my sea-clipper hat
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- Indiana G
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my sea-clipper hat
just finished making this hat today, my very FIRST handmade hat. good god, is that alot of work.....i just cringe when oak says he does 3 a week and i don't know how many steve can do. i'm definitely not at that pace yet nor am i planning to go into business. i just want to make some nice hats and learn the tricks of the trade.....and taking my time in doing so.
firstly, i was shipped western hat bodies in error. i decided to use them cuz i don't know the difference anyways (yes, yes - western hats are bigger, heavier and have more stiffener). now there's alot of things i am planning to do differently in my next hat (ie - stitching, flanging, ribbon work, etc), but all in all, i'm quite proud of this one. it's 100% beaver felt, with a goat sweat and ribbon (both obtained from the top-shelf of smithbilt's store....a local hattery here). the lining is just a blank beige one. it does feel like a pseudo-cowboy hat due to the weight and she is quite stiff. i did alot of pouncing to get the "hairriness" out....didn't think i could do it but took a chance on a certain technique and it gave me great results fast.
the center crease is not as deep as a raiders AB but is comperable to my CS AB.
i used a 3 piece bow/ribbon set up as i thought that would be the easiest. i may try a 2 piece bow on the next one now that i have a procedure for stitching it on.
after all the work i put into this, the crowning achievement was getting a very heartfelt compliment from my dad: "looks like a professional did this...."
i found the tutorials on this and other forums invaluable. thanks to steve, marc, and marcus brody for posting those. special thanks to mr. oak who always had time to answer my dumb questions
next stop.......a decent raiders hat in brown {just like this one ;-) }
firstly, i was shipped western hat bodies in error. i decided to use them cuz i don't know the difference anyways (yes, yes - western hats are bigger, heavier and have more stiffener). now there's alot of things i am planning to do differently in my next hat (ie - stitching, flanging, ribbon work, etc), but all in all, i'm quite proud of this one. it's 100% beaver felt, with a goat sweat and ribbon (both obtained from the top-shelf of smithbilt's store....a local hattery here). the lining is just a blank beige one. it does feel like a pseudo-cowboy hat due to the weight and she is quite stiff. i did alot of pouncing to get the "hairriness" out....didn't think i could do it but took a chance on a certain technique and it gave me great results fast.
the center crease is not as deep as a raiders AB but is comperable to my CS AB.
i used a 3 piece bow/ribbon set up as i thought that would be the easiest. i may try a 2 piece bow on the next one now that i have a procedure for stitching it on.
after all the work i put into this, the crowning achievement was getting a very heartfelt compliment from my dad: "looks like a professional did this...."
i found the tutorials on this and other forums invaluable. thanks to steve, marc, and marcus brody for posting those. special thanks to mr. oak who always had time to answer my dumb questions
next stop.......a decent raiders hat in brown {just like this one ;-) }
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thanks for the comments folks. as far as costs go, i made my own block out of a plank of spruce that i got from home depot.......cost me $1.01 cad
i made a brim ironing board at the correct thickness to give me the right crown height...that was under $5. i borrowed an antique industrial iron from my sister'n'law that was attached to a water pump (it's funny cause the box was the size of a tape deck). i disconnected that and just used the iron and a spray gun. steve hinted a while back that today's irons don't get nearly as hot as needed. the one i have is a household hazzard but works well with the hats. hat bodies themselves are quite cheap relative to a finished hat.....rabbit is about $25 cad, beaver $60, but the western beaver's are $90. i was also dinged with $50 customs duties for the hat bodies which is why i chose to use them and not get the delivery corrected.
the most expensive things that i purchased were the flange from lamode and a brim cutter from a very generous man ;-) .....both those items teatered me near the $400 mark. the other incidentals.....rulers, tape measure, thread, needles, are relatively cheap....too cheap to mention. i did buy a large circular craft 'frame' to help me with tracing in the dimensional cuts on the brim....works like a charm.
i realized that there's probably a million ways to make a hat....finding your way and your own style is half the fun. it truly gives me a whole new level of respect for oak, fedora, marc, etc.....those guys are good!
before i blocked my test hat on the final shape of my block, i thought of steve and uttered to myself, "all right........let's see if this dog can hunt...."
and bink........this is extremely fun....despite having needles stuck into my thumbs and bleeding all over hj felt.........gotta learn i guess.
cheers guys. i'm hoping to throw the brown hat body on the block tonite and tomorrow. haven't decided if she'll be a waterfall hat or a turned raven bar hat.
i made a brim ironing board at the correct thickness to give me the right crown height...that was under $5. i borrowed an antique industrial iron from my sister'n'law that was attached to a water pump (it's funny cause the box was the size of a tape deck). i disconnected that and just used the iron and a spray gun. steve hinted a while back that today's irons don't get nearly as hot as needed. the one i have is a household hazzard but works well with the hats. hat bodies themselves are quite cheap relative to a finished hat.....rabbit is about $25 cad, beaver $60, but the western beaver's are $90. i was also dinged with $50 customs duties for the hat bodies which is why i chose to use them and not get the delivery corrected.
