Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

OTHER THAN eBAY Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

wsmontana

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Montana
Be sure and update us as you progress. Pics would be nice as you go.
We all are still learning and can learn from others good or bad.
Good luck. That’s a hat worthy of the effort and your daughter should be proud to wear it.
Bowen
Bowen, here is a quick update. I’ve made some progress but definitely have more to do. That ring doesn’t want to go away!

Here is the progression so far — left to right is the original hat, initial steam/shape/brush, and then result after 7 steps shown below:
2F40FD8B-781B-4217-BAC5-8B2817D44DEB.png


Here are the tools and cleaning supplies used.
8C1DBAF6-01A0-4E07-8078-BE5BC5412CCA.jpeg


Here are the steps I used so far:

1. cleaned with diluted woollite + sponge. This didn’t do much for looks but water was dirty so it did remove some grime. Let dry.
2. used the granual cleaner on small stains and on the ring. Used my thumb to grind it in and the hat brush to clear away. All stains pretty much disappeared and ring somewhat blended in.
3. shaped hat using blue bowl inside and large spoon outside. Not easy to do but did reduce the ring bump a bit. I think a hat block could help a lot here! Also flattened brim on edge of counter
4. used foaming spray overall. This brightened the whole hat but did nothing to the ring. Once dried, I used hat sponge and brush overall.
5. repeated step 3. Ring flattened a bit more.
6. very lightly used sanding block and thumb size sand paper selectively on ring. Brushed again. Definitely saw improvement.
7. repeated step 3

Maybe an hour of work to do all of this but it took a good part of a day. I plan to repeat some of these steps but I’m going to let the hat rest for awhile :).
 

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,638
Bowen, here is a quick update. I’ve made some progress but definitely have more to do. That ring doesn’t want to go away!

Here is the progression so far — left to right is the original hat, initial steam/shape/brush, and then result after 7 steps shown below:
View attachment 424765

Here are the tools and cleaning supplies used.
View attachment 424766

Here are the steps I used so far:

1. cleaned with diluted woollite + sponge. This didn’t do much for looks but water was dirty so it did remove some grime. Let dry.
2. used the granual cleaner on small stains and on the ring. Used my thumb to grind it in and the hat brush to clear away. All stains pretty much disappeared and ring somewhat blended in.
3. shaped hat using blue bowl inside and large spoon outside. Not easy to do but did reduce the ring bump a bit. I think a hat block could help a lot here! Also flattened brim on edge of counter
4. used foaming spray overall. This brightened the whole hat but did nothing to the ring. Once dried, I used hat sponge and brush overall.
5. repeated step 3. Ring flattened a bit more.
6. very lightly used sanding block and thumb size sand paper selectively on ring. Brushed again. Definitely saw improvement.
7. repeated step 3

Maybe an hour of work to do all of this but it took a good part of a day. I plan to repeat some of these steps but I’m going to let the hat rest for awhile :).
Muy bien. You’ve gotten my vote for effort. Pic #3 looks impressively better.
Thanks for the update.
What does the inside look like? If it’s pounced as nice as the outside some folks have had fortune turning the hat inside out. That requires a lot of work.
Just a thought.
B
 
Messages
10,806
Bowen, here is a quick update. I’ve made some progress but definitely have more to do. That ring doesn’t want to go away!

Here is the progression so far — left to right is the original hat, initial steam/shape/brush, and then result after 7 steps shown below:
View attachment 424765

Here are the tools and cleaning supplies used.
View attachment 424766

Here are the steps I used so far:

1. cleaned with diluted woollite + sponge. This didn’t do much for looks but water was dirty so it did remove some grime. Let dry.
2. used the granual cleaner on small stains and on the ring. Used my thumb to grind it in and the hat brush to clear away. All stains pretty much disappeared and ring somewhat blended in.
3. shaped hat using blue bowl inside and large spoon outside. Not easy to do but did reduce the ring bump a bit. I think a hat block could help a lot here! Also flattened brim on edge of counter
4. used foaming spray overall. This brightened the whole hat but did nothing to the ring. Once dried, I used hat sponge and brush overall.
5. repeated step 3. Ring flattened a bit more.
6. very lightly used sanding block and thumb size sand paper selectively on ring. Brushed again. Definitely saw improvement.
7. repeated step 3

Maybe an hour of work to do all of this but it took a good part of a day. I plan to repeat some of these steps but I’m going to let the hat rest for awhile :).
Tremendous progress. Well done.
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
Bowen, here is a quick update. I’ve made some progress but definitely have more to do. That ring doesn’t want to go away!

