The Bailey western-to-fedora

[Fatdutchman]

Here's the Bailey 5x Beaver western "cattleman" hat I got off ebay. Came just today. The hat is virtually unworn, and seems VERY well made. The sweat is a nice, thick, soft leather. The felt is thick, dense, and stiff (the way I like it). Here it is as it came to me:

Here it is after I "blocked" it out with steam and my fingers:

The crown height is right about 5 1/2", and the brim is 2 7/8" wide.

Here it is after shaping to a diamond crease (which was kinda hard for me to get used to doing...)

I think I did a pretty durn good job shaping this hat. The problem is, the thing is a size too big! It's a 7 1/8, which is what I'm "supposed" to be, but each hat company sizes their stuff differently... It probably "should" be sized 7 1/4. I'm a long oval, so I "ovalized it" by steaming the far out of it and squeezing the sides together. This made it fit a bit better, and gave me one serious bit of reverse taper! I can stand (and even like) reverse taper, but I don't like a hat that looks too big for my head. It fits me all right now with foam tape all the way around inside the sweatband. It still looks too big for me, I think. I don't know, I'll think about it and see what I want to do with it....

 

[RBH]

WOW and I mean WOW!!!! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
That is the best hat of yours I have seen yet!!!
You did a great job, if you do not have a hat jack that can help 'ovalize' a hat some.
Once again great job !!!!!!!

I had to add that I like the some what 'western' look the fedora has. That is the reason I like the Indy hats so well, they have a distinct 'western' flare to them with out being overtly cowboyish.

 

[RBH]

I also had to add I like the diamond crease, your hat has the same high crown as my TVA. That type crown really does well with a diamond.
By the way I think it fits you great. It does not seem too big on you at all.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Very Well Done!!!

It brings to mind the apocryphal brown Open Road. Fits you to a "T" too, great job! Was this a stiff felt or more dress weight?

 

[Fatdutchman]

This hat would have made a kickass Indy hat...the right size and shape and even color. I think it will make a serious heavy-duty work hat.

I have a grayish Stetson on its way to me that is basically the same size and shape as this one. It's getting the same treatment. If Stetson is consistent with their sizing, it will fit me a bit better than this one does. I should have it in hand any day now.

Where am I going to put all these dang hats??? :eusa_doh:

You can see how thick the felt is by looking at the edge of the brim. It is nice and thick and dense and stiff.

I'll try to take some pictures of me in the hat outside tomorrow or sometime....It's black outside by the time I get home... A shot of it square-on, that's where I think it looks kinda wide on my head. At any other angle, no matter how slight, it ROCKS. I held a 1 1/2" wide ribbon on the hat and it just made the hat look shorter and squatter, which didn't help... I wonder if maybe it's just that I'm not used to something SO wide at the top of the crown and where you can't really see a center dent and "camel humps", which is what I'm so used to... The Squatter I usually wear fits almost as big on me as this hat does. I have felt in the front and back of this hat, none on the sides, not that that matters (hats never really touch me on my temples no matter what).

 

[Badluck Brody]

Very sharp!

Very sharp and well done!!

Come to think about it... I was just looking at an old Truewest Rockmount of mine I've had for years.... Hmmmmm. that might also make a good change to a fedora. I even have an old ribbon which should work.... you guys are nothing but trouble!!

 

[RBH]

... A shot of it square-on, that's where I think it looks kinda wide on my head. At any other angle, no matter how slight, it ROCKS. I held a 1 1/2" wide ribbon on the hat and it just made the hat look shorter and squatter, which didn't help... I wonder if maybe it's just that I'm not used to something SO wide at the top of the crown and where you can't really see a center dent and "camel humps", which is what I'm so used to... .

You hit the nail on the head there Dutchman. The diamond crease on a tall crown gives a great reverse taper, and that makes the hat seem a little wider. That was what I first thought on my TVA, I had worn my c-crowns and the Adventurebilt, but the diamond crease was so different.
I really like it now.
Dont give up on this hat as from the photos it looks great on you.
If you remember ..what did you think the first time you put on your Adventurebilt?
I thought mine was HUGE" but it was just the tall crown I was not used to.
In fact I have sold a few thin ribbons of mine because I can not [now] get used to the shorter crowns.

By the way I think the ribbon that is on it gives the hat its own ''personality''. While I have now began wearing my wider ribboned hats more than the thin that one make me remeber why I like a thin ribbon fedora.

 

[carter]

Nice job!

