Club Obi Wan

I just got my reblocked rabbit AB back from Steve. I was really excited until I opened the box up and had a 'what the....' moment. Ill let you folks be the judge. does this look like a SoC bash? I think it looks more like a CS bash.Heres the pics out of the box.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0456.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0458.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0457.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0459.jpg

Sooooo...just re-bash it. DONE!

I'm still amazed that people actually ask for certain bashes in their hats since you can easily shape the AB's yourself. I know some people don't think they can do it but I swear you can. It's not too difficult.

what size is your head IW? it looks to be a smaller size to me......kinda like mcfly's. i know that steve had some trouble 'fitting' shane on the first go but really nailed it on the second try.

i find it hard to see how good a hat looks unless it's on somebody. but for an SOC look, the center crease is relatively shallow. you may want to quiz fedora about that.....

Indiana G wrote:what size is your head IW? it looks to be a smaller size to me......kinda like mcfly's. i know that steve had some trouble 'fitting' shane on the first go but really nailed it on the second try.

i find it hard to see how good a hat looks unless it's on somebody. but for an SOC look, the center crease is relatively shallow. you may want to quiz fedora about that.....

7 3/8. I looked on the inside of the sweatband and Steve reblocked it as a SoC to that size. Heres some pics of me wearing it, sorry for the poor pics. Im not a good photographer.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0464.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0465.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0466.jpg

your head isn't small....its actually bigger than mine

from what i've read, and correct me if i'm wrong, steve uses his old raiders block for SOC hats. the hat does look alot better on your noggin. i would suggest pushing the side creases back a little and tightening up the front pinch just a tadd. if you're comfortable, see how much deeper you can push the center crease without adversely tapering the sides. i think you still have alot to work with there.

hats do all funny things when they are in transit....the felt will relax and new dents will surface from when those boneheads throw around the boxes around. i hope that my CS whip comes in with the box all smashed up....then i can 'demonstrate' my sidecrack to the guy who's waiting for my signature.

It doesn't look CS to me at all. It looks like a SoC that got a little "un-bashed" in shipping. A little tweaking and it will look perfect.

Thanks fellas, Ill play with it tonight and tomorrow Ill get a couple shots outside. I really appreciate your input, G. Im just glad I have my AB back. I felt naked without it. even my friends who usually rib me about it started to ask why I wasnt wearing it lately. again thanks everyone for your remarks.
Best Regards,
Joe

Indiana Williams wrote:Thanks fellas, Ill play with it tonight and tomorrow Ill get a couple shots outside. I really appreciate your input, G. Im just glad I have my AB back. I felt naked without it. even my friends who usually rib me about it started to ask why I wasnt wearing it lately. again thanks everyone for your remarks.
Best Regards,
Joe

play with it and have fun. distilled water on crown bashing and a touch of steam if you want to shape the brim. make sure to grab a mirror cuz what looks good in your hands sometimes looks bad on your head ....but with an AB, it's really hard to make these look bad ;-)

It looks to me that it was a Raiders crease job but most likely came out during shipping. You should be able to get the crease back in it.

Indiana Williams wrote:I just got my reblocked rabbit AB back from Steve. I was really excited until I opened the box up and had a 'what the....' moment. Ill let you folks be the judge. does this look like a SoC bash? I think it looks more like a CS bash.Heres the pics out of the box.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0456.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0458.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0457.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0459.jpg

To be honest, I've thought for a while that there are some big similarities between the CS and SoC - the CS is essentially a Raiders hat with a relaxed crease, and while the SoC hat has a tighter crease than a CS hat, it is looser than most Raiders hats. So yes, it probably should look like a CS hat. Hold it by the pinch here and there and it'll look better. The only other problem I see is that, as others have mentioned, the bash has come out a bit. Wear it a little and play with it, it'll be fine. -M

It could be worse. He could have sent it back looking like this.




G-MANN

G-MANN wrote:It could be worse. He could have sent it back looking like this.




