What Hat Are You Working On Today?

[RickP]

I dont work on hats the way some of you do. So, I don't know if this post fits here or somewhere else, but did you ever have a hat you couldn't stop messing with? For me that is my Beaver Brand 5X. It started out very western and has morphed into something else. I have trimmed and flattened out the brim, changed the bash, changed the leather hat band to a simple ribbon, and then just today changed out the ribbon for a pug. I like what it has turned into though.
When I got it:
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Now:
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Beaver Brand are great hats to play with and modify... Ive got one similar to yours here that is getting ready for a diet (trimming brim from 3-1/2" down to 2-1/2" brim) Not expensive but decent fur. All of mine are comfortable hats

 

[RickP]

Did some work on the Knox 15 today. Leather sweatband was crumbling and about half the stitching in the hat were popped. I dissassembled, gave it a good gas bath, did some blocking and sewed in a new sweatband and liner. As mentioned before the sweatband was toast, but the gold embossed Knox 15 logo was decent so I salvaged it and affixed in the top of the new liner. Removed and pressed the ribbon and sewed it back on. Gave it a good steaming and press on the brim block so it snaps better now. Far from new, and I cant do much about the moth nibbles, but now it doesnt look like a garage sale refugee

I was all proud of myself as I did NOT prick my fingers with the needle at all. Also think I need to get my eyes checked...About the time I finished I noticed that I managed to sew in the sweatband about 5 % off kilter... Oh well. Ill address that another day.

 

[VoodooSan]

Did some work on the Knox 15 today. Leather sweatband was crumbling and about half the stitching in the hat were popped. I dissassembled, gave it a good gas bath, did some blocking and sewed in a new sweatband and liner. As mentioned before the sweatband was toast, but the gold embossed Knox 15 logo was decent so I salvaged it and affixed in the top of the new liner. Removed and pressed the ribbon and sewed it back on. Gave it a good steaming and press on the brim block so it snaps better now. Far from new, and I cant do much about the moth nibbles, but now it doesnt look like a garage sale refugee

I was all proud of myself as I did NOT prick my fingers with the needle at all. Also think I need to get my eyes checked...About the time I finished I noticed that I managed to sew in the sweatband about 5 % off kilter... Oh well. Ill address that another day.

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Nice work, Rick!

 

[Blare]

Did some work on the Knox 15 today. Leather sweatband was crumbling and about half the stitching in the hat were popped. I dissassembled, gave it a good gas bath, did some blocking and sewed in a new sweatband and liner. As mentioned before the sweatband was toast, but the gold embossed Knox 15 logo was decent so I salvaged it and affixed in the top of the new liner. Removed and pressed the ribbon and sewed it back on. Gave it a good steaming and press on the brim block so it snaps better now. Far from new, and I cant do much about the moth nibbles, but now it doesnt look like a garage sale refugee

I was all proud of myself as I did NOT prick my fingers with the needle at all. Also think I need to get my eyes checked...About the time I finished I noticed that I managed to sew in the sweatband about 5 % off kilter... Oh well. Ill address that another day.

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Ohh that came out nice. Love that idea of affixing the sweat logo to the new liner.

 

[belfastboy]

Here are two felts on the bench for today. First is a Nutria in Cobalt blue. It is the thicker 160gr felt and the client wants a softer/thinner feel so I am pouncing the heck out of it. First pass is inside out with a coarser grit to thin it out without the care of producing mottling. It has now been reblocked inside right for a lighter pounce to finish.
Second pic is a FEPSA beaver felt that had a dye job that bled dye during the steaming. So I turned it into an experiment of a natural Indigo overdye.

 

[RickP]

Love a nice blue hat

 

[Frontporchcharlie]

I bought this Fernandez y Roche Clergy fur felt hat for a song on Ebay. It's got a 4" brim. The felt is good quality and thin, almost like an Open Road. I decided to make it a cowboy hat.

 

[RickP]

FINALLY got around to starting big project... my first full hat build! Today I have to see how close I could get a raw rabbit cape to actually start looking like an actual hat. Took about 2 hrs of steaming and stretching, working, and smoothing to get to this point. Shooting for a 5-1/2" crown and about a 2-3/4" brim with a bound edge. Its way thinner than "cowboy " weight felt, but has a lot of material to work with. Planning to pounce the heck out of it and hopefully end up with a fairly thin soft hat ( Im assuming when it gets to that point Ill be working out on the patio... I have ENOUGH trouble with dust in this old house as it is lol!


So far have the crown pretty close to what I want and most of the major wrinkles worked out of the brim. Pretty much have a right angle established where the crown and brim intersect. Got to use a new-to-me old wooden Hat Block that just arrived today. My hands and forearms are sore so I believe this is a good stopping place for the day.

Ill call it a good start

 

[RickP]

Finally the end of day one....just couldnt stop lol... did some more work on the brim. Starting to look like something

 

[RickP]

Started the day with a little brim trimming. Got rid of the jagged edge it came with and now has a smooth 2-7/8" brim edge... definitely more civilized. Did a little pouncing and ironing so its a lot smoother surface. Will see if ive got any really fine sandpaper and load up a little vibratory sander later today to smooth and thin it out a bit more ( Im already regretting doing this on the workbench (kitchen table)... my dining room has fuzz everywhere. My dog walked through and has fuzz stuck to his paws lol. Ill be working outside later for sure.

I think the size is just about right... about the same as some of the cowboy conversions. ( Ive got plenty of more modest sized hats... Ill stay a hair bigger for this one) For size comparison, its sitting next to my green Akubra Lawson (it has a 3-1/8" brim)... Pretty similar but with more of a center dent. Loving the color now that its got some shape.

If you have to start the day early, might as well have some fun and start with some progress!