Camptown Brim Cut

[indycop]

Ok, I decided to go ahead and trim the brim down on my Camptown. Hopefully I did not butcher my hat! First I outlined 1/8th in. all the way around.

Then I sanded the rough edge.

Then for some unknown reason I couldn't stop myself and removed the liner. I then soaked the hat completely and returned it to open crown to iron out the old creases.

Then that is where I found the crown to be tapered a bit, at least to me!
So its sitting the night out on the stretcher to get the long oval back in. Then I will crease it and shape the brim. I guess I cannot do anything more with the crown until I get a block. So anybody have advice, tips, etc.....?

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Shape the crown while it is still damp. It will be easier, and when it dries it will remember that shape. As for the taper, you might as well get used to it. If you buy a block, you won't be able to get the hat entirely down on it. You can repeat the soak and stretch for many days on end, and might eventually make it. (All this assumes your block is the right size. It has to be the size you wear.) I learned this after working for days on my wife's Akubra Jackaroo. It's the densest felt I've ever worked with. It just doesn't want to stretch!

If you send it off to a hatter, be prepared for a long wait. He will have to go at it slow, too.

 

[Barb]

Where does one BUY a hat block ?

I've seen references to people owning hat blocks. Where do these come from? (showing my newbie-ness I'm afraid)

thanks..

Shape the crown while it is still damp. It will be easier, and when it dries it will remember that shape. As for the taper, you might as well get used to it. If you buy a block, you won't be able to get the hat entirely down on it. You can repeat the soak and stretch for many days on end, and might eventually make it. (All this assumes your block is the right size. It has to be the size you wear.) I learned this after working for days on my wife's Akubra Jackaroo. It's the densest felt I've ever worked with. It just doesn't want to stretch!

If you send it off to a hatter, be prepared for a long wait. He will have to go at it slow, too.

 

[Barb]

Please post before and after finished pix

I'd be scared silly to do surgery like this. I'm curious to see how much of a difference visually 1/8 inch will make when you wear this hat.

Ok, I decided to go ahead and trim the brim down on my Camptown.

So its sitting the night out on the stretcher to get the long oval back in. Then I will crease it and shape the brim. I guess I cannot do anything more with the crown until I get a block. So anybody have advice, tips, etc.....?

 

[Colby Jack]

Barb...PM Fatwoul...he's got a link to where he got his.

 

[indycop]

I've seen references to people owning hat blocks. Where do these come from? (showing my newbie-ness I'm afraid)

thanks..

www.hatshapers.com is where fatwoul got his. Not to hijack him but I think he is sleeping now or working.
They have plastic ones in all kind of shapes. You can find the wooden on ebay or various sites.

 

[indycop]

I'd be scared silly to do surgery like this. I'm curious to see how much of a difference visually 1/8 inch will make when you wear this hat.

haha , I was scared silly, Thats why I made the mark on the underside of the brim and drew it light even though it looked dark. Of course once that first cut is made you are committed. It is now close to the brim measurement on my peters brothers which is what I was going after. The sides are a little wider but I am not going to attempt to mess with the dimensional cut. I also wanted to move the front pinch over to get it centered.
If this works then I will be trimming the brim on my black federation, as well as attempting a change of the ribbon to gray from black.
It may be my imagination but it did seem smaller when I tried it on even though its such a small difference.

 

[Barb]

What did you cut it with?

scissors? exacto knife or ?

you are a brave man. I don't get along with sharp objects very well.

haha , I was scared silly, Thats why I made the mark on the underside of the brim and drew it light even though it looked dark. Of course once that first cut is made you are committed. It is now close to the brim measurement on my peters brothers which is what I was going after. The sides are a little wider but I am not going to attempt to mess with the dimensional cut. I also wanted to move the front pinch over to get it centered.
If this works then I will be trimming the brim on my black federation, as well as attempting a change of the ribbon to gray from black.
It may be my imagination but it did seem smaller when I tried it on even though its such a small difference.

 

[indycop]

scissors? exacto knife or ?

you are a brave man. I don't get along with sharp objects very well.

Scissors and just take it real slow!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Barb, I found my blocks in an antique store. You can do a search and find a supplier of new wooden blocks, and I've heard some good things about those hat shapers (though I haven't personally seen one).

 

[indycop]

I was going to put the liner back in this morning but the hat is still drying.:eusa_doh: Now I have my eye on my akubra!

 

[fatwoul]

Barb, I found my blocks in an antique store. You can do a search and find a supplier of new wooden blocks, and I've heard some good things about those hat shapers (though I haven't personally seen one).

Mine is great. Both my hats in the Conversion Corral were done with my Hatshaper.

 

[Barb]

it will be a long time before

I try to reshape a hat. But I'm filing away all this knowledge as I know that eventually I will need it. Thanks!

Barb, I found my blocks in an antique store. You can do a search and find a supplier of new wooden blocks, and I've heard some good things about those hat shapers (though I haven't personally seen one).

 

[Barb]

I think it is amazing how you can create a totally

different hat with these tools. I'm impressed.

Mine is great. Both my hats in the Conversion Corral were done with my Hatshaper.

 

[indycop]

Ok, here it is back together. Is it better or did I make it worse?

First the before pics, The pinch was also off center:

And after pics:

 

[Barb]

It is hard to see the difference unless

I look closely. The brim curls less in the reshaped version but to me, overall, if you had posted one before and one after without comment, I would have thought "same hat" unless someone pointed out the difference. 1/8 inch from a few feet away is not that much (to me).

But it looks grand on you!

Ok, here it is back together. Is it better or did I make it worse?

 

[fatwoul]

You'd be surprised. An eighth of an inch either side is a quarter of an inch, which is the same width as the average nostril, and you'd notice if someone didn't have one of those. lol

I never thought 1/8th trim would make any difference to how a hat looks on someone, but it really does. I took that much off my Fed Dlx and it immediately took it from being a smart rural-looking hat to a hat which looked a little more...towny.

The 1/8th I took off also removed the snap from the brim (or at least has made it too unstable to use).

Trust me, once you've worn a hat for a month, you'd notice a change of 1/8the the moment it happened.

I've just taken 1/8th off the sides of my Resistol conversion, and now I'm in the process of sewing a brim edge onto it. Man, this is slow work. I managed to do 5 inches last night. lol

Actually, I blame Hr Kitter. It was his beautiful AB Aviator that made me start with the edging. So, if I goof it up, I expect him to send me my own AB Aviator for free. Seems fair.

 

[Havana]

1/8th of an inch can make a big difference. That difference hits you most profoundly when you realize you've taken off 1/8th of an inch too much. Believe me. I'm glad to see that's not the case here. That hat looks fantastic!

 

[J.T.Marcus]

indycop, What do you think? Are you satisfied, or do you feel like you need to go a little more? Have you identified what you feel is your "ideal" brim width?

 

[deanglen]

The trim does look better! I think brim shape is as essential to looking good in a hat with some brim, in addition to width modifications.

dean