The Diamond Authority

[Rodkins]

Here's my Dobbs Twenty, which looked particularly fetching in the late-morning light.

That looks great! I miss mine already

 

[Sam Craig]

Wow, that is wild.
When I got my old Dobbs back from Wichita Hat Works rebuilding it this year ... they diassembled it, turned front to back, reassembled with the original ribbon salvaged and a new sweat installed (it had a tiny weak spot in what was the "front") .... I creased it with a diamond shape.


It is the same shape as this one shown and that style really does look great in the diamond.

Sam

 

[randooch]

Thank you, Mike! (Your interest in the Playboy has been noted, by the way.)

Sam, sounds like a lot of work, but worth every bit of the effort. Picture?

 

[Sam Craig]

Thank you, Mike! (Your interest in the Playboy has been noted, by the way.)

Sam, sounds like a lot of work, but worth every bit of the effort. Picture?

Randall,

I am shamed that I still have to set up the pic thing ... I know, I know, I'm scum... my IT guy at work is supposed to help me and I swear I will get it done.
I also owe you a shot of the work I did on the Akubra I bought from you.
I promise, I will get caught up soon.

Sam

 

[m0nk]

Just look at William Powell's kite (Another Thin Man, 1939):

​

I love the hats he wore in all the Thin Man movies, though most of the time he wore that same white-ish one with the kite-crease. I would love to recreate it, though the hats I have won't hold something quite like it.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Very very tall hats.

 

[Mario]

Tall indeed. I'm almost positive that Powell's hat sports a 6"+ open crown. Just look how deep the crease is and still the crown stands like a mountain.

 

[VetPsychWars]

Tall indeed. I'm almost positive that Powell's hat sports a 6"+ open crown. Just look how deep the crease is and still the crown stands like a mountain.

He's also wearing it pretty far back on his head and he mostly did, so that accounts for the depth of the crease as well.

Tom

 

[B.J. Hedberg]

Put on a glove to keep it clean and attempted to get the back point as low as I could. Dropped it quite a bit but not as far as Powell’s hat as it would raise back up some when I put the dome in it. Seeing Mario’s great hat’s inspired me with how to finish the front up too; now it’s just about perfect for me, got some great rake on the sides, and I’ve managed to smooth out almost all the creases and imperfections. Tonight I’m going to see what I can do with my cheap panama. A pot of boiling water helped the first time, so I’m guessing the steamer will be even better.

 

[m0nk]

Been re-watching the Thin Man series this week... need to get one of these myself!

 

[alanfgag]

Very nice white there BJ.

Here is my Dobbs Cross Country Flanul felt, a wartime wool/felt blend. This is the sharpest diamond crease in my collection, I think. Very light hat.

 

[B.J. Hedberg]

Been re-watching the Thin Man series this week... need to get one of these myself!

I saw a listing in the paper for The Thin Man and it made me take the leap.

Very nice white there BJ.

Thanks Alan, I really like the crispness of even the "dome" on yours. It's a great visual feature of the diamond.


--------
My ratty Dobbs Shantung Panama after a bit of work:

The flash makes it actually look white again.

 

[kaosharper1]

Tall indeed. I'm almost positive that Powell's hat sports a 6"+ open crown. Just look how deep the crease is and still the crown stands like a mountain.

My VS Maltese Falcon style hat has a 6" crown. With that you can get that deep diamond. It's in my avatar, but there are more pictures here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...-of-Fame&p=770494&highlight=dingus#post770494

 

[randooch]

My VS Maltese Falcon style hat has a 6" crown. With that you can get that deep diamond. It's in my avatar, but there are more pictures here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...-of-Fame&p=770494&highlight=dingus#post770494

Beautiful; thanks for the flashback link, and in case you're not still happy with "The Dingus", might i suggest "The Gibraltar"?

 

[kaosharper1]

Beautiful; thanks for the flashback link, and in case you're not still happy with "The Dingus", might i suggest "The Gibraltar"?

Thanks, but I still call it "the Dingus." Gibraltar has a nice ring to it though.

 

[DJH]

My VS Maltese Falcon style hat has a 6" crown. With that you can get that deep diamond. It's in my avatar, but there are more pictures here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...-of-Fame&p=770494&highlight=dingus#post770494

Still one of my favorite VS hats.

 

[RBH]

Looking at this thread ... Im gonna have to pull out my TVA today.
Great creases gents!

 

[TPD166]

Adam & Stetson

Here are my latest (and only) diamond conversions.

First is my Adam Coronet that was returned to me by Paris Hatters with an open crown and I decided to see if I could actually do a diamond crease - here is the result. For some reason this hat seems to look better (to me anyway) without side dents. I added them at first and then steamed them back out the next day.

The second is my early 1950s Royal Deluxe Open Road. It came to me with a deep, well-worn cattleman crease and I left it alone for a while. Yesterday I decided to play with it for the first time with dry bashes - I was amazed at how well it took them, as well as finding it was much taller and there was no taper to crown (as the old bash made it appear). I steamed it to an open crown and the old creases disappeared and finally decided to see how diamond would look. I also worked on the brim, leaving it up all the way around at first, but went back to the brim down again today.

As received.

Final (initial brim).

Today (with brim down).

 

[RBH]

Thanks for bringing this one back!

Nice hat [first photo]... from the photo it looks as if it is sitting to high on your head.
Does the top of the hat touch your head?
You may need to try the next size up.

 

[RBH]

The 2nd hat has a much higher crown.
And from the photo looks to sit lower on your head.
A much better look I believe.