A bit more on hat making

[Delmonico]

Video from Hatco on making of a Stetson, a bit more modernized with machinery, but this is the way felt hats have been made as long as there have been felt hats:

http://www.stetsonhat.com/video.php

[Rube Burrows]

Interesting.

[Deadeye Dick]

I had no idea. Much more to it than I thought. Thanks for sharing Del.
Deadeye Dick

[Johnny McCrae]

Very interesting! Thank you for posting this.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

This is a great video, for showing how hats are made, thanks for sharing Del

   tEN wOLVES

[Cliff Fendley]

Wow, I just got around to watching it and that's very interesting.

I did notice it was making of a Stetson hat and they were sewing a Resistol sweat band in the hat.

[Tascosa Joe]

All belong to the same conglomerate.

[Delmonico]

All belong to the same conglomerate.

Hatco owns Stetson Resistol, Charlie 1 Horse and Dob, plus they make Wrangler brand.

[Tascosa Joe]

Del:

Who supplies blanks to the custom hatters around the country?

[Delmonico]

Del:

Who supplies blanks to the custom hatters around the country?

It varies with the maker.

[Capt Billy]

Damn Del,
You're making me want to make the trek over from my side of the Rockies just to see what you can do with a couple of blanks I have, and the biggie...transforming an old (40s 0r 50s) Stetson fedora, into a derby.

Billly

[GunClick Rick]

What about Nutria?That must be the wild hair

[Rube Burrows]

I have another question about hat work. I know there are stretchers and stuff to make them a little larger. Is there a way to make them a size smaller? I found a hat that im interest in but its 7 3/8 but really 7 1/4 is about what I wear. Anyway to make the hat fit a smaller head?

[Delmonico]

The best thing to do with one that is to big is to put some padding under the brim.  Easy to strectch one, hard to shrink it.

[GunClick Rick]

Use plumbers foam that is sticky on one side,they do make it for hats too..Any hat store should have it.Then but a hat band that is just a tad tight,the way ole Festus did putting slots and weaving the leather lace through it,but that would be for an old beater...







Then if your real nice Festus just might give ya one he wore Ya ole scudder~~

[Delmonico]

One thought one padding a sweat band from someone who works on hats.  If buying new it is better to buy one a bit tight.  One good reason to do this is the most common problem I see with older hats is the sweat band goes bad.  It simply rots.  This happens more with hats that are worn on a daily basis than on one worn a couple times a month.  The reason is that most of use don't change hats from day to day.  A hat that is worn and sweat in should have the sweat band turned out and let to rest a day or so.  Also sinnce most sweat bands are leather, a bit of leather dressing on them from time to time will give them more life.  

The different paddings used absorb sweat and hold it against the hat causing more problems than one that is not padded.  Sweat bands are expensive to replace and often exceed the value of the hat.  

Another big problem I see with hats is when they are left in a vehicle, the heat will soften the stiffener and will warp a hat, sometimes a good hatter can save them, sometimes not.  If you have to leave a hat in a closed vehicle, put it where the rays of the sun will not hit it, cover it with a light cloth if you can.

Also, I've said this many times, but it needs to keep being said, never use anything to stiffen a hat except hat stiffener - spray starch, hair spray and many of the other things used just lay on the surface and collect dirt, stiffener goes down into the felt.  If you can't find regular hat stiffener at a store, go to a hardware store and buy bleached natural shellac and mix it with denatured alcohol, thin enough to spray out of a spray bottle.  Do not use any more than is needed and several thin light coats are better than one big heavy coat, let dry between coats and stop when it is just stiff enough to hold.  

The better the quality of the felt, the less stiffener that is needed to hold it's shape, cheap wools tend to need quite a bit to hold their shape. My 10 year old rand 100% beaver has been worn a lot, but it has had a very light coat of stiffener put on it twice and only on the crown.

[shrapnel]

A very interesting story, but these mass produced hats don't have the quality that Stetson became known for. This is a Stetson that my father bought back in the 1930's, made from Nutria. fur. This hat has held it's shape for over 70 years even to the point of getting it stretched to fit my head. The brim still holds it's shape after all these years and it is still soft enough to flex and come back to it's original shape. New Stetsons won't even come close...

[Delmonico]

No the lower end ones don't, but there are still high end hats out there that do.  Do you happen to know what the cost of that hat was $70 years ago?  A hat of that quality today is going to run $400 or more.  Most likely if you compare current cost to current wages compared to back then the price is still similar.

As an aside, Stetson did make cheap hats in the time, similar to the ones they make today in their cheaper hats.  Like a cheap hat today, they don't last to get passed on. 

[FEATHERS]

Hi all,Any help appreciated in advance.I have a poly/straw hat,white about 6 years old,any ideas on how to clean it safely,it has taken on a yellow hue,nicotine I guess,any product out there that you can recommend.Thanks Feathers.

[Delmonico]

Hi all,Any help appreciated in advance.I have a poly/straw hat,white about 6 years old,any ideas on how to clean it safely,it has taken on a yellow hue,nicotine I guess,any product out there that you can recommend.Thanks Feathers.

Windex and a paper towel.  I have a bottle of and a roll in my hat island at all times.  If it's just fading, no, short of takining it to Macoo. 

(That white paint they put on is, a soy bean based enamel paint similar to what MAACO and others used to use, Dulux id DuPonts brand name.  When new hats come in you can smell it.)