Western, anyone?

[suitedcboy]

Got a new one made by Mike Miller. 100% beaver and he did a wider self band and made the band have a Ranger belt like style, narrows down for buckle set. I will likely do a bit more with the brim shape.

 

[Redshoes51]

After some work with a hat Sponge I stuck an imitation Great Horned Owl tail feather behind the bow for a good color match. This hat is a light silver gray color which is hard to photograph, especially in front of a window in natural light.

That is one good looking hat!!!

~shoes~

 

[Hurricane Jack]

That's such a beautiful hat.

+1

That is one good looking hat!!!

Thank you guys. I love the color. To me it's more what Silverbelly used to be a long time ago.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Got a new one made by Mike Miller. 100% beaver and he did a wider self band and made the band have a Ranger belt like style, narrows down for buckle set. I will likely do a bit more with the brim shape.

Looks nicely finished. The shovel brim it's a no for me.

 

[DocCasualty]

After some work with a hat Sponge I stuck an imitation Great Horned Owl tail feather behind the bow for a good color match. This hat is a light silver gray color which is hard to photograph, especially in front of a window in natural light.

Really nice hat, Jack! Nice touch with the Liberty Heads too.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Really nice hat, Jack! Nice touch with the Liberty Heads too.

Thanks Doc. This Rand & the one I call "Blackie" are my two favorite Westerns. Blackie & I go way back & have a lot of history together.

 

[Willebe]

Thanks Doc. This Rand & the one I call "Blackie" are my two favorite Westerns. Blackie & I go way back & have a lot of history together.

Looks nice, Jack. I'm sure the history makes you smile every time you reach for it. Like most things that accompany us through our experiences we are often taken back in time when we reach for those things. Great hat.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Looks nice, Jack. I'm sure the history makes you smile every time you reach for it. Like most things that accompany us through our experiences we are often taken back in time when we reach for those things. Great hat.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Thanks Willebe. It just occurred to me that you would probably like a vintage Stetson Billy Kidd, named after & endorsed by the downhill skier. Like anything vintage you have to watch for them & the earlier hats are better made. Bigger than the early Gun Clubs & better grade than the Stagecoach IMO.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Thanks Willebe. It just occurred to me that you would probably like a vintage Stetson Billy Kidd, named after & endorsed by the downhill skier. Like anything vintage you have to watch for them & the earlier hats are better made. Bigger than the early Gun Clubs & better grade than the Stagecoach IMO.

Have two of those. One in brown and one in navy blue.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Those low crown numbers don't work for me . I still like em though .

 

[Willebe]

Thanks Willebe. It just occurred to me that you would probably like a vintage Stetson Billy Kidd, named after & endorsed by the downhill skier. Like anything vintage you have to watch for them & the earlier hats are better made. Bigger than the early Gun Clubs & better grade than the Stagecoach IMO.

Thanks, Jack. I will keep an eye for one. Sizing might be a challenge as it seems to be the case on other hats I see.

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[boze]

Just got my little steamer out for fall and successfully reshaped my only vintage western. What would it take to get a leather band on it? No hatters I know of near me in DC. The ribbon is stained and tattered.

Also, can I do anything to make the brim less stiff? I'm reluctant to bend it too much since it's old and I don't want to pop the sweatband stitches.

Pix! (pardon the gym clothes)

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Just got my little steamer out for fall and successfully reshaped my only vintage western. What would it take to get a leather band on it?/QUOTE]
Buy one and put it? Ebay?

Also, can I do anything to make the brim less stiff? I'm reluctant to bend it too much since it's old and I don't want to pop the sweatband stitches.

Wetting the brim makes it more flexible but I think there are better options to remove a bit of the shellac.

Wetting the brim makes it more flexible but I think there are better options to remove a bit of the shellac.

 

[Acererak]

Stetson Rancher


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Just got my little steamer out for fall and successfully reshaped my only vintage western. What would it take to get a leather band on it? No hatters I know of near me in DC. The ribbon is stained and tattered.

Also, can I do anything to make the brim less stiff? I'm reluctant to bend it too much since it's old and I don't want to pop the sweatband stitches.

Pix! (pardon the gym clothes)

For leather hatbands I always search these links. If on a smaller budget you might find something on eBay. I would suggest staying away from anything with cheap heavy conchos.

http://hooeyknows.com/Hat_Bands.html

http://outwestsaddlery.com/hat-bands/

http://www.leatherandbraid.com/Hatbands.html

https://www.stakerhats.com/product-category/hat-bands/

As far as the stiffness of the brim, it's a vintage hat so it is not likely to get any softer with wear. It's western weight felt which is thicker/heavier too. You can reshape it with steam & effort but short of fine sanding it the stiffness won't likely change.

You didn't mention how it fits on you. From the 2nd pic it would appear the hat is too wide on the sides; perhaps it's a round oval. You may need more of a long oval. If it is tight in the front & back you might be able to use a hat stretcher just a small bit which will help pull the sides in & create more of a long oval.

Enjoy wearing your hat!

 

[Michael R.]

You know @boze I don't know what grade Hat it is , but if its too stiff you could use camp fuel and soak it , then let it dry . It might take some Hat stiffener out . My Resistol 4X I bought I think in the 80s new has been in all the worst weather over the years , and is soft . Probably close to needing stiffener . That Hat of your's would make a great Vaquero style Hat . Looks Sharp ! Have you looked at Horse Hair Hat Bands ? They're nice , come in a variety of widths , and Beaded Bands are sharp too .

 

[Bamaboots]

@boze, the only luck I've had softening up a brim is giving it an alcohol bath. The shellac used in hat stiffening is usually mixed with denatured alcohol so washing the brim in alcohol will usually remove some but not all of the stiffener.

 

[RJR]

@boze, the only luck I've had softening up a brim is giving it an alcohol bath. The shellac used in hat stiffening is usually mixed with denatured alcohol so washing the brim in alcohol will usually remove some but not all of the stiffener.

+1

 

[Bamaboots]

Wore this Butch Dorer Bar 50, today.

 

[Michael A]

@boze, the only luck I've had softening up a brim is giving it an alcohol bath. The shellac used in hat stiffening is usually mixed with denatured alcohol so washing the brim in alcohol will usually remove some but not all of the stiffener.

After I saw Michael R's suggestion I was going to mention that shellac is soluble in alcohol, but you beat me to it. I don't believe it is soluble in gasoline type solvents. It's also more soluble in alkaline solutions, but that is a touchy issue as protein fibers like wool and hair are not particularly friendly with alkali conditions so one has to be careful. Soaking in denatured alcohol should do the trick I think. Vodka would probably work in a pinch.

Michael