The Conversion Corral

Bill Hughes said:

I received it back today. Looks to me pretty much like an exact match. The brim was trimmed from 3 1/2" to 2 7/8". The ribbon is 1 5/8" and has a wide matching binding. Reused the liner and sweatband. So do I call this a 3X Whippet?

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ruvort said:

How much did it cost for that beautiful conversion?

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bond said:

Recent loungers hat for conversion from a thin ribbon to mid ribbon. Hat had hard cattle mans creases as well as numerous moth bites around crown along with fading so I pounced felt to try to even color out again while taking most of the moth damage out too. Not so easy with the original brittle sweatband but results were not bad considering that. Found some sort of petrified critter under the liner that I will return as well! View attachment 159210
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bond said:

Recent loungers hat for conversion from a thin ribbon to mid ribbon. Hat had hard cattle mans creases as well as numerous moth bites around crown along with fading so I pounced felt to try to even color out again while taking most of the moth damage out too. Not so easy with the original brittle sweatband but results were not bad considering that. Found some sort of petrified critter under the liner that I will return as well! View attachment 159210
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You could call this one a resurrection .....at the risk of blasphemy.....on the 3rd day it was risen. Great work.
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bond said:

Recent loungers hat for conversion from a thin ribbon to mid ribbon. Hat had hard cattle mans creases as well as numerous moth bites around crown along with fading so I pounced felt to try to even color out again while taking most of the moth damage out too. Not so easy with the original brittle sweatband but results were not bad considering that. Found some sort of petrified critter under the liner that I will return as well! View attachment 159210
View attachment 159207 View attachment 159208 View attachment 159209


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T Jones said:

Just finished refurbishing and sizing up this 1950s era Stetson No.1 Quality Western a couple of days ago. A fellow Lounger gifted this hat to me. Everything about this hat looked as if it were never worn, or at least, hardly ever worn. It started off as a size 6 5/8 and I had to block it up five sizes to fit me. It originally had a 3 1/2 inch brim width with a 5 1/2 inches tall open crown. I was doubtful that I could even achieve three inches of brim width with that big of a size up, let alone keeping the width even all around after blocking. So, I tried a little blocking experiment that I cooked up and had thought about doing on small hats like this. Needless to say, my little experiment worked out better than expected for this hat. I not only maintained an even and all around 3 1/8 brim width, but I also gained an 1/8 of inch on the open crown height. I was able to keep it Western like I wanted. I styled the hat to my preferred Western look. It has a straight and taller crown that's creased in my preferred tear drop and a more forward brim curl with the back of the brim being flat and straight. The open crown height is now 5 5/8 inches tall and is creased to 4 3/4 inches at the pinch with the rake sloping to 4 inches in the back. The original ribbon didn't fit after I sized up the hat so I found a two ply thin ribbon that was a perfect match to put on it.

The sweat band on this hat was like brand new. I thought I had an idea to reuse it but it didn't go as planned. Anyway, I'll safely store it and keep it since it was original to this hat...

Original price tag.

Just a tad tight...actually, it just sat balanced on top of my head

Off the block. The band block in the picture was made by fellow Lounger, 'Rockwater'

Completed:

On the head...and it fits! I can see now why everyone likes the felt quality on these vintage No.1 Stetsons.

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AbbaDatDeHat said:

Sweet work Terry.
Brim looks alot like a McCloud.
B

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AbbaDatDeHat said:

Tidbit:
Bond’s hats and restorations are what brought me to the lounge. I saw a perfect hat on his Etsy site, one he made, and inquired. I never dreamed of fine felt much less hand made customs.
That hat started it all for me!
Thanks Scott
Bowen

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T Jones said:

Just finished refurbishing and sizing up this 1950s era Stetson No.1 Quality Western a couple of days ago. A fellow Lounger gifted this hat to me. Everything about this hat looked as if it were never worn, or at least, hardly ever worn. It started off as a size 6 5/8 and I had to block it up five sizes to fit me. It originally had a 3 1/2 inch brim width with a 5 1/2 inches tall open crown. I was doubtful that I could even achieve three inches of brim width with that big of a size up, let alone keeping the width even all around after blocking. So, I tried a little blocking experiment that I cooked up and had thought about doing on small hats like this. Needless to say, my little experiment worked out better than expected for this hat. I not only maintained an even and all around 3 1/8 brim width, but I also gained an 1/8 of inch on the open crown height. I was able to keep it Western like I wanted. I styled the hat to my preferred Western look. It has a straight and taller crown that's creased in my preferred tear drop and a more forward brim curl with the back of the brim being flat and straight. The open crown height is now 5 5/8 inches tall and is creased to 4 3/4 inches at the pinch with the rake sloping to 4 inches in the back. The original ribbon didn't fit after I sized up the hat so I found a two ply thin ribbon that was a perfect match to put on it.

