Stovepipe Junkies Unite

Dr.Seuss · Post by **Dr.Seuss** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:54 am

How about tossing in your common guy/gal's "best practice," to keep your lid's stovepipe sides. Kitchen table tear down and reblocking is not my cup of tea. My hat is too much fun to leave it in the box, or place it under glass.

Sincerely,

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:35 am

Your hat will taper. Live with it. Unless you get it reblocked every so often, it will taper. I suppose though, if you sprayed it with enough stiffner it may hold but I'm not sure if it will do so indefinitely or wear out over time from the elements, in which case you can spray it again. This may hold the crown to not taper but I'm not an expert so I'm not 100% certain. But I do know if you decide to not add stiffner, it will eventually give in to taper.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:57 am

I agree with agent5 100%. If you're wanting a hat for display, then get a second one and keep it in the box...otherwise, wear it. It's going to taper a bit over time, but that IS the nature of the beast. It will do it's very best to return to it's cone shape that it was originally made in.

If it's an AB, then Steve and Marc have a process that essentially 'kills' the felt, and it is less prone to taper, even after repeated soakings. But in the long run, wear the hat, and when it needs reblocked, Fedora (Steve Delk) does reblocks again. Send it down to him and he'll make it as stovepipe as new!

Regards! Michaelson

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:54 pm

agree with agent5 100%. If you're wanting a hat for display, then get a second one and keep it in the box...otherwise, wear it. It's going to taper a bit over time, but that IS the nature of the beast. It will do it's very best to return to it's cone shape that it was originally made in.

If it's an AB, then Steve and Marc have a process that essentially 'kills' the felt, and it is less prone to taper, even after repeated soakings. But in the long run, wear the hat, and when it needs reblocked, Fedora (Steve Delk) does reblocks again. Send it down to him and he'll make it as stovepipe as new!

Yes, the only hats I have seen that are relatively taper proof are the vintage hats. And it wasn't because the old felt was made better. It is the age factor.

The process of making felt hats incorporates the tendency of matted fur to shrink. If the felt would not shrink, you could never size the hat. All start out about 3 feet tall in a cone shape. What you are wearing on your head used to be 3 feet tall!!

Over time the felt ages and something happens to its ability to shrink when dampness and heat is applied. Buy a new quality felt hat, store it in your closet and in 50 years it won't shrink and taper anymore.

I think the newer ABs and AB Deluxes are more taper resistant than the earlier ones, but I sure don't think they are taper proof. But the good news is our felt is good enough to last so one day they will be taper proof.

There was a huge reblock and refurb business back when all of those fine vintage hats were being produced. That should prove that even the vintage felt when new was doing the same thing that hats are doing today! But, I also think that you did not see the low quality felt that is so common today, back then. Even the cheaper hats were decent quality felt. For instance, in all of the vintage hats that I have seen, non were as low in quality as what Stetson sells today under the Sovereign line of hats. I think they set a new low. IMHO. Fedora

Dr.Seuss · Post by **Dr.Seuss** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:31 am

Gentlemen:

You are truly a wealth of information. Interesting visual of sitting with a three foot cone on one's head. (So long as the chair/stool you are sitting on, isn't in the corner.) Mixing the gist of another thread/topic with this, will the regular use of a block (one size smaller to accommodate the sweat, etc.), avoid a complete reblocking at a later date? If so, where would one find the appropriate block for the Raider's style?

It appears beaver is the gateway to fedora heaven. What is the primary difference from rabbit?

Sincerely,

Indiana Jimbo · Post by **Indiana Jimbo** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:08 am

Not to hijack this topic, but this is mildly related. Steve, are you still conducting that experiment where you have left the "dog hat" outside to take the elements. How's it coming along?

Dr.Seuss · Post by **Dr.Seuss** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:05 am

Poor question on my behalf. I understand the inherent "quality" differences between rabbit and beaver. What are the visual and feel differences? Never having owned beaver.

Sincerely,