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Messages
10,981
I'm sure this has been answered on FL before, and maybe even in this very thread, but I'm using a mobile site version on my phone, and searches never seem to work well. I apologize in advance.

I'm going from wearing a Ballcap I won at a Ham Radio Convention a few years ago, to being on the waiting list for a Custom Beaver Felt Gannon.

What, at a minimum do I need to properly care for this investment?

Thus far I'm coming up with:
  • Hat Brush
  • Hat Jack/Stretcher for it to dry on in case of getting wet.
  • Wall mounted hanger to keep it out of reach of my wool/felt chewing Cat. (Or the Box itself, but I like the idea of quick access)
I appreciate your time.
My most used tools are the brush and hook. The block or stretcher is a good idea you mentioned . Maybe a tea kettle or hand held steamer if you might like to reshape the crown from time to time. That’s about it on my end... if it’s a dark hat a paper tape lint roller might help with some of the cat hair. Congratulations on your hat commission


And welcome to the lounge. BTW
 

Belkar

Familiar Face
Messages
57
My most used tools are the brush and hook. The block or stretcher is a good idea you mentioned . Maybe a tea kettle or hand held steamer if you might like to reshape the crown from time to time. That’s about it on my end... if it’s a dark hat a paper tape lint roller might help with some of the cat hair. Congratulations on your hat commission


And welcome to the lounge. BTW

Thank you!

And yes, that makes sense. Fortunately lint rollers are a thing we may as well buy in bulk. I prefer darker clothing, and hair certainly shows up rather often.

Depending on supply, my color preference (in order) would be: Dark Moss, Charcoal, Black.

I may be off topic at this point but I'm thinking Dark Moss with a Black ribbon and Black Edge Binding.
 

Silver-Wolf

One of the Regulars
Messages
190
Location
South Australia
I'm sure this has been answered on FL before, and maybe even in this very thread, but I'm using a mobile site version on my phone, and searches never seem to work well. I apologize in advance.

I'm going from wearing a Ballcap I won at a Ham Radio Convention a few years ago, to being on the waiting list for a Custom Beaver Felt Gannon.

What, at a minimum do I need to properly care for this investment?

Thus far I'm coming up with:
  • Hat Brush
  • Hat Jack/Stretcher for it to dry on in case of getting wet.
  • Wall mounted hanger to keep it out of reach of my wool/felt chewing Cat. (Or the Box itself, but I like the idea of quick access)
I appreciate your time.
My most used tools are the brush and hook. The block or stretcher is a good idea you mentioned . Maybe a tea kettle or hand held steamer if you might like to reshape the crown from time to time. That’s about it on my end... if it’s a dark hat a paper tape lint roller might help with some of the cat hair. Congratulations on your hat commission


And welcome to the lounge. BTW

Another welcome to the lounge from me as well, the hat jacks/keepers are handy also if you don't wear a hat for extended periods of time if the hat has a leather band. Because they are timber (normally balsa) they also help absorb odor and manage bacteria and stop the leather sweatband from shrinking when not worn. This is the reason you see most hat jacks and band blocks in raw unsealed timber I believe.

Very handy for slight adjustment of sizing if needed, careful to not over stretch or make large size changes with a hat with just a hat-jack though. Um also just a dry sponge that's clean, they work great for cleaning felt hats and cost next to nothing.

Bet your excited about that Gannon, please show us once it finally arrives
 
Messages
18,951
Location
Central California
I'm sure this has been answered on FL before, and maybe even in this very thread, but I'm using a mobile site version on my phone, and searches never seem to work well. I apologize in advance.

I'm going from wearing a Ballcap I won at a Ham Radio Convention a few years ago, to being on the waiting list for a Custom Beaver Felt Gannon.

What, at a minimum do I need to properly care for this investment?

Thus far I'm coming up with:
  • Hat Brush
  • Hat Jack/Stretcher for it to dry on in case of getting wet.
  • Wall mounted hanger to keep it out of reach of my wool/felt chewing Cat. (Or the Box itself, but I like the idea of quick access)
I appreciate your time.