I think you did an excellent job on reblocking that hat. :eusa_clap

It may take some getting used to but, that hat does not look too big on you. It looks very good. Give it a chance and you'll come to like it a lot.

 

[Colby Jack]

Really great job....!!!:eusa_clap

 

[Fatdutchman]

RBH, I'm still waiting on my Adventurer. I'm at eleven months....

You're right, though, my first Akubra Federation looked HUGE. Man, it was sure tall. Now it looks totally normal, and anything smaller looks downright puny.

Did I mention how well made I think this hat is? I really like this sweatband. It is twice as thick a leather as anyone else's, and nice and soft. It's all very neatly stitched together. I have NO idea as to the date of the hat. If I were to GUESS, I'd say 80's...that's just judging by the appearance of the box, which really doesn't mean anything.[huh]

 

[L HATLEY]

HAT SHINES

Fatdutchman from one Buckskinner to another that hat SHINES:eusa_clap
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Fatdutchman]

See all the flintlock guns, hunting swords, and stock blanks and stuff in the background?

You can also see my calendar...two months behind.

 

[indycop]

Fatdutchman it does not look too big!! I did the diamond crease in my federation and it looked huge to me. I was finally ready to cut the brim down in an effort to make the hat look smaller (not totally thinking it was the crown) I measured my Peters Bros. brim to make the federation the same and realized they were already the same size. Its just the way the diamond sides come out that trick your eyes.

 

[feltfan]

I think I did a pretty durn good job shaping this hat. The problem is, the thing is a size too big! It's a 7 1/8, which is what I'm "supposed" to be, but each hat company sizes their stuff differently... It probably "should" be sized 7 1/4. I'm a long oval, so I "ovalized it" by steaming the far out of it and squeezing the sides together. This made it fit a bit better, and gave me one serious bit of reverse taper! I can stand (and even like) reverse taper, but I don't like a hat that looks too big for my head. It fits me all right now with foam tape all the way around inside the sweatband. It still looks too big for me, I think. I don't know, I'll think about it and see what I want to do with it....

I think it looks great. The difference in crown size between
7 1/8 and 7 1/4 is probably not noticable. The style is certainly
a big crown, but that's just something you have to get used to.
Others will find it simply a striking hat. It's a matter of style-
you'll find a lot of Mallorys, the Stetson Stratoliner, Borsalino
"Alessandria" (as it is called here) and others simply have a full
crown like yours. Common in the 1940s, not so common in the
50s and 60s or today, sadly. There is nothing inherently wrong
with that crown size for your build/face. Speaking for myself,
some days I'm in the mood for a lower crown, some days a higher.
Also depends on the jacket I'm wearing.

I have never tried it, but people here recommend wetting the
sweatband and then drying it -carefully- over a lightbulb. That
should shrink the sweatband a touch and make it fit.

You did a fine job bashing it.

 

[Rooster]

From one big hat wearer to another...That's a good one!:eusa_clap Here are some things I've found that helps the look of big hats. The reverse taper can be helped to disappear by running the side dents back a little further and by maybe deepening the top dent a bit. If you want tom shrink that hat down a bit wet the sweat band good and let it dry, should do the trick.
Got any good stocks there? I'm always looking for some good ones. And what about the hunting sword on the left? I had a whole pile of those I bought in the 80's. never paid more than $175 for one. They are worth a fortune these days.

 

[flylot74]

What a masterful job! I really like the hat very much and I as well don't think it too big for you.

 

[Fatdutchman]

I've fiddled with it some more and got it to look a bit better suited to my face/head. Got rid of some of the Mad Hatter reverse taper it had (still got some though ).

I have my two side points of the "diamond" pretty well center of the hat. I wonder if I should pull them back towards the back just a little more...

I got some better daylight photos here at work today. I'll post them this evening.

You ain't gettin' my blanks, Rooster....

I bought those two swords at auction ( www.hermann-historica.com ) two or three years ago or so (when they were still using Deutsche Marks). Didn't pay much for them...I kind of think that I paid $375 or so for both of them. Average condition.

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Nicely done conversion. Wish my Resistol would've looked that nice converted.

 

[RBH]

...
I have my two side points of the "diamond" pretty well center of the hat. I wonder if I should pull them back towards the back just a little more...
......

Dutchman, I just checked my TVA, the points on the side of mine are just a little behind the center of my bow. I really mean just a little, most would not even notice it.
You have to make it what you will like to wear, but from your photos you did a great job! I dont see how it could be any better, it looks great on you and I like the brim width also.
Looking forward to more photos!

 

[indycop]

Looking forward to more photos!

Speaking of photos!