23 buck 7x beaver fedora

[Fedora]

I got this hat in a couple of days ago. Another Indy butcher job. The color was natural beaver but it was stained up pretty badly, and when the stains would not come out, I just dyed the thing. I wanted a lighter summer color and this is what I ended up with. Call it a fresh pecan color. It is a vintage(made in Philly) Stetson 7x, which is pure beaver. It is the thinnest beaver hat that I have seen, with the thickness being the same as the Optimos(rabbit blend). A pure lightweight hat, and perfect for summer. No stiffener in the hat. The look and feel of the felt is identical to the GH belly beaver hats. I was waiting on this hat anxiously so I could compare it to the new beaver felt available today. You can tell beaver felt, right off, by just the feel of the felt. I discovered that with this old hat. Must be a characteristic of the beaver fur. Velvet is the only way I can describe it. I am now convinced that my vintage 3x was mislabeled, and it is actually pure beaver. Since this was such wonderful felt, I pulled out my special reserve Akubra ribbon that Ron so generously sent me a roll of. Only the best for this hat. And the Akubra ribbon is my favorite ribbon. OK, here is the butcher job. Pure Raiders. Vintage 7x Raiders fedora regards, Fedora

 

[SHARPETOYS]

OK, here is the butcher job. Pure Raiders. Vintage 7x Raiders fedora regards, Fedora

Thats not a butcher job! Its sounds like to me it was runied and you gave it a new life. Thats one pretty hat and color.

 

[Andykev]

IT's not a butcher job

The hat looks great! Another fine job. Why call it a butcher?

And a side bar, what do you use for dye? My wife "cleaned" the dog side yard with come Clorox bleach. Guess what , she now has white dots on the bottom of her pants, her new grey jeans.

I was thinking of some Rit Dye...is that what you use? Someone's mom or wife out there who can educate me?

 

[gcollins]

I agree. That looks good, real good.

Question for you guys:

Any of you have any experience with the maple color felt from Optimo? I'm not sure if that is a dark or light felt. Marlene there told me over the phone that is was light brown-green tinge. I somewhat like that, and am looking for a summer hat that is a nice-looking light brown that I can put a black ribbon on. I like black clothes over brown, so dark browns don't quite cut it.

Any advice?

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Chamorro has a Maple Optimo. Perhaps he can give you a better idea of the color.

 

[Fedora]

Why call it a butcher?

Just a joke really. I think someone made a well intentioned remark about folks buying nice vintage hats and butchering them in favor of an Indy fedora.

And a side bar, what do you use for dye?

I have used Rit dye prior, cooking the hat for 2 to 3 hours to get the felt to absorb the color and it works fairly well. Sometimes you get a nice color, and somtimes you don't. I guess it depends on the felt. On this hat, I called my old buddy Walt, who used to custom make western hats for country music fans. I called to ask him a source for a better dye for hats. He gave me enough of some stuff he used 30 years ago and it worked better than the Rit dye. It was wool and felt dye and the only colors he had left was black and bronzine. I chose the bronzine. This dye comes with a separate fixative that you mix in with the solution. Smelled like rotten eggs, but rinsed out with no problem. I was so impressed that I am gonna see if he can order me some in a chocolate brown, or I think he called the color mink. He said it was pretty expensive, and you have to order the fixative separate. I know, a couple of years ago, he ordered me a gallon of Proberts Hat stiffener/rebuilder and it was close to 60 bucks a gallon. He said the dye was more expensive than the Proberts. I am almost afraid to ask. Fedora

 

[Andykev]

Thanks Fedora

Great information. I read about dying hat bodies in the book HAT TALK by Debbie Henderson...it is a real science and an art.

They talk about the temps and the solutions, ....wow.

Anyway, I think I'll try the Rit...should work on a lousey pair of pants...

My wife is so sweet..."honey, I did something so stupid, look at my new jeans"...

I didn't get mad. Husbands should be understanding, and then fix the problem. Wives love that.

 

[Zane]

Another bute Fedora.

Andykev you cannot dye over chorine bleach spots. Could not when I was a kid any way . www.rit.com for full instructions.