Welcome! Ball cap to a Gannon: I like it! :)

I’d say the only thing you’ll “need” is a hat brush. You can store it in the box Gannon provides or hang it from a hook. I haven’t ever needed to stretch a Gannon.

If the hat is arriving open crown you will need a source of steam, but there isn’t a need to buy a steamer for one hat. You can use a kettle or even a large pot. If at some point you want to add another tool my first suggestion would be a band block.

I hope you share photos of your Gannon when it arrives. Michael makes a great hat.
 

Silver-Wolf

One of the Regulars
Messages
190
Location
South Australia
Welcome! Ball cap to a Gannon: I like it! :)

I’d say the only thing you’ll “need” is a hat brush. You can store it in the box Gannon provides or hang it from a hook. I haven’t ever needed to stretch a Gannon.

If the hat is arriving open crown you will need a source of steam, but there isn’t a need to buy a steamer for one hat. You can use a kettle or even a large pot. If at some point you want to add another tool my first suggestion would be a band block.

I hope you share photos of your Gannon when it arrives. Michael makes a great hat.

Think I've said it before but I much prefer a band block/keeper to a hat jack style floppy twister, I make my own hat stools which are really just like a band block with short legs. They double as a stand then as well that doesn't affect the brim when stored or wet while drying.

Sorry, those floppy dang things are a pet peeve of mine, mostly because of my crappy hands. a Set block is so much easier though
 
Messages
10,411
Location
vancouver, canada
Thank you!

And yes, that makes sense. Fortunately lint rollers are a thing we may as well buy in bulk. I prefer darker clothing, and hair certainly shows up rather often.

Depending on supply, my color preference (in order) would be: Dark Moss, Charcoal, Black.

I may be off topic at this point but I'm thinking Dark Moss with a Black ribbon and Black Edge Binding.
Gannon will ship your hat in a nice hat box that stores the hat in the right position. My caution about storing your hat out on a hook is that they are dust collectors. Depending on how dusty your house is leaving it on a hook may necessitate more frequent brushing.....espically a darker coloured felt. On that note make certain you buy a hat brush/. Their bristles are the right stiffness ....if you buy a brush too stiff it will remove fibres from the felt and prematurely wear the hat.
 

Belkar

Familiar Face
Messages
57
Bet your excited about that Gannon, please show us once it finally arrives

I am! Yes.

And definitely, they seem to be very photogenic. I may have to ask for a swatch of Dark Moss, as that seems to be one of those "Chameleon" Colors.


Welcome! Ball cap to a Gannon: I like it! :)

I’d say the only thing you’ll “need” is a hat brush. You can store it in the box Gannon provides or hang it from a hook. I haven’t ever needed to stretch a Gannon.

If the hat is arriving open crown you will need a source of steam, but there isn’t a need to buy a steamer for one hat. You can use a kettle or even a large pot. If at some point you want to add another tool my first suggestion would be a band block.

I hope you share photos of your Gannon when it arrives. Michael makes a great hat.

I'm woefully under qualified to "bash" or "crease" one myself at this point. Perhaps in the future when I already have some sort reference. Due to my lack of experience I'll be requesting he send it with a Teardrop shaped Crown.

I'm still trying to nail down exactly what I'm going to ask for, and may post a thread looking for advice on that. Like my Profile's namesake I'm a character that is good at getting along, but never tends to fit it.

I rarely dress up. My custom made boots look like a cross between logging boots and paratrooper boots. My hat will look like something that belongs outside.
 

Belkar

Familiar Face
Messages
57
Gannon will ship your hat in a nice hat box that stores the hat in the right position. My caution about storing your hat out on a hook is that they are dust collectors. Depending on how dusty your house is leaving it on a hook may necessitate more frequent brushing.....espically a darker coloured felt. On that note make certain you buy a hat brush/. Their bristles are the right stiffness ....if you buy a brush too stiff it will remove fibres from the felt and prematurely wear the hat.

