but it's OK (darker than it looks in this flash-lightened photo). It's a dust magnet, man! Originally I had him make it with a 3" brim, but after I got it, I thought it was too big, so I cut it down to 2 3/4" and restitched the original binding on. It was a little ragged, so I wanted to redo it, and now that I finally have some new ribbon, I did.

I sewed it on with what is essentially a saddle stitch, using two threads and two needles. Tight and neat and will NOT come unraveled.

 

[fatwoul]

Robin what is the blue thing on the brim? Is that something you are sewing it with?

It's a plastic spring-loaded peg clip type of thing. I have a few of them in different sizes. I occasionally use them to hold creases in shape, but they are pretty strong so I have to be careful.

In this case, I am using one of the clips to hold the binding ribbon around the brim as I sew. It frees my hands to do the sewing whilst making sure the ribbon stays in place.

I usually put a little felt inside the jaws of the peg, so as to prevent it marking the felt or ribbon.

 

[indycop]

It's a plastic spring-loaded peg clip type of thing. I have a few of them in different sizes. I occasionally use them to hold creases in shape, but they are pretty strong so I have to be careful.

In this case, I am using one of the clips to hold the binding ribbon around the brim as I sew. It frees my hands to do the sewing whilst making sure the ribbon stays in place.

I usually put a little felt inside the jaws of the peg, so as to prevent it marking the felt or ribbon.

Could you use stitch witchery to hold the ribbon in place while you sew? just irons on.

 

[thunderw21]

Here's the pic fatwoul requested.

 

[fatwoul]

Wow. Beautiful work. :eusa_clap

 

[RBH]

Wow. Beautiful work. :eusa_clap

You got that right. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[deanglen]

Whatever the hat is, that's a 2x ribbon if I ever saw one! Terrific job!


dean

 

[Fatdutchman]

Dean, you're like Fletch...you change your avatar more often than most people change their underwear!

 

[deanglen]

Yeah, I'm funny that way.



dean

 

[John in Covina]

Cutting the brim down to size question.

For those of you that cut the brim down to size - what was the method you used?

I thought perhaps using a compass (the type that draws circles) as a marker to get the distance out from the base to the edge accurate. Then using some sharp scissors or did any one use an exacto blade?

 

[RJCNTX]

I used ordinary sharp scissors. It worked well along with a little sanding once finished.