Here is the progression so far — left to right is the original hat, initial steam/shape/brush, and then result after 7 steps shown below:
View attachment 424765

Here are the tools and cleaning supplies used.
View attachment 424766

Here are the steps I used so far:

1. cleaned with diluted woollite + sponge. This didn’t do much for looks but water was dirty so it did remove some grime. Let dry.
2. used the granual cleaner on small stains and on the ring. Used my thumb to grind it in and the hat brush to clear away. All stains pretty much disappeared and ring somewhat blended in.
3. shaped hat using blue bowl inside and large spoon outside. Not easy to do but did reduce the ring bump a bit. I think a hat block could help a lot here! Also flattened brim on edge of counter
4. used foaming spray overall. This brightened the whole hat but did nothing to the ring. Once dried, I used hat sponge and brush overall.
5. repeated step 3. Ring flattened a bit more.
6. very lightly used sanding block and thumb size sand paper selectively on ring. Brushed again. Definitely saw improvement.
7. repeated step 3

Maybe an hour of work to do all of this but it took a good part of a day. I plan to repeat some of these steps but I’m going to let the hat rest for awhile :).


The old crease lines can be somewhat camouflaged by a new crease, but it’s a different story if you plan to leave it open crown.

It’s looks a lot better now, and distressed hats are the cool thing these days.
 

wsmontana

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Montana
Muy bien. You’ve gotten my vote for effort. Pic #3 looks impressively better.
Thanks for the update.
What does the inside look like? If it’s pounced as nice as the outside some folks have had fortune turning the hat inside out. That requires a lot of work.
Just a thought.
B
The liner is stitched in so I haven’t seen the inside. I pulled a section back and it seems to be same pouncing as the outside but it’s minty fresh. If things go south on me I will definitely consider turning the hat inside out but will have that done by a professional. I’m definitely at my limit here in terms of skills and tools.

I’m actually growing very fond of this hat — I wish it was my size!
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
The liner is stitched in so I haven’t seen the inside. I pulled a section back and it seems to be same pouncing as the outside but it’s minty fresh. If things go south on me I will definitely consider turning the hat inside out but will have that done by a professional. I’m definitely at my limit here in terms of skills and tools.

I’m actually growing very fond of this hat — I wish it was my size!


If it defeats you, my I recommend Wolfbrae? Just turn on the @belfastboy searchlight and your problem may be solved and for less than you might think.
 
Messages
10,342
Location
vancouver, canada
Absolutely, thanks for the tip!
To get the old crease marks out it really does take a block. Soaking the hat in hot water and then stretching it over the block works about as well as possible. It takes the heat, the wet and the stretch plus ironing it while on the block to get the crease out and sometimes then there is still the shadow of it. If you plan to have hats as a hobby for a while then owning a block is a great investment. Keep a search on Ebay and you never know something suitable might pop up. Even if the block is in bad shape they can be refurbished with just some elbow grease.
 

wsmontana

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Montana
To get the old crease marks out it really does take a block. Soaking the hat in hot water and then stretching it over the block works about as well as possible. It takes the heat, the wet and the stretch plus ironing it while on the block to get the crease out and sometimes then there is still the shadow of it. If you plan to have hats as a hobby for a while then owning a block is a great investment. Keep a search on Ebay and you never know something suitable might pop up. Even if the block is in bad shape they can be refurbished with just some elbow grease.
That makes a lot of sense and I appreciate you helping me get on the right path. I will be on the lookout for a block in my size 7 3/8 for future projects but will likely throw in the towel on this size 7 hat. If my niece doesn’t like the distressed look I’ll get her a new hat and find a new owner for this one. If this hat was my size I would definitely continue the battle or pay to have a professional take over. Thank you!
 
