The Conversion Corral

[Mario]

Here's some great tool I just bought: a stitching awl. Great for sewing in sweatbands. I know Brad's been advocating the use of awls for ages but it took me just as long before I finally took the plunge. Nifty little tool.

I've seen other kinds of awls with the spool placed somwhere on the outside but I can alreadysay that I prefer the models on which the handle takes the spool.

 

[bolthead]

Mario, I checked what I have in ribbon, sorry to say, I have nothing that will work for what you want to do. Good luck.

 

[Mario]

No problem. As much as I'd love to go on with the project, I know that sometime it's all just a waiting game. Sooner or later I'll find the proper ribbon. Thanks for looking, though.

 

[mayserwegener]

Very nice Mario, I like that ribbon width!

Same here!

 

[Mario]

Here's another alteration I did to the Louis Custom Hatters. The original ribbon already looked pretty frayed and worn out and so I decided to make a new one. I recently won a few yards of some nice vintage 1 3/4" wide grosgrain ribbon in a deep charcoal gray which I used for the ribbon. For the bow I also used some white 5/8" vintage grosgrain to add some contrast to it. The result is still not perfect and will need some retouching but I basically like the way it looks.

 

[Mario]

I think I will need to replace the black brim binding I just recently stitched on for a softer one. This one here is just too stiff and rigid, it doesn't really wrap snuggly around the brim's edge. For the same reason the ribbon keeps the curve of the brim from looking real smooth; to my eye it gives the brim a slightly kinked appearance in a few places...

 

[fmw]

I think the new ribbon looks outstanding. Nice job.

 

[Mario]

Yeah, well...thanks! Things are getting along slowy, but at least they do.

 

[Interbak]

Hi Guys,

I saw this Biltmore Mountie style lid at a local antique warehouse and thought it would make a great safari hat.

After a quick naptha bath and a re-block on a home made block, a little shaping and a pug, here's the final product.

Brian

 

[DRB]

Mario: What a great idea you had to revamp that hat. I would not change a thing. I think that a brim that is clean cut looks sharp so I would personally not add any binding. Great job!!

 

[bolthead]

Resistol Conversion, finished.

Still stiff as a board though.

 

[hatophile]

I like the color and the ribbon treatment is strikingly unique, but nice. How 'bout a head shot?

 

[Mario]

"A bold foray into a new, colorful dimension!"
-The New York Times

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

Still stiff as a board though.

Maybe you should have tried some denatured alcohol first? Should have taken care of any excess amount of stiffener.

 

[Sam Craig]

I've converted several Resistols and the great thing is they have the toughness to withstand a lot of hard use, so if you need a hat that gets tossed around some, you can convert one and it will hold the shape, stay nice looking and put up with a good amount of abuse.

They don't end up feeling like the velvety down of a light-weight dress fedora, but the only place you can use one hat for both light weight and still shrug off abuse is on the set of the latest Indiana Jones movie. In real life, those hats end up in your regrets bin.

I've had Resistol fedoras withstand all sorts of weather, being stuffed in a car, in the corner at a meeting, all of the usual stuff that goes with daily hat wear, and they still look great.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Stetson Whippet, Dobbs, Knox, all of those great old hats ... but the toughness of a conversion fedora more than makes up for the texture, to me at least.

Sam

 

[RobFedoraField]

Very Nice, giving Art a run for his money

 

[bolthead]

I like the color and the ribbon treatment is strikingly unique, but nice. How 'bout a head shot?

per hatophile.

 

[danofarlington]

I have bought a few E Bay cowboy hats for cheap for purposes of converting them into rain hats. When I can afford the work on them, I'll have rain hats in a few good colors, and I'm expecting them to hold up to abuse. It seems a cost-effective solution.

 

[Mario]

This hat begs for a color-matched zoot suit!!!! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Jerekson]

I'm about to give this a shot with an Akubra Boss of the Plains. With a 6 1/2" crown and 3 1/4" brim, I'll have a lot to work with. Can't wait to show it off!

 

[scottyrocks]

Resistol Conversion, finished.

Still stiff as a board though.

Yes, I have that same problem with the Bailey western I converted.