What does taper mean?

[Matt Deckard]

Assuming that we are only talking about straight crowned hats, and ignoring the hats that are made on a more tapered block. The amount of taper that occurs from shrinking on a hat that was done on a straighter block all depends on the felt and the elements. I've seen modern reverse tapered hats become pretty bowl shaped over time.

Vintage hats tend to not have this problem, which from what most people have surmised is from age having its benefits. Over time the felt barbs release all their tension and chances of felt shrinkage and taper diminish.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Taper:

No taper:

As others have said, a hat can taper from side to side or front to back.

These are much more useful examples, I think. Thanks for posting, thunderw21.

It goes without saying that taper can refer to a front/back scenario, as well as a side to side scenario (when the hat is viewed from the front). There are certainly particular block shapes that provide taper when the hat is viewed from the side. Interestingly, though, the very same dynamic that leads to the reverse taper phenomenon (more on this later) actually serves to straighten things out on such hats -- a center dent, for example, pushes the tapered front and back out, so that, when viewed from the sides, the hat has very little perceptible taper.

As far as "reverse taper" goes -- I tend to not view this as "taper" in the true, organic sense (namely, the tendency of the felt to revert to the cone shape from whence it came). Instead, "reverse taper" is essentially an effect that occurs when a crease on a hat blocked with a high, straight crown effectively pushes the front/back outwards. It is the crease itself that pushes out on the crown so as to achieve this effect. And, it is a matter of subjective taste as to whether this is a desirable look or not.

What's more interesting to me is the extent to which taper to the sides of a hat (when viewed from the front) is incorporated as a desired look. The fact is that many vintage lids over time incorporated taper as a matter of style. To my mind, from a style standpoint -- taper is not necessarily an intrinsically good or bad thing. It all depends upon one's tastes in this regard.

For those not familiar with the "cone" of felt from which a hat is made, here is a photo to illustrate:

More on the process can be seen in the Winchester thread...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[rlk]

A block can have straight parallel sides or sloping sides(tapering). There is also the radius as the sides transition to the top of the crown.

Taper is literally to narrow, come to a point or thin down. This can be from felt contraction as the form returns to its conical origins or from a built in shape.

How you hand manipulate the shape distorts this form further.

The opposite of taper is to widen,
increase or spread. There is no reverse taper-- When I grew up I didn't reverse shrink nor have I now started to reverse grow in my old age.
I knocked over my glass , I'll go get a sponge for some reverse spilling.

The block's original form and later contraction are two different forms of tapering. Like all organic forms with interlocking fibers and moisture content they move a bit less with age(as do I).

 

[Matt Deckard]

Reverse taper is just an accepted term when it comes to hats. It's caught on over the years and hatters and wearers just say it when trying to get their point across. So it is in our lexicon and is completely understood.

It's referring to a shape and not an action. Another shape is taper, another accepted term.

However you can't reverse tapered -- because it's really bad language all together... you could "widen" the crown's diameter using force and fight the felt's nature.

 

[Lefty]

like bash?

 

[rlk]

Reverse taper is just an accepted term when it comes to hats. It's caught on over the years and hatters and wearers just say it when trying to get their point across. So it is in our lexicon and is completely understood.

It's referring to a shape and not an action. Another shape is taper, another accepted term.

However you can't reverse tapered -- because it's really bad language all together... you could "widen" the crown's diameter using force and fight the felt's nature.

Now beside the point(ha)
Taper is not a shape,The only nouns for Taper are a candle or one who applies tape.
Its an adjective describing the form(tapered, tapering). Or a verb acting upon the form(tapers,tapering to taper) A cone is a shape(it tapers or is tapering). A dome is a shape. Concave describes a shape(adjective), I still don't call Convex, reverse concave. I can reverse the tapering process by re-blocking the hat or I could use the block to taper it more perhaps.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Okay okay.

But here

Taper

No taper

Taper

No taper

And completely acceptable when referring to the bowed out look as a look.
The reverse taper.

 

[Mario]

Yes, that nails it.

 

[rlk]

As long as I'm getting offf-topic, here are two fully-accepted expressions that bug me and don't make a lot of sense.
"shooting" a photograph. (a gun is a transmitter while a Camera is a receiver)--wrong direction.
similarly,"surfing" the web. (the water moves under the Surfer) while the web searcher or shopper(browser) does the moving, more like grazing upon something more static.

 

[Matt Deckard]

You also probably think a light bulb emits photons rather than the more accepted logic of it sucking up darkons when you flip the switch.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Taper

I'm really not seeing this as an example of taper (to the extent that it exists at all, it is virtually imperceptible) -- I don't see how it differs in any material way from those that you posted below it as "no taper." [huh]

 

[rlk]

Taper:

Tapered:

 

[Matt Deckard]

And this one?
Do you see it in this one?

 

[rlk]

I'm really not seeing this as an example of taper (to the extent that it exists at all, it is virtually imperceptible) -- I don't see how it differs in any material way from those that you posted below it as "no taper." [huh]

The front of the crown at the top transition shows a slightly larger radius of curvature than some blocks which might give a more tapered appearance, but the sides are pretty much parallel so close to your working definition of no taper. More notable is the lower crown dimension.

 

[rlk]

better

EDITED TO READ...:
Okay okay.

But here

Tapered

straight-sided

slightly-tapered

straight-sided

And completely acceptable when referring to the bowed out look as a look.
bowed out(squeezed center crease)

squeezed(pinched at front and center crease) to create outward bulge.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Please don't alter my writing and repost it and still keep it quoted as if I wrote it. Especially when I'm right. Now it's all confusing.. The blue hat is in no way squeezed, it has a reverse taper.

 

[Mr E Train]

Tapered, is that like what the value of this thread has done?

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Reverse Taper,...

I seem to recall the esteemed hat-maker Mr. Art Fawcett commenting on the phenomenon and posting a picture of a hat block which was specifically made to make reverse tapered hats. It was a "puzzle block",...or something like that. Made so that it could be flared out to form the crown, then the pieces were moved in so that the hat could be taken off the block and finished.
With the info gathered here today, I would surely like to find a vintage hat in my size made in this way. Rare as hen's teeth though, let alone my rare 7-5/8 LO. But I can't accept the pointed head effect that severe taper gives.

 

[rlk]

"Taper" increases or tapering of sides of the crown increases left to right. Its straw season.

 

[handlebar bart]

Tapered, is that like what the value of this thread has done?

lol Any thread that draws Indiana Jones references into it soon becomes worthless.[huh]