Aged felt.........

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:13 am

Funny you should mention that; I swear someone posted in this section several months back about a claim that Borsalino used to pre-age their felt somehow; I remember Fedora saying that they would have to have lots of blocks and storage rooms to keep all of these hats sitting around aging...or maybe I'm going nuts too

That is what Borsalino CLAIMED... However I have been given the information, that it would be impossible for a big factory as Borsalino to do so. And it makes sense: Borsalino is making round about 1500 hats a day (or so I was told again). Imagine 1500 hats multiplied by 365 days for one year and then multiply with 4 for four years as advertised. In that case, you'd constantly have 2,190,000 hats in stock, waiting to age

Whether my source told the truth or not, I can't control. But it both makes sense and he wouldn't have any advantage of lying to me.

A question sirs; in a few years when I send my current AB in for a reblock, could it get the Secret Treatment, or is this something you can only do when you first make the hat?

Yes Sir, any felt can be killed later on, even though you cannot expect a low quality felt to become a top notch felt, "just" by killing it (CERTAINLY not talking about yours here - just in general). Also: this is an AB / AB-Dlx. exclusive thing (so no problem for you).

Regards,

Marc

Antone · Post by **Antone** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:02 pm

Hi Marc,

Thanks for comfirming that. I was just wondering whether your artificial aging process might have been something that Borsalino (and possibly other hat companies) used to do back in the days when they actually cared about making good hats, but have now stopped bothering with as just one of the many things most large hatmakers have done to cut corners and raise profit margins.

I'm just speculating here, but similar things have happened in hatmaking and many other professions over the last two or three generations, as quantity and the bottom line have become so much more important than quality for most people. I'm just glad that a few people are trying to preserve this knowledge when so much of the old traditional craftsmanship has been lost through indifference.

Antone

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:30 pm

That is what Borsalino CLAIMED... However I have been given the information, that it would be impossible for a big factory as Borsalino to do so. And it makes sense: Borsalino is making round about 1500 hats a day (or so I was told again). Imagine 1500 hats multiplied by 365 days for one year and then multiply with 4 for four years as advertised. In that case, you'd constantly have 2,190,000 hats in stock, waiting to age Whether my source told the truth or not, I can't control. But it both makes sense and he wouldn't have any advantage of lying to me.

Interesting. I never thought of that angle. I know The Stetson Book, mentioned that Stetson aged their fur prior to using it to make the raw bodies. I don't know if this artificial ageing we are using will work, time will tell, but I can say that this technique makes a better hat. It is just too darn time consuming!!! But, I cannot help but to use it, due to what I see the finished hat looking like. Most would not know it though, as it takes a person who works with hats to pick up on it. The only hatter that I know of that would take that much time with a hat will never know this little old technique(s).

Its the AB secret process now.

And if it allows for a full soaking without developing taper, we are on to something. Taper resistant hats that are made of new felt. Even it it does not work, I will still use it anyways for other reasons. Fedora

PS. If some guys are thinking, oh no it's already been too long waiting on my AB, fear not. While days are added to the hatmaking process, this will not affect wait times. You gotta use a system to pull this off, and I have that figured out.

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:31 pm

Will you be able to perform that 'magic' on my old dark gray AB I sent back for rework, Steve?

Regards! Michaelson

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:37 pm

Will you be able to perform that 'magic' on my old dark gray AB I sent back for rework, Steve?

Yes. I cannot in good conscience NOT use this on new hats or reblocks. Once you know of something that makes a better hat, not to use it is criminal. IMHO. I used to make hats like the other hatters. I now make them using this method. (oh, your reblock canidate arrived a few minutes ago along with my merino wool boot socks that I ordered from ebay)

Fedora

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:39 pm

Glad to hear it got there ok, and that you'll be able to do this on the old 'gray mare'.

Regards! Michaelson