RickP
Practically Family
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- 592
Cleaning up the brims on a big pile of Stetson Hemps. Lots straighter and less wavy now. They have rapidly become my favorite summer hats.
Cleaning up the brims on a big pile of Stetson Hemps. Lots straighter and less wavy now. They have rapidly become my favorite summer hats.
Nice family shot!!Cleaning up the brims on a big pile of Stetson Hemps. Lots straighter and less wavy now. They have rapidly become my favorite summer hats.
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Note TWO sage hats... one faded and one about new... they almost look like different colors in the sun.Nice family shot!!
my trick is to flatten the WHOLE front half of the brim....
For something like this, a large flat (CLEAN) countertop or cutting board, covere4d with a towel, A good Steam Iron, and a press cloth or light towel is about all you need. DONT iron directly on the hemp. DONT try to iron into shape.... steam the brim up good and damp, lay it on a flat surface and gently work it flatter with the fingers. It may take a few sessions but eventually it will start behaving. Just dont be in a hurry... enjoy the processI have no special equipment, could I just use a regular steam iron and iron the front half flat?
For something like this, a large flat (CLEAN) countertop or cutting board, covere4d with a towel, A good Steam Iron, and a press cloth or light towel is about all you need. DONT iron directly on the hemp. DONT try to iron into shape.... steam the brim up good and damp, lay it on a flat surface and gently work it flatter with the fingers. It may take a few sessions but eventually it will start behaving. Just dont be in a hurry... enjoy the process
The heavier weave like the hemp Stratoliners have will generally hold their shape reasonably well after drying, but you can always hit it with some hairspray or hat stiffener and add a bit more body to hold it as you like it. And dont be ashamed if it isnt perfect, or look just like someone elses hat.......If I wanted mine to look just like everyone else Id just go buy a hat thats stamped out by the hundreds. Tell them thats its your extraordinary good looks or head lumps and bumps that make your hat unique! lol
Be sure to keep the brim break nice & sharp so as not to end up with a bird beak brim.Great info. Thank you!
Those look AWESOME, Rick! Very nice!I guess Im working on several hats today... I finally got around to putting up some more hat racks on the wall.... got the big pile of stacked hats in the corner taken care of! All the felt is on the wall...Just a few of the straw lawnmower hats are now safe on the wall
After a few days Ill take a look on how to better sort and organize
This was WAAAAY easier than panting the walls lol
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Very nice transformation. Congrats!I recently bought a 70's or 80's Biltmore Cowboy Hat. I thought I would share the transformation. I love the quality of this hat. I'm glad I finally got my hands on a vintage Biltmore. View attachment 631648 View attachment 631649 View attachment 631650 View attachment 631652 View attachment 631653 View attachment 631654 View attachment 631655 View attachment 631656
Nice work, Rick! What a WONDERFUL piece of family history!One of my Grandfathers Champs. I had replaced the trashed leather sweat a while back. Today I decided after the success of removing the cellophane liner cover on another hat, that this one needed the same treatent. Removed the yellowed cellophane and the logo was beautifully clean underneath. NO MORE CRUNCHY HAT! Had a haircut earler ths week so it actually fits again. Not my first pick in styling, but with the history, I DO take it out for coffee now and again
ooops... just noticed that ive got the liner in backwards lol.. Good thing I hadnt stitched in in
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Holy moly that's gorgeous!!! Congrats on the unexpected wonder that you scored! Also, what brand of foaming cleaner are you using on your hats, Rick?Interesting development with the other 3x beaver long oval with the cattlemans crease that arrived yesterday. I was getting a lot of dust off after brushing and started seeing what looked like pale red spots on the ribbon. Did some cleaning last night with the foaming cleaner and left it out on the patio to dry. This morning I discovered that the felt is not silverbelly but a nice pale greenish grey tint, and the hatband ribbon and edge binding are actually a rose / brown color. I do think Im going to shape the brim with a swept outback style brim. This ones going to be a nice hat! Nice surprise for the start of the day
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Its the bickmore foaming light color. Smells at first, but leaves almost zero residue when dryHoly moly that's gorgeous!!! Congrats on the unexpected wonder that you scored! Also, what brand of foaming cleaner are you using on your hats, Rick?