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Hat band replacement step by step

EggHead

Practically Family
Messages
858
Location
San Francisco, CA
Britex Fabrics in San Francisco has good grosgrain rayon and silk ribbons.
I actually went there and asked. Rayon is about $3 for a yard, silk is $5.
 

Undertow

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,126
Location
Des Moines, IA, US
Removed the original glue and sewed the liner in with 8 tack stitches:
hat1.jpg



Replaced the oringal bow with a double bow setup - black grosgrain on cream satin:
hat3.jpg


Reattached the ribbon with 5 tack stiches, plus 6 at the bow:
hat4.jpg


Steamed, rounded out, recreased:
hat5.jpg


Wasn't happy with the new bow - at first; looked a little garish. Aha, who wears garish fedoras? Gangsters! Creased with the Chicago Hook, wa-la!
hat2.jpg
 

Undertow

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,126
Location
Des Moines, IA, US
CRH said:
The Chicago Hook... That's a new one to me. I think it's a good fit with that new bold ribbon.

Well, it's a little white lie on my part, as I've never seen the "Chicago Hook" as mentioned in a previous thread:
Chicago Hook Bash

However, it looks like the "Detroit Hook" bash, so I took the liberty of reversing the crease and calling it the Chicago. It's all conjecture, but hey, gangsters can't be bothered by facts. ;) lol
 

Jingo Mastapone

Familiar Face
Messages
50
Location
Oregon
Interesting arrangement. I think your bow would benefit from having the outer corners tacked down. All production bows I've seen are that way, which leaves yours looking home done to my eye. Also, I think you should pull the bow off for a minute and arrange the ends of the band so that they don't show behind the bow. To do this, fold the top corners down at an angle starting at the outer corners of the white bow.

Once you've done these things, I think your hat will look very professional and striking!
 

sparks

New in Town
Messages
22
Location
se MI
i just replaced the ribbon onmy bailey straw - WallYWorld - had a full assortment of gross grain - you name the color and width & they had it - 99c a yard!!

everything from black to pink to tie dye;
 

Undertow

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,126
Location
Des Moines, IA, US
Jingo Mastapone said:
Interesting arrangement. I think your bow would benefit from having the outer corners tacked down. All production bows I've seen are that way, which leaves yours looking home done to my eye. Also, I think you should pull the bow off for a minute and arrange the ends of the band so that they don't show behind the bow. To do this, fold the top corners down at an angle starting at the outer corners of the white bow.

Once you've done these things, I think your hat will look very professional and striking!

I agree about the edge of the ribbon popping out above the bow. After looking over my pictures, it became more apparent. I think some ironing and a few tack stitches could eliminate that. It was a late night when I'd finished, and that was an obvious mistake my eye just didn't catch. At least it's an easy fix!

I'm currently tacking a ribbon on another hat, and I'm sticking to the factory look because I wear it often. On the other hand, I left the corners of the bows untacked specifically to avoid the factory look. I wanted a unique "real" bow look as opposed to the plainly obvious "not-a-real-bow" look the original Stetson manufacturing had rendered.
 

Kreissaege

One of the Regulars
jlee562 said:
There is this link:

http://dalexs.whitvani.net/hat/hatpage.html

although that's specific to the "flying V" double bow on the Indiana Jones hat, but it explains the basic principles as well.

I used this link for my very first replacement ribbon and I am definitly not good with a needle.
Have a go, its fun once it finished and if it wont work they way you want it, you can always send it in to a hatter for a professional replacement. I restitched the corners of the bow since and am verx happy with it, since I have done it myself.
972009007.jpg

972009005_ji.jpg
 

Rodkins

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,444
Location
Orlando
Here's my first attempt at a full ribbon replacement. This one is on that strange Akubra Sundowner I posted a while back...
709abbb0.jpg
 

five6seven8

New in Town
Messages
9
Location
UK
I'm currently trying to do exactly this but the photos in this post have been steamrollered away by time, and archive.org doesn't have the page. Does anyone still happen to have the photos?
 

Baespy42

New in Town
Messages
8
I am thinking about trying out a wider ribbon on one of my Akubra Camp Drafts and was wondering how hard it would be to make your own. Not thinking of anything fancy, just a single bow. Could I just go to a fabric store and pick out some ribbon? My main question would be how is it folded and sewn? Any tips, pics, YouTube, etc appreciated.
Thanks
Jedidiah
Hello, I am experimenting with that same thing. Most stores only carry polyester ribbon. You want Cotton Rayon dark brown ribbon. I've been researching this and their is no know source of the exact ribbon Harrison Ford used. Only that the original was from Herbert Johnson. And they're supplies came from somewhere in the UK? But very $$? Some thing like $90 for 50 yards from what Ive heard? I've found that eBay has some quality ribbon. Start experimenting in sewing. Can be frustrating to begin with but you'll get the hang of it. No hatter out their want to tell you where to get your ribbon. Hope this helps.
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,671
Location
Northern California
Hello, I am experimenting with that same thing. Most stores only carry polyester ribbon. You want Cotton Rayon dark brown ribbon. I've been researching this and their is no know source of the exact ribbon Harrison Ford used. Only that the original was from Herbert Johnson. And they're supplies came from somewhere in the UK? But very $$? Some thing like $90 for 50 yards from what Ive heard? I've found that eBay has some quality ribbon. Start experimenting in sewing. Can be frustrating to begin with but you'll get the hang of it. No hatter out their want to tell you where to get your ribbon. Hope this helps.
Just out of curiosity...you know that you're replying to a post from 2010, right?
 

triple-d

A-List Customer
Messages
420
Location
Arkansas
Welllll.....it's still a good question. If you use the search function, it lists about 100 threads...lol. I need to do one myself. Can't warm up to the burnt orange ribbon on my sage Whippet.......just not me. So it's been in it's hat box for the last 3 years...lol
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,671
Location
Northern California
The Lounge member you were responding to may or nay not be active here anymore. Doesn't mean that folks currently active won't want to talk ribbons though.
 

Baespy42

New in Town
Messages
8
Welllll.....it's still a good question. If you use the search function, it lists about 100 threads...lol. I need to do one myself. Can't warm up to the burnt orange ribbon on my sage Whippet.......just not me. So it's been in it's hat box for the last 3 years...lol
Cool thank man! My original question through scowering the internet, and Indygear does not even touch on the subject. I can only seem to find a really close Petersham cotton rayon ribbon. That's 39mm or 1.5"? That's fairly in expensive. Trying to up load a pic but can't do it here? What's your email?
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,671
Location
Northern California
There are a bunch of sellers on Etsy that have vintage cotton/rayon grosgrain ribbon suitable for hatbands for sale by the yard. Make sure to get straight edged grosgrain rather than the saw edged Petersham, which is mostly used for women's hats.
One yard is usually enough for one hat, but it's a good idea to get two yards just in case...
 

Baespy42

New in Town
Messages
8
There are a bunch of sellers on Etsy that have vintage cotton/rayon grosgrain ribbon suitable for hatbands for sale by the yard. Make sure to get straight edged grosgrain rather than the saw edged Petersham, which is mostly used for women's hats.
One yard is usually enough for one hat, but it's a good idea to get two yards just in case...
Thanks Man, I have heard of them. Appreciate the tips
 

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