Where did the term "bashing" come from?

[Art Fawcett]

Where did the term "bashing" come from? I have never heard this term before when referring to blocking hats. Have I been in the dark ages?

 

[Andykev]

Bash me no questions..

...and I'll tell you no lies!LOL

"Bashing" a hat is to form the shape of the crown, such as the "Indy" bash...where you punch (aka bash) the felt to the desired shape.

We call it blocking..they have called it a "bash" on the Indiana Jones COW Forum.

Did that help? I know your and my generation have a different meaning for the word "bash". HAHAHHAHAHAH

 

[Art Fawcett]

Are you saying that you are also in the dark ages AndyKev?
I'm just curious how that was derived? Someone just started saying that and it caught on? or was it something with the film itself?
BTW..did you know that firing a gun within city limits is illegal??

 

[fedoralover]

I'm going to guess that maybe it had to do with the fact that a lot of the fedora's were "Blocked" in an open crown state and the owner had to shape or "bash" it himself. Since I suppose you could block a hat but it wouldn't necessarily have any shape if it were just open crown. Just an uneducated guess.

fedoralover

 

[Nathan Flowers]

I'm not sure who started it, but it's the term used for the dents put into the crown of a hat. The folks at Optimo had never heard the term until they started getting orders from the Indy guys. Graham has always called it a crease.

 

[Matt Deckard]

first time I saw the term was in the Davd Morgan catalog when reffering to Akubras and "Bashing your hat".

Outside of that I have only known it as blocking or hand blocking (even though when shaped by hand after blocking, it should not be reffered to as blocking)

 

[fedoralover]

Now that you mention it, it sounds like a term the Aussies would use. It has a rougher connetation to it than simply saying "shaping your hat". When I was in the Navy, I was stationed with some Australian sailors. They are a ruff bunch.

fedoralover

 

[Art Fawcett]

NOW we are getting somewhere. the Aussie connection sounds interesting and I believe you are right Fedoralover and Matt. Now that I think about it more it DOES sound like it would have a British or Australian background. Sort of like queing up for the loo

 

[Fedora]

Yeah, I first saw the "bashing" on Morgan's website. Seems like I also saw it on one of the Australian hat sites too. So what is a very attractive bash called? How about , a dashing bashing. Fedora

 

[jpdesign]

It being the preferred Australian term makes sense to me, In the States I have always heard shaping rather than blocking. Blocking is don with a block, Shaping and Bashing are done freehand.

 

[Bargepole]

I heard it all the time in Oz. It's primarily a noun. "What the hell sorta bash d'you call THAT, mate?" People in the outback can spend hours discussing the finer points of The Bash. It's deeply reassuring. I'd emigrate tomorrow if they'd have me...

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I first heard the term here at the Lounge, assumed it was a classical term for shaping your own hat -- if you don't like the crown, you punch the hat.

No, really, I knew what it meant as soon as I heard it. Makes sense it would come from Australia. Couldn't come from our wild west -- those hats are too stiff to bash. You really would have to punch them.

karol

 

[Fedora]

I was under the impression bashing was the word used by the Aussies. I was also under the impression that when referring to dress hats, Americans use to called it creasing. Blocking always referred to the phyical act of pressing the sinker down into the crown of the hat body. Yep, sinker is an old term seldom used nowadays. But I guess once the pre-creased blocks were used commonly, perhaps hand blocking was new term that arose in place of the hand creasing. Fedora

 

[epic610]

i was under the impression it was a western term used regarding cowboy hats. but will defer to collective wisdom of this forum.

 

[Silver-Wolf]

Old thread but interesting, I have no idea of whats correct or not but here is what I was told and/or under the impression of and if it makes any difference I'm an Aussie. Bashing is an Aussie slang term, it has several meanings down here.

Downunder,
Akubra's have always been known for their stiffness, they force shellac into the felts twice during making them. After drying and prior to pouncing the hats are like boards and actually get all thrown into a machine (called the beater) that actually bashes or beats them softer.

My grandfather (besides being a Aussie bushie, worked on the railway lines so was always under the sun/weather) always said he hated a new hat, never fitted quite right and too stiff to be comfortable (kinda like new shoes). They would bash the hat softer with their fists, then soak wet, then style them and wear till dry. The "bash" was the finished style how you wore the hat.

Not sure if either from above may have lead to the term (it's also the term they use in the army for shaping your slouch hat), it also means hit someone or beat them up (or a bash-up was a fight). It can also just mean doing it rough (as in bashing about) or driving your vehicle off road is often called Bush bashing

I think the term comes from Aussie bush slang for tidy dress and styling for when your "going out" to a get-together with other people because will we also say something like this when asking someone if going to a local festival or show.

Are you going to the Bash? Which these days is also a well known Aussie fundraising festival for country and bush folk... The Bush Bash.

Edit: oh there's also the term "have a bash at something" which means to give something a decent go or try with effort. EG; I'm not real good at playing tennis but I'll have a bash at it. Or I've never tried a particular dish of food, but to try it you could say "I'll give it a bash".

Any others have more thoughts on the term?