Messages
10,342
Location
vancouver, canada
That makes a lot of sense and I appreciate you helping me get on the right path. I will be on the lookout for a block in my size 7 3/8 for future projects but will likely throw in the towel on this size 7 hat. If my niece doesn’t like the distressed look I’ll get her a new hat and find a new owner for this one. If this hat was my size I would definitely continue the battle or pay to have a professional take over. Thank you!
When I first started I would pick up cheap western beater hats on Ebay to work on. In many ways the worse shape they were the better the bargain as I got to work on them so much that I got the most education bang for my buck. I have purchased from Etsy.....Olala Hat Blocks out of France. They are not wood but some kind of resin. I use them on sizes that are called for seldom as I am not sure how well they will stand up over time but they are 1/2 the price of wood or less. And for infrequent use they sure do the trick.
 

wsmontana

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Montana
When I first started I would pick up cheap western beater hats on Ebay to work on. In many ways the worse shape they were the better the bargain as I got to work on them so much that I got the most education bang for my buck. I have purchased from Etsy.....Olala Hat Blocks out of France. They are not wood but some kind of resin. I use them on sizes that are called for seldom as I am not sure how well they will stand up over time but they are 1/2 the price of wood or less. And for infrequent use they sure do the trick.
Bowen, here is a quick update. I’ve made some progress but definitely have more to do. That ring doesn’t want to go away!

Here is the progression so far — left to right is the original hat, initial steam/shape/brush, and then result after 7 steps shown below:
View attachment 424765

Here are the tools and cleaning supplies used.
View attachment 424766

Here are the steps I used so far:

1. cleaned with diluted woollite + sponge. This didn’t do much for looks but water was dirty so it did remove some grime. Let dry.
2. used the granual cleaner on small stains and on the ring. Used my thumb to grind it in and the hat brush to clear away. All stains pretty much disappeared and ring somewhat blended in.
3. shaped hat using blue bowl inside and large spoon outside. Not easy to do but did reduce the ring bump a bit. I think a hat block could help a lot here! Also flattened brim on edge of counter
4. used foaming spray overall. This brightened the whole hat but did nothing to the ring. Once dried, I used hat sponge and brush overall.
5. repeated step 3. Ring flattened a bit more.
6. very lightly used sanding block and thumb size sand paper selectively on ring. Brushed again. Definitely saw improvement.
7. repeated step 3

Maybe an hour of work to do all of this but it took a good part of a day. I plan to repeat some of these steps but I’m going to let the hat rest for awhile :).

Well, my niece wants to go with a new hat which is understandable and I’m cool with that. Seems like a good opportunity to start a new hobby and with all the help and encouragement and great folks here I sense it will be a rewarding journey. The skills, equipment, and materials seem to be on par with my fly tying hobby which I really enjoy and it benefits my main passion which is fly fishing. Anyway, deep breath, and step #8:

B61F1CCF-91E3-4FFC-BF71-7C0CC3D1DCB1.jpeg
 

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,638
Well, my niece wants to go with a new hat which is understandable and I’m cool with that. Seems like a good opportunity to start a new hobby and with all the help and encouragement and great folks here I sense it will be a rewarding journey. The skills, equipment, and materials seem to be on par with my fly tying hobby which I really enjoy and it benefits my main passion which is fly fishing. Anyway, deep breath, and step #8:

View attachment 424880
I see a new thread brewing.
“Fine Felts For Fly Fishing“
“Match the Hat(ch)”
B
 

wsmontana

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Montana
I see a new thread brewing.
“Fine Felts For Fly Fishing“
“Match the Hat(ch)”
B
Seriously!!! Not matching the hatch per-se but wearing a hat that blends into the background. The whole reason I got into felt hats again recently was in attempt to find a pinkish/red hat that would blend into a notoriously difficult canyon section of the Blackfoot here in Montana. I convinced myself with the right hat I could really tear it up there. I try to get tight in on fish and it is important to blend in. I have a handful of hats and I definitely pick the color that best fits the conditions of the day.

Here is a great pic that shows masterful blending. FYI, thats not me :).
Bill

EE4F24CF-986E-47CC-B40D-41E6E1ABBD72.jpeg
 

Just Daniel

One Too Many
Messages
1,446
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California

Forum statistics

Threads
107,023
Messages
3,026,598
Members
52,528
Latest member
Zonko
Top