I wasn't completely happy with the Fieldmaster when i got it. it was a nice hat but it had a bit of taper and was about a half size to a full size too big on me. i also couldn't set the center dent deep enough in the back to get the side profile i wanted without causing even more taper. i couldn't get the camel hump look either. so i took out the block i made, sanded it down in the back creating the asymmetry that Fedora has been talking about recently. the block kinda sorta looks like a pompadore haircut. Now i've only dry bashed it and the pinch/bash is still a little shallow but i'm just gonna let it take shape over time, i don't want to force it.
IndyG:
I'm not sure if other camptowns do i think the fieldmaster block may have a tiny bit of taper in it but i'm not sure. i just know mine did and i couldn't live with it.
Fedora:
that's an awesome compliment coming from you. thank you! I think i've been bit with the bug, i'm already looking at the block seeing little things i can tweak to make it better.
The Aviator:
i didn't take many pictures of it before i threw it on the block but here's one that shows the taper. this is with a shallow-ish center dent, it had even more taper with a deeper dent:
toobacat wrote:That looks great. Did you block it with the sweatband in?
Nope, i tore it down. took out the liner, cut out the sweat and took off the ribbon. this whole thing has just shown me how terrible my sewing skills are! Boy, do i need practice.
Funny, my Fieldmaster has never had a bit of taper to it, even to this day. It may be that I got one of the older bodies or I just got lucky & the hat Gods smiled on me. The only thing that bugs me is the sweatband but that's no big thing. In any case you have done a fantastic job with the shape of your reblock. I love it when they come out better than before.
I'm having Penman reblock my Metropolitan. Can't wait to see what he does with it. He should be able to get around to it in about three months. I just lack the appropriate skills, equipment & time to attempt it myself. Oh well.
So you now have a WalkingEye/Camptown Fieldmaster. Congratulations!
DanielJones wrote:Funny, my Fieldmaster has never had a bit of taper to it, even to this day. It may be that I got one of the older bodies or I just got lucky & the hat Gods smiled on me. The only thing that bugs me is the sweatband but that's no big thing. In any case you have done a fantastic job with the shape of your reblock. I love it when they come out better than before.
I'm having Penman reblock my Metropolitan. Can't wait to see what he does with it. He should be able to get around to it in about three months. I just lack the appropriate skills, equipment & time to attempt it myself. Oh well.
So you now have a WalkingEye/Camptown Fieldmaster. Congratulations!
Cheers!
Dan
Thanks Dan!
Yeah, i don't remember seeing taper in the pictures of your Camptowns. i think i just a just got an off hat. oh well, it's better now. this place is such an incredible resource for do it yourself info and for finding vendors!
WalkingEye wrote:
Thanks Dan!
Yeah, i don't remember seeing taper in the pictures of your Camptowns. i think i just a just got an off hat. oh well, it's better now. this place is such an incredible resource for do it yourself info and for finding vendors!
Amen to that! This place is a regular library reference section.
Are you going to replace the ribbon down the road? Go with something darker? Did you sink the sweatband a little deeper into the hat or did you put it back into the same place?
WalkingEye wrote:
Thanks Dan!
Yeah, i don't remember seeing taper in the pictures of your Camptowns. i think i just a just got an off hat. oh well, it's better now. this place is such an incredible resource for do it yourself info and for finding vendors!
Amen to that! This place is a regular library reference section.
Are you going to replace the ribbon down the road? Go with something darker? Did you sink the sweatband a little deeper into the hat or did you put it back into the same place?
Cheers!
Dan
Yeah, I'm thinking about one of Todd's replacements. unless any of you guys have other suggestions. though i dread more sewing! i'm gonna have to get the girlfriend to give me some sewing pointers, she's great at that stuff.
when i reblocked it, i had to resize the sweatband too, so i cut about a quarter of an inch off the end. I sewed it back in roughly the same relation to it's original placement as it wasn't too bad when i got it. i'm not really happy with the result though. so when i get a new ribbon i think i'll try to reset the sweat a little better.
Ok, here's another one. this time a Grey Fed IV. i bought it used and it had a nice teardrop/diamond crown but my compulsion to fiddle with everything made me reblock it into a clipper hat.
the crown is a little shorter on this one than on the camptown. i had to keep the crown a bit shorter or i would have had to sacrifice too much brim.
Tremolo wrote:Looks nice but I think the front is maybe a tad to high?
the bash and dent is still at the point where it's popping up a bit. i only took it off the block and re-assembled it this morning. when it settles in it should be just under a quarter inch lower in the front. putting it at the 4 1/2 inch mark.
a side shot would show a lot. maybe the side where the bow is. This way we can get a better idea of the re-block and see your bow work at the same time.
BendingOak wrote:a side shot would show a lot. maybe the side where the bow is. This way we can get a better idea of the re-block and see your bow work at the same time.
here's a side shot of the fed:
and here's the link to the side pic of the camptown:
ok, so i cheated with the bows and just reused the ones that had already been on them. when i replace the camptown ribbon i'll attempt my own bow. that gives me time to properly learn how to sew! as i've had to fake it up till this point. each stitch so far though has been better than the last.
Nice work.
I think i've been bit with the bug, i'm already looking at the block seeing little things i can tweak to make it better. 
Oh well.
