Crown perforations

[tonyb]

I recall seeing pics of fur felt hats with perforations in the sides of the crowns. I've seen the perforations in a diamond pattern, as I recall, and a five-point star pattern.

Anyone know how it is done? I'd think it wouldn't be that tough, provided the hatter had the right tool(s). Put those holes in a lightweight felt, leave the hat unlined, and maybe go with one of those perforated sweatbands and you'd have yourself a darned serviceable warm-weather lid, no?

Does anyone still make such a hat?

Anyone?

 

[duggap]

Tony, if I am not mistaken, there was a thread on this before. One of our bartenders, Mark C. I believe, actually did one himself and showed the pictures. If memory serves me, he would not tell exactly how he did it though. Sorry I am not much good with the search button or I would have tried to find it for you.[huh]

 

[Harley Quinn]

I seem to recall seeing something involving a pinned block on some strange TV show many, many years ago (before my parents got a colour TV, so that puts it somewhere around 1972/3... the pins were arranged in the pattern, and had saddle shaped ends...

but we're talking 35 + years, and me memory isn't that good (prescription meds... the joy of REM suppression, eh?) so I'd trial and error the above...

Chances are there is something on the patents list...

 

[feltfan]

I've been meaning to get around to doing
this to a hat some time... The best I could
figure was that a hole punch, like a leather
punch, appears to be the best way.
A drill would get caught up in the fibers.

I imagine that hatters who did this often
had dies cut in a particular pattern. It seems
to me the pattern is the biggest challenge.

I suppose a laser would be good, if it didn't
leave burns around the edges of the holes.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Tony, it's done with a punch that is a similar to a drill press. I have one but only have the 5 point start design at the moment. It's one of those things on the "to do" list. I could have sworn we did a thread on this last year but then, my memory has been slipping.

 

[toobacat]

Is this the previous thread?

 

[Art Fawcett]

it IS toobacat, but unfortunately Marc's pics aren't hosted anymore. I'd forgotten the thread had so much animosity in it.

 

[Tinker]

I recall seeing pics of fur felt hats with perforations in the sides of the crowns. I've seen the perforations in a diamond pattern, as I recall, and a five-point star pattern.

I saw such perforations in the very top of a hat this weekend. I think they were in a circular pattern. It was a bowler. Seemed to make sense to be in the top in that case.

Tinker