The sweat band on this hat was like brand new. I thought I had an idea to reuse it but it didn't go as planned. Anyway, I'll safely store it and keep it since it was original to this hat...

Original price tag.

Just a tad tight...actually, it just sat balanced on top of my head

Off the block. The band block in the picture was made by fellow Lounger, 'Rockwater'

Completed:

On the head...and it fits! I can see now why everyone likes the felt quality on these vintage No.1 Stetsons.

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Cornshucker77 said:

Excellent Terry. I'm glad to see such work on a small sized hat. Gives me some ideas for the future.

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T Jones said:

Completed:

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M Hatman said:

Here is a 70's - 80's western I converted. I wish I had a "before" photo....It was typical of the time 3x with a "cattleman" crease and upturned swooped 3 1/2 inch brim. Itwas missing the ribbon, but otherwise was like new. I paid $10. Got it for the price really, as it was cheap enough to give a try at a conversion......but really loved the unusual wonderful color, a kind if light green taupe or a light moss green. Certain lights really bring out the green as does the ribbon now. Well I cut the brimdown to 2 1/2 inches and re-flanged it..... brought the crown to open, and creased it like a fedora.....it stopped there and sat like that for some time......unfinished and unloved.......
Well, Thursday I recieved a surprise from Brent in the form of a green ribbon......I offhandedly remarked I had a project hat and "that ribbon could be just the color for my project hat!". Yesterday, I sewed the ribbon on and proceededto wear it to dinner!
MANY compliments ensued.....and now....while I have more than a few green hats....THIS HAT will be the one I will wear for the rest of the weekend!!!
THANKS BRENT!!
M
PS I sure wish the photo's look like it does in person.....they do not do it justice!
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Redshoes51 said:

Great work on this hat... when I initially saw the photo of the hat, I thought... ok... another cowboy hat... but then the image of you wearing that hat, it is really great... from time to time, I see photos of hats where I think, "I'd wear the Hell out of that hat!!!"

This is one of them... great work!!

~shoes~

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M Hatman said:

Here is a 70's - 80's western I converted. I wish I had a "before" photo....It was typical of the time 3x with a "cattleman" crease and upturned swooped 3 1/2 inch brim. Itwas missing the ribbon, but otherwise was like new. I paid $10. Got it for the price really, as it was cheap enough to give a try at a conversion......but really loved the unusual wonderful color, a kind if light green taupe or a light moss green. Certain lights really bring out the green as does the ribbon now. Well I cut the brimdown to 2 1/2 inches and re-flanged it..... brought the crown to open, and creased it like a fedora.....it stopped there and sat like that for some time......unfinished and unloved.......
Well, Thursday I recieved a surprise from Brent in the form of a green ribbon......I offhandedly remarked I had a project hat and "that ribbon could be just the color for my project hat!". Yesterday, I sewed the ribbon on and proceededto wear it to dinner!
MANY compliments ensued.....and now....while I have more than a few green hats....THIS HAT will be the one I will wear for the rest of the weekend!!!
THANKS BRENT!!
M
PS I sure wish the photo's look like it does in person.....they do not do it justice!
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T Jones said:

Finally got to finish up this Resistol Westerner conversion that i started some time last year. I was going to wait until I found some 3/8 ribbon to bind the brim and to do an OR style ribbon and bow work before I considered it completed. I borrowed from one old hat that I had and I put it on this Resistol. I like wide ribbon fedoras but I have to say that I'm more partial to the neat and casual look of a thin ribbon. A guy can't have too many thin ribbons.

As Received:

On the block:

Hat completed except for the ribbon work and as it sat for a several months:

Sewing on the brim binding:

Finally completed:

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Woodtroll said:

Another nice job there, Terry! As I've said before, I always enjoy seeing your "work on progress" photos. I've learned a lot just looking at the pictures...

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