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boze said:

A vintage Greek Borsalino arrived today. I gave it a camp fuel bath only to catch the sweat on the hat rack I was using to dry it. I popped about twenty stitches out of the unreeded sweatband.

The leather isn't dry or cracked and the holes are still there so I'm guessing the quickest path is to redo those stitches. Does that sound like the right approach or should they all be redone? With no local hatters to help me it looks like I'll be investing in a needle and thread. Is there a size of millinery needle or a type of thread you recommend for this? Will the ribbon need to be removed?

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moontheloon said:

I swear I see a reed

am I seeing things?

if the sweat is separated from the reed tape things get complicated

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boze said:

Oof... you're right. I was just looking at the leather but the reed is still over there on the felt.

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moontheloon said:

that makes it complex ... I'm no sweat installation expert but I believe I have read that if the sweat comes off the reed tape it either needs to be completely replaced or rigged with some sort of adhesive and just live with it

@Frunobulax and @T Jones would have a better answer for you

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andrew_AU said:

Please help me identify this hat. All I know is that it is a Borsalino and it originally came from JJ Hat Center in New York. It's light brown/fawn colour and by the brand marking on the ribbon knot I assume it is fairly modern.

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andrew_AU said:

help please...

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moontheloon said:

that makes it complex ... I'm no sweat installation expert but I believe I have read that if the sweat comes off the reed tape it either needs to be completely replaced or rigged with some sort of adhesive and just live with it

@Frunobulax and @T Jones would have a better answer for you

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Bill Hughes said:

I’m thinking my next custom may be a natural. At least I’m in need of a natural. Who do you suggest?

Just a thought on something that concerns me about some custom hatters. I’ve seen hats for sell by private individuals stating this fedora was made by “XXX”. But the liner is plain and there is no lettering on the sweatband. I know liners and sweatbands can be replaced. But when a hat is made with no markings at all there is no real way to prove the origins of the hat. Unless maybe you know the original buyer.

Am I missing something?

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belfastboy said:

I have hats from 8 diff custom hatters. The only unmarked is an early Alley cat hat.

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Cane Rod Maker said:

Cane Rod Maker said:

Did you look behind.your sweat band?

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Please don't judge any one of us by older work, and lack of what is under the hood. Up front we say we we're learning. And in doing so, we put forth a good product, and not using junk, on the inside. Plain, yes, without, the fancy looks on the interior, yes. In many cases, these are the same liners and sweatband products many others use, who can afford to have them upgraded. I have hats from others, those were crafted the same way, with the same manufacturer material, plain Jane. I'm no fortunate son. But I did, advance and upgraded, with my leather supplier, and at least branded on the naked leather, and gold foil on the treated.

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Cane Rod Maker said:

I personally inked, every one of my sweatbands on the back side on all my older brand X builds, my name as maker, date, hat number and the hat size. I inked it, just like I did my bamboo flyrods. Now I have even better sweatbands, same manufacturer as most everyone else, but with branding on the leather this was a reasonable price to do and to make the investment, but I still sign the back side of them. Take a look #alleykathatco for a peek. Just Web search it, if you don't do Instagram.
Liners are a issue, many use the same sources. There are 2 places out there for them, get them plain, or add the bells and whistles. Spend about 250 or more for a die, but because a guy needs to buy a gross at a clip, per color, now add piping to it, add the plastic tip cover to the liners, they just got very expensive. How does a little guy get to that point. It isn't easy.
I just got graphic art work done now for my liners, but first I need the funds to buy a die for foil embossing, and then funds for 2 colors of liners. 2 gross. It's a very significant cost. A liner that was under 4 dollars a piece are now upward to 9$. I sold a hat to a gentleman in Northern California a month or so back. I told him, I don't have a fancy liner yet, just the plain jane, which is the base liner for which almost everyone else has, but no embossing. He didn't mind. He actually favors the hat, and he said, I don't wear it inside out. I'm working toward advancement but when you only get an order here or there, a few a month, and none from here, it's a hard nut to crack. The small guys, suffer some. I got to figure out a way. Because I'll never use 288 liners, and I want to offer more than just white. Just my view, on your question regarding all the brand xxx.

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moontheloon said:

that makes it complex ... I'm no sweat installation expert but I believe I have read that if the sweat comes off the reed tape it either needs to be completely replaced or rigged with some sort of adhesive and just live with it

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Joao Encarnado said:

And here it is back in the hat

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Pater Familias said:

I expect I could have one custom made. But first thought I'd ask if any off-the-shelf quality Open Road style hats are available without the bound edge?

Bound edges just always look wrong to my eyes for some reason.

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Frunobulax said:

Good work. A save is a save.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

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Frunobulax said:

You could always buy an OR and remove the brim binding.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

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