I may skip the hook then. I had picked out a brush on village hat shop.

Doing something halfway has never been my style. A jump like Ballcap to Custom Gannon is pretty normal for me. (And I guess the wife is used to that.)
 
Messages
19,141
Location
Funkytown, USA
Gannon will ship your hat in a nice hat box that stores the hat in the right position. My caution about storing your hat out on a hook is that they are dust collectors. Depending on how dusty your house is leaving it on a hook may necessitate more frequent brushing.....espically a darker coloured felt. On that note make certain you buy a hat brush/. Their bristles are the right stiffness ....if you buy a brush too stiff it will remove fibres from the felt and prematurely wear the hat.

But, brushing my hats brings me to a zen-like state.
 
Messages
19,141
Location
Funkytown, USA
I am! Yes.

And definitely, they seem to be very photogenic. I may have to ask for a swatch of Dark Moss, as that seems to be one of those "Chameleon" Colors.




I'm woefully under qualified to "bash" or "crease" one myself at this point. Perhaps in the future when I already have some sort reference. Due to my lack of experience I'll be requesting he send it with a Teardrop shaped Crown.

I'm still trying to nail down exactly what I'm going to ask for, and may post a thread looking for advice on that. Like my Profile's namesake I'm a character that is good at getting along, but never tends to fit it.

I rarely dress up. My custom made boots look like a cross between logging boots and paratrooper boots. My hat will look like something that belongs outside.

You are well qualified to crease your own hat. I understand the apprehension, but it sounds more intimidating than it is.

Bring your thoughts and other questions into the Gannon thread. Lotsa pics in there for you, too. Moss Green is a great color. I love mine.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/m-c-gannon-hat-company.83744/
 
Messages
10,981
Thank you!

And yes, that makes sense. Fortunately lint rollers are a thing we may as well buy in bulk. I prefer darker clothing, and hair certainly shows up rather often.

Depending on supply, my color preference (in order) would be: Dark Moss, Charcoal, Black.

I may be off topic at this point but I'm thinking Dark Moss with a Black ribbon and Black Edge Binding.
From what I have seen around this lounge you certainly will not go wrong with a Gannon. That sounds like a fantastic color combo.
 

Silver-Wolf

One of the Regulars
Messages
190
Location
South Australia
From what I have seen around this lounge you certainly will not go wrong with a Gannon. That sounds like a fantastic color combo.

Envious myself, on 2 counts... Getting a Gannon and the colour combo. From everything I've read and seen they are really, really nice lids, all the enablers here keep me thinking about them lol.
 
Messages
18,951
Location
Central California
Thank you!

And yes, that makes sense. Fortunately lint rollers are a thing we may as well buy in bulk. I prefer darker clothing, and hair certainly shows up rather often.

Depending on supply, my color preference (in order) would be: Dark Moss, Charcoal, Black.

I may be off topic at this point but I'm thinking Dark Moss with a Black ribbon and Black Edge Binding.


I highly recommend asking Michael’s opinion on all your choices. He’ll make you whatever you want, but if you let him weight in you’re more likely to get a fantastic hat. He has a great eye and I trust him to make a lot of the choices for me. Just my take.
 

Belkar

Familiar Face
Messages
57
I highly recommend asking Michael’s opinion on all your choices. He’ll make you whatever you want, but if you let him weight in you’re more likely to get a fantastic hat. He has a great eye and I trust him to make a lot of the choices for me. Just my take.

Yessir. I've only recently contacted him and gotten on his list. There hasn't been too much design discussion just yet.
 

new2hats

A-List Customer
Messages
301
Location
SC
Hi, I have some nice 1950s hats that i would like to keep, but they are slightly small. I can get them on my head, I just have to pull hard and it's a little snug. They also sit higher than I'd like. Should i stretch with a hat stretcher or cut the leather sweatband? Which offers more stretch accomodation? Less permanent? Trying to decide if i want to keep what I have or sell.

Thanks!
 

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