Wanna' see TonyB's new set-up!?

[RBH]

Now that is nice!!!

 

[tonyb]

:

Whoa! That was quick. What do you have in those Stratoliner boxes?

Uh, old hats?

It doesn't show in the picture, but atop the shelving units holding the flanges are more vintage hat boxes containing more vintage hats. And then there's that other stack of 'em and several more out of boxes. None of them are up for sale, but that's not to say I wouldn't part with some of them. A few (OK, a bunch) are keepers, because I know they'd be hard to replace and because they serve as inspiration.

Among them are a couple of Strats, one of which came to me in essentially deadstock condition. It's a keeper, partly because of its condition but mostly because it was a gift.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

OK, OK, here 'tis ...

WOW!!!!!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[jwalls]

Very nice!! Tony. Looks like a fine group of flanges. I was looking through a number of storage boxes the other day and found a group of flanges marked "Strato". I'll get a picture of one and post it in a few days.

 

[zetwal]

Very cool!

 

[Mr. Paladin]

Great photos Tonyb; glad you are finished moving. Can I be a bit presumptious and ask if you've got shots of any completed hats to show?

 

[rmrdaddy]

Looks great Tony!

I'll have to sent you some projects!

 

[indycop]

Looks good Tony, got any closeups of the ribbon colors?

 

[tonyb]

How many blocks, flanges and roles of ribbon do you have Tony? Looks like it's more of a bespoke factory than a shop.

Well, when this stuff comes available, you gotta grab it. Some of the stuff you know you can use, and some you wonder if you ever will, and some you know you won't. So the stuff in the third category gets sold or bartered or given away or whatever.

It's sometimes surprising just what you find usable. Some blocks and flanges get used more than others, naturally, but I would have never guessed how practical a No. 35 long oval can be.

This place is still short a few items any hatter's shop ought to have to be considered well-equipped. I could use a sandbagger and a crown iron, for instance, but I can accomplish what those things do in other ways. But those other ways are more laborious and time consuming. Ain't nothin' like the right tool for the job.

As to the ribbon ...

Most of it is vintage, and much of the remainder is pretty darned nice, as modern ribbon goes. While I paid more than a little for it, I know I still got some extraordinary deals, and for that I can be thankful for the friends I have been so fortunate to have made.

 

[majormoore]

Tony, your shop and the tools you have to make a hat are looking good, is that a singer 107-1 sweatband machine or the clone. That ribbon, the three of us split is wonderful to work with, I love it, how but you.

You have nice looking shop in your home, got any western flanges looking for a new zip code????

Major Moore

 

[tonyb]

Tony, your shop and the tools you have to make a hat are looking good, is that a singer 107-1 sweatband machine or the clone. That ribbon, the three of us split is wonderful to work with, I love it, how but you.

You have nice looking shop in your home, got any western flanges looking for a new zip code????

Major Moore

The sweatband machine is the clone.

Yeah, that stash of ribbon was a godsend. I agree, Mike -- it's beautiful stuff, and a joy to work with. It just plain behaves better than the new stuff. It doesn't fight you. And it's clearly superior. In a side-by-side comparison with most modern ribbon, even the uninitiated can easily tell which is which. I'm still on the prowl for a better storage system -- something that allows me to see all of it at a glance, without any rolls blocking my view of other rolls. Right now I have it arranged pretty much by color -- browns with browns, grays with grays, etc. It works, but it could be better. I'll find something sooner or later, and then this bookcase can go back to holding books.

You ain't the only one shopping for Western flanges. I could use several more myself. I got a few, but just a few.

 

[majormoore]

I am having myself a oak case made, sort of a look a like lawyers book case, but not as deep, to hold all that 300 plus rolls of vintage ribbon I now have.You may want to do the same, that way it has a glass front and you can see right where each color and width is at a glance, I have all the vinatge in clear plastic tuns with lids stacke up, have alot of vinatge and modern on a wall hung ribbon rack, it holds over 100 rolls.

I may have a lead on some flanges, hand in there

Major Moore

 

[Art Fawcett]

It's looking good Tony!!! Well worth the work right??

Form follows function Sir..don't worry about what the shelving looks like, as long as it's functional first you can go elaborate later.
Mike, if you get a good lead on western flanges whisper my way also.

 

[Aureliano]

Very nice pictures. Great posts between our hatter friends!:eusa_clap

 

[fedoralover]

Wow!! what an investment. Great job Tony, now we also need to see your face in one of those pics next to all that equipment.

fedoralover

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Fabulous set-up Tony. All the very best for your future enterprise there.

 

[tonyb]

What do you have in those Stratoliner boxes?

And by the way ...

Yeah, everybody oughta have at least one of those Stratoliner boxes. I'm a big fan of old hatboxes. Just this afternoon I had a discussion about how among the appeals of vintage hats is that they weren't really made to last as long as they have -- that it likely took a succession of happy accidents for them to have survived in a good condition, and that even putting them into storage is no assurance they'll be less the worse for the passing of time. That's doubly true of hatboxes. I can only guess just how small a percentage of those 50-, 60-, 70-year-old (and older) boxes survive. They're made of paper, fer cryin' out loud.

 

[majormoore]

Only my true hatter friends will be tipped off, if the deal goes thru, and yes you are one of those hatter friends Art. A call will come your way if I can land them.

Major Moore

It's looking good Tony!!! Well worth the work right??

Form follows function Sir..don't worry about what the shelving looks like, as long as it's functional first you can go elaborate later.
Mike, if you get a good lead on western flanges whisper my way also.

 

[BobC]

And by the way ...

Yeah, everybody oughta have at least one of those Stratoliner boxes. I'm a big fan of old hatboxes. Just this afternoon I had a discussion about how among the appeals of vintage hats is that they weren't really made to last as long as they have -- that it likely took a succession of happy accidents for them to have survived in a good condition, and that even putting them into storage is no assurance they'll be little less the worse for the passing of time. That's doubly true of hatboxes. I can only guess just how small a percentage of those 50-, 60-, 70-year-old (and older) boxes survive. They're made of paper, fer cryin' out loud.

That's what I had in mind. The two Strat boxes you have there look to be in pretty good shape. I have two of them but three Strats. I've seen several boxes on the bay but passed on the last few I've seen. They fetch a pretty fair price, and the last few weren't up to snuff IMO.

 

[BobC]

Wow!! what an investment. Great job Tony, now we also need to see your face in one of those pics next to all that equipment.

fedoralover

:arated: Yea, we do. How 'bout it, Tony. I have two of your hats at my house, and I know there's no reason for you to be bashful. How 'bout if you take a bow for what you're doing. You deserve it.