the most expensive things that i purchased were the flange from lamode and a brim cutter from a very generous man ;-) .....both those items teatered me near the $400 mark. the other incidentals.....rulers, tape measure, thread, needles, are relatively cheap....too cheap to mention. i did buy a large circular craft 'frame' to help me with tracing in the dimensional cuts on the brim....works like a charm.
i realized that there's probably a million ways to make a hat....finding your way and your own style is half the fun. it truly gives me a whole new level of respect for oak, fedora, marc, etc.....those guys are good!
before i blocked my test hat on the final shape of my block, i thought of steve and uttered to myself, "all right........let's see if this dog can hunt...."
and bink........this is extremely fun....despite having needles stuck into my thumbs and bleeding all over hj felt.........gotta learn i guess.
cheers guys. i'm hoping to throw the brown hat body on the block tonite and tomorrow. haven't decided if she'll be a waterfall hat or a turned raven bar hat.
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wow! thanks for the kind comments folks
is there a contact for these guys? do you have experience with them? wouldn't mind sourcing canadian beaver felt from a canadian vendor......or, i can go on a site visit and hope to get some road kill along the way
my last beaver western hat body is on the block now and i'm recharging the camera batteries.....hopefully i can get some pics before i go to town on her.
hey kev.....sure you can have her....it's the least i can do ;-)
i've ordered a couple of rabbit bodies as well (made sure they were 'dress' weight).....the beaver hat thats on the block now, i'm planning to do the waterfall hat. the first rabbit will be a hat with a turn, channel and i'm hoping to get the reverse taper more prominent on the rabbit body....which worked on the test hj but not so much on this cowboy felt. the second rabbit hat, i'm hoping to make a TOD village hat....yup, the hat that eeeeeverybody hates .....but hey, i need a TOD hat to match the TOD wested that i'm gonna have to get
RCSignals wrote:I think it looks great. Being Western body you may just find it more durable and shape holding.
Did you try to obtain hat bodies from Biltmore? They are at least in Canada.
is there a contact for these guys? do you have experience with them? wouldn't mind sourcing canadian beaver felt from a canadian vendor......or, i can go on a site visit and hope to get some road kill along the way
my last beaver western hat body is on the block now and i'm recharging the camera batteries.....hopefully i can get some pics before i go to town on her.
hey kev.....sure you can have her....it's the least i can do ;-)
i've ordered a couple of rabbit bodies as well (made sure they were 'dress' weight).....the beaver hat thats on the block now, i'm planning to do the waterfall hat. the first rabbit will be a hat with a turn, channel and i'm hoping to get the reverse taper more prominent on the rabbit body....which worked on the test hj but not so much on this cowboy felt. the second rabbit hat, i'm hoping to make a TOD village hat....yup, the hat that eeeeeverybody hates .....but hey, i need a TOD hat to match the TOD wested that i'm gonna have to get
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Here you go
http://www.biltmorehats.com/aboutus.htm
Biltmore Hats Inc.
P.O. Box 690, 139 Morris St.
Guelph, Ontario N1H 6L7
Canada
Phone Toll Free:
1-800-265-8382
They are the maker of the RCMP Stetson
Can't hurt to contact them
http://www.biltmorehats.com/aboutus.htm
Biltmore Hats Inc.
P.O. Box 690, 139 Morris St.
Guelph, Ontario N1H 6L7
Canada
Phone Toll Free:
1-800-265-8382
They are the maker of the RCMP Stetson
Can't hurt to contact them
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I'm sure Mola Ram would say 'Kali will take her blood sacrifice if it is not freely offered' every thing worth doing has its price.binkmeisterRick wrote:G, if you bled on the hat, it's good luck. Or something.
That IS impressive workmanship. I sympathise with you not wanting to make em for money though; I work in arts and crafts and can tell you that when you start doing something for the money you stop doing it for love of doing it.
Besides few people will pay the fair price for hand made items - especially quality - "looks so precise, I bet he knocked it out in mimutes on some special machine"
Ho hum.
My advice - enjoy your skills for yourself in the knowledge of a a job well done
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- Indiana G
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well folks, this hat spent 2 glorious days on my head and now it is gone...........
my dad liked it so much, i gave it to him. i wanted to make him a perfect hat once my skills were more refined, but he really liked it. it feels good knowing the first finished hat that came off my block went to someone special.
cheers,
g
- brrrrrrr, my head's cold now. i don't think i've went home without a hat on my head since the beginning of the year
my dad liked it so much, i gave it to him. i wanted to make him a perfect hat once my skills were more refined, but he really liked it. it feels good knowing the first finished hat that came off my block went to someone special.
cheers,
g
- brrrrrrr, my head's cold now. i don't think i've went home without a hat on my head since the beginning of the year
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