Hat Question

[Dead I]

When I decide that I need a new hat...(I've got a house full of them.)  I seek out a junk store.  There's one not far off that stocks a bunch of old west stuff including some old cowboy hats.  I search around until I find one that fits.  Resistol's seem to stretch best.  I have to wet it and put in a hat stretcher since I've got a long oval head...as did my dad and his dad and probably his dad.  Then I wet the hat and put it in an old drill sergeant's hat block which flattened out the brim. The I soak the brim and bend it as I want it.  I let it dry.  I don't starch it, but I used to starch my Marine Corps cover and it worked fine.

If one goes out into the rain it'll soak the brim and it'll flop down.  I don't care.  I just put in the block, let it dry and start all over again.  My latest hat.  Cost me $40 in an old junk store.  

[Delmonico]

pt]When I decide that I need a new hat...(I've got a house full of them.)  I seek out a junk store.  There's one that stocks a bunch of old west stuff including some old cowboy hats.  I search around until I find one that fits.  Resistol's seem to stretch best.  I have to wet it and put in a hat stretcher since I've got a long oval head...as did my dad and his dad and probably his dad.  The I wet the hat and put it in an old drill sergeant's hat block which flattened out the brim. The I soak the brim and bend it as I want it.  I let it dry.  I don't starch it, but I used to starch my Marine Corps cover and it worked fine.

If one goes out into the rain it'll soak the brim and it'll flop down.  I don't care.  I just put in the block, let it dry and start all over again.

Steam works better to shape with, a tea kettle on a stove will work almost as good as my one at work that cost several hundred dollars, just not as handy.  The Marine cover was cotton cloth, that is what starch is for.  The stiffner as I explained how to make will keep it from sagging in the rain, my hats get wet all the time and don't sag. 

BTW the hat in my avatar is a reject Stetson blank that is now 16 years old and has never had stiffner added, it would have been a high quality hat. 

[Dead I]

I've tried steam too and it does work, but it takes too long.  So I just soak the brim and shape it.  Works okay too.  You usually don't find a new hat with a Montana Peak, so I made my own. 

[Delmonico]

I've tried steam too and it does work, but it takes too long.  So I just soak the brim and shape it.  Works okay too.  You usually don't find a new hat with a Montana Peak, so I made my own. 

Funny, it seldom takes me more than a couple minutes to shape a brim and perhaps 4-5 on a complete crown reshape.     And the hat don't take hours to dry so it can be worn.  You must not be using your steam right.

[Dead I]

Funny, it seldom takes me more than a couple minutes to shape a brim and perhaps 4-5 on a complete crown reshape.     And the hat don't take hours to dry so it can be worn.  You must not be using your steam right.

Actually the steam comes from my wife's eyes as she watches me messing with her tea pot.  "What ya doing?"  "I'm gonna steam my hat".  Then I get an eye roll.  Very punishing, those eye rolls.

[Delmonico]

Actually the steam comes from my wife's eyes as she watches me messing with her tea pot.  "What ya doing?"  "I'm gonna steam my hat".  Then I get an eye roll.  Very punishing, those eye rolls.

So tell her to quit whining or buy your own teapot.  The former would be better.

[GunClick Rick]

Got this one today for 5 bucks,a tad  bit of cleaning and reshaping and she will be good to go.Good material too.

[River City John]

Don't mess with perfection, GCR!

RCJ

[Rube Burrows]

good looking hat Rick

[Dead I]

Hey, Gunclick!  That's a very cool hat!  Wow.  I'd probably make the two sides match, but it's not really necessary.  Five bucks!  It's a steal.  You should be in jail!

[GunClick Rick]

I think i'll fix this up for Kid Terico,it's more his size,i'll lightly brush it and even it up and that's about it.Keep all the sweat and all, and it smells like cattle sweat too. There is a guy that has a booth in an antique store here and he always has good cheap worked hats,this one was the dirtiest he had but the best material.The others were cleaner and at least 12.00  The guy that owns the place looked at me and said"are you really gonna buy the old dirty hat,told his you believe that honey,he's buyin that old dirty hat.

White antiques,Visalia,Ca.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Whites+antiques+Visalia&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=36.330046,-119.283759&cid=8247996487703400895&cbp=13,187.5,-3.3,0,0&panoid=h_ZE4dqP2gTCvJpQy5858g&gl=us&ved=0CDoQ2wU&sa=X&ei=lDNKTZTjNYXApASpptXmBg

[Atrain]

Jeez people use some common sense, Why would you take the time to steam a hat to reshape it?  Put it in the tub and soak it with warm water them shape it the way you want it and let it dry. 

I bought a new hats at Shepler's and asked them to reshape the crown and they said that you cannot reshape a crown of a hat from the way it comes out and I told them bullSh**.    Paid for them went into the bathroom at Shepler's soaked it down in the sink and reshaped it went back to the hat person and said jeez cannot reshape a crown of a hat, then why is this one different than I just bought.

OK now for some more common sense, if you steam a hat to reshape it, would you put it on and wear it out side if it was raining?

Or would you take it off and get your pretty little head wet.

I have reshaped hats for 5 years over 500 all with water from the tub or shower. 

[Delmonico]

So lets see some pictures of your work.  Nobody said not to wear a hat in the rain, that's a matter of quality of the hat as to if it will stand up.  I can reshape any crown, that's not a problem, but most times no matter what you can still see the lines where the old crease was.  That may not bother you but a lot of folks it does. 

[buffalo bill]

Hey, Del. I think you are beating a dead horse. I have done 100s of hats at my store (RCC) and you have done probably 1,000s at your store. But, what the hell do we know. We just do it for a living. Right? Save your breath, Pard. You will sleep better and your blood pressure will thank you.

"SCOUTIN' for SHAGGIES"

BUFFALO BILL  (the other one. Right, Terry?)

[Atrain]

here is one of my hats i reshaped for my self, it is a hat worn all year. It is a 4x buffalo fur made by stetson

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/179829_168507396531039_100001153391072_329253_5848703_n.jpg

Here is two more hats i reshaped the Black one is me
the Brown one is my dads
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225401_185982418116870_100001153391072_422822_2228119_n.jpg

[wildman1]

Deja Vu, Del.  WM

[Delmonico]

Hey, Del. I think you are beating a dead horse. I have done 100s of hats at my store (RCC) and you have done probably 1,000s at your store. But, what the hell do we know. We just do it for a living. Right? Save your breath, Pard. You will sleep better and your blood pressure will thank you.

"SCOUTIN' for SHAGGIES"

BUFFALO BILL  (the other one. Right, Terry?)

Yep, these guys that roughly shape a hat for CAS once in a while think they really know what they are doing.  Wouldn't let one within 50 feet of my 100% beaver that is from Rand.  I've got hats and do hats in a rougher form but I also do both CAS hats and others that need some fine work.  I do hats for one lady in the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and also for the Nebraska Rodeo Queen.  Would be funny to see one try do a hat for a customer that needed/wanted it just so.

Hey Bill, the weather getting cooler up there, it is here, I'm getting tired of doing hats that have been left in a hot car. 

[Major 2]

   https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/179829_168507396531039_100001153391072_329253_5848703_n.jpg

That one looks a little big on that guy ...NO ! 

a tad to long in the soak tank ? 

[Delmonico]

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,11542.0.html

A proper fitted hat stays on in winds up to around 40 mph.  That includes this 5 inch brim palm leaf.

[Books OToole]

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,11542.0.html

A proper fitted hat stays on in winds up to around 40 mph.  That includes this 5 inch brim palm leaf.

So, a typical day at the KVC range.

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