Fedora if you know the name of that dye will you PM it to me. They used Rit for years but used to talk about them proline dyes that had to have soda ash or urea for a fixative. I am not positive that I am ready to start dying yet but there is a lady looking for dye for wool felts that I have know for years that makes only ladies hats and she has ask me recently along with a million others about it.

 

[rick5150]

Andykev you cannot dye over chorine bleach spots. Could not when I was a kid any way . www.rit.com for full instructions.

I got the Raymond International Theater with that link. Try this one:Rit Dye Website Zane, I have had problems doing this as well. I used dye and ended up with less conspicuous chlorine dots, that eventually ate through the fabric. Now it looks as if I was shot in the leg with buckshot. My son used a blue pen and colored the white dots on his pants. Maybe an e-mail to ritdye will provide an answer?

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Fedora
There is a site called Hatchat and it has a lot of information on hats, dyeing felts etc. Lots of talk about lady's hat but there is some good links on mens hats that might help you. I went back and read alot of posts and found it very Informative.

http://www.hathathat.com/links.html

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Fedora.
Would you tell us how you dye your hats. The one beaver hat i bought for $12 bucks needs to be dyed so it can be made into a fedora. Thanks!

 

[Andykev]

I used a gray sharpie pen (permanent marker) on the gray jeans...covered the spots just fine, but the dye job will help. Zane is right, the fabric is damaged by the bleach, you can still see it.

FEDORA, I just looked up the dye instructions (thanks Rick) and I wonder if MRS FEDORA chases after you when you tank the washer with dye

I hope you use a big metal or plastic tub, as the Rit Dye procedures calls for a lot of water, rinsing, bleach, detergent. WOW.


1. Turn the washing machine on and let it fill with hot water (140?Ǭ? F).
2. Add Rit Tan Powder to the water.
3. Submerge jeans in mixture and soak for 10 minutes.
4. Rinse jeans, wash and rinse again.
5. Dry in the usual manner.
6. Repeat steps 1 - 5 with the jeans with Rit Tangerine Liquid to give jeans an added "dirty" look. (optional)
7. After dyeing, clean the washing machine by running it through a complete wash cycle with detergent and 1 to 2 cups of bleach.

 

[Zane]

We have a fellow ky ian that will make you a hat out of maple or any oter wood you desire or supply . No joke makes beautiful high dollar wooden hats. I know its unbelivable but its true. I would have to look the wesite up again but man he made some striking beautiful hats nothing like you can imagine but real hats thin and the works wearable I have to assume from memory and the looks of them.

 

[Zane]

here is another wood hat maker: http://www.woodhat.com/

well cannot locate the other one maybe I was mistaken as to location but I remain positive I was not.

 

[Michaelson]

You're right, Zane, but I can't remember his name either. He's a Tennessean, and he sells his hats to art stores and the like throughout the U.S. I got to see and handle a few of his hats in Gatlinburg, TN a couple of weeks ago, and they're unbelievable in detail and Feel. He can make them to your spec to wear as well! They did a PBS special about him and his craft on a program called 'Tennessee Crossroads' a few months ago. Regards. Michaelson

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Fedora
There is a site called Hatchat and it has a lot of information on hats, dyeing felts etc. Lots of talk about lady's hat but there is some good links on mens hats that might help you. I went back and read alot of posts and found it very Informative.

http://www.hathathat.com/links.html

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Fedora.
Would you tell us how you dye your hats. The one beaver hat i bought for $12 bucks needs to be dyed so it can be made into a fedora. Thanks!

 

[Fedora]

Would you tell us how you dye your hats. The one beaver hat i bought for $12 bucks needs to be dyed so it can be made into a fedora. Thanks!

I do my dyeing outside, in a 5 gallon stainless steel pot. After you mix the dye up, I just put a pre-soaked hat into the mixture, and keep it around 200 degress for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Forget about the 15 minutes suggested on the dye package. You will just end up with sandwich felt(outside dyed, inside still the original color) If it is particularly dense felt, I would just let the hat stay in the dye bath after the cooking time and get it out the next day. It would not hurt to stir the mixture when it is cooking, and also afterward, if you are leaveing the denser hats in the mixture. You can reuse the dye if you want, at a later date. Just cover your pot. Saves money too. Fedora