RE: Member Photos
October 25, 2017 at 6:48 pm
(This post was last modified: October 25, 2017 at 6:50 pm by A Theist.)
(October 25, 2017 at 10:15 am)Clueless Morgan Wrote:It's easier to size up than to size down. But, you can buy a hat in the same size you wear and reblock it to an open crown shape that you prefer. For example, if the hat has a noticeable tapered crown shape that you don't like you can get a straight sided block and reshape it for a straighter crown....and the water makes it pliable to work with. I wear a 7 1/4 in a hat size but I'll buy a smaller 7 1/8 Western hat and size it up. The smaller sized vintage hats are cheaper in price to buy. Here's one I'm working on now. This one is an early '60s 3X Beaver felt Resistol Western hat in Navy Blue with a black ribbon and black brim binding. I'll be converting this to a fedora and I have it on a straight sided hat block. I'll also cut the brim down to 2 3/4 wide and reuse the original brim binding, the ribbon, the liner and the sweat band bow. It's a 7 1/4 already so I won't be changing the size. I'll just be changing out the open crown shape.
(October 24, 2017 at 7:57 pm)A Theist Wrote: No, it's not wool. It's fur felt. This particular hat is probably a blend of beaver and rabbit furs. If you ever buy a fedora or a western hat you want to make sure it's fur and not wool. Wool doesn't hold up well at all and is only used for cheaply made hats. I definitely use water to get it wet for reblocking. I'll also dampen the hat with water to crease it. Fur has good "memory" and it will retain the crease you put in it.
Presumably you would have to buy a hat slightly smaller than the finished size you want it at then because you couldn't exactly "shrink" the hat down could you? But you could stretch it over a form a little bit once the fibers are loosened by the water?
Here's how it originally looked. Notice the tapered crown.
Here it is on a straight sided block to make the crown straighter
The original liner was downright filthy but I cleaned it up like new and will reuse it. I'll even put the original manufacturer's label back in too.
...and I'll even reuse the original red sweat band bow too after I sew in a new goat skin leather sweat
"Inside every Liberal there's a Totalitarian screaming to get out"
Quote: JohnDG...
Quote: JohnDG...
Quote:It was an awful mistake to characterize based upon religion. I should not judge any theist that way, I must remember what I said in order to change.