G-MANN

What happened?

G-MANN, did you leave your hat out in the middle of the street during a blizzard again???

Seriously, what happened?

This is a hat Marc sent me stricktly for experimenting on. It had no sweatband or liner. I just used some distressing methods on it for fun.

G-MANN

Looks like saltwater.
I tried that with my old Mayser (You could call it the "German Dorfman"), and it turned out looking pretty scruffy.

regards,
Lukas

well you can't get more 'deluxe' than the ab deluxe.......i guess the only other way to go is backwards

how'd you get the salt stains on? did you brush on salt water? looks pretty cool to me.

My AB is starting to look like that one G-Mann. Hard livin' I guess.

Yes I brushed on some salt water and some Fullers Earth.

Sorry for Hi-Jacking the thread.

Just keep working the felt on your re-block and you'll have your SOC in no time.

G-MANN

G-MANN wrote:Yes I brushed on some salt water and some Fullers Earth.

Sorry for Hi-Jacking the thread.

Just keep working the felt on your re-block and you'll have your SOC in no time.

G-MANN

Not a problem, G-MANN. Will do, thanks.
Best Regards,
Joe

G-MANN wrote:It could be worse. He could have sent it back looking like this.




G-MANN

You know, in all honesty I think that looks pretty cool.

Indiana Williams wrote:

Indiana G wrote:what size is your head IW? it looks to be a smaller size to me......kinda like mcfly's. i know that steve had some trouble 'fitting' shane on the first go but really nailed it on the second try.

i find it hard to see how good a hat looks unless it's on somebody. but for an SOC look, the center crease is relatively shallow. you may want to quiz fedora about that.....

7 3/8. I looked on the inside of the sweatband and Steve reblocked it as a SoC to that size. Heres some pics of me wearing it, sorry for the poor pics. Im not a good photographer.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0464.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0465.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll30 ... CF0466.jpg

Thats not a CS bash job at all. That a Raiders all the way. I really think the bash popped out during shipping.

It looks to me that it was a Raiders crease job but most likely came out during shipping. You should be able to get the crease back in it.

Exactly. I can tell the top popped up, the front crease relaxed.

Push the back crease down to 4 inches, and tighten up the top half of the front crease.

I think I need to get a video up on HOW to re- crease at hat. Unless I make em hard as concrete, the bashes are more than likely gonna pop out the first time a worker drops the box in shipping.

When you put back in the top crease, place your hand inside the hat, grab the bottom of the top crease and squeeze it together, working with both hands to insure the entire crease is squeezed. This will drop the back lower than you want. So, push up the back to 4 inches, adjust the front, and you are good to go.


We really do need a hat bashing video posted somewhere. To me, it seems so easy, but I forget I was once, where some are here, at one time.

I always feel like puking when I see one of my hats, with the creases having come, "unstove" . My first thought always is, whey didn't he put the creases back in before posting a pic? But, I understand not all are good at it, but I do feel anyone can learn. And if you are gonna wear a hat, it is best if you can recrease them. Kinda like lace up boots. Gotta know how to lace em' back up. Fedora

I just pulled my own hat off my head to show basically what the hats look like when they leave my shop. Ignore the dust, yours will be clean.








I actually reblocked this hat on my latest Raiders block, and the final Raiders block I will ever make. And the same block I used on Joe's hat, that is shown in this thread.

So, Joe, this is what your hat is capable of looking like, although you may not like the look of my hat. The key is the crease job, once you get a block shape close enough. Fedora.

I think the video is a GREAT idea!

And when you think about it, owners of ABs as well as those who are just curious to know how to do it will be checking out this video...
learning from it...
and (hopefully) practicing what you're preaching.

The End Result?
MORE fedoras (ESPECIALLY ABs) that look GREAT when we're posting our photos here at the Club...!
When I think of how often I've seen photos with the accompanying disclaimer "Sorry if the hat doesn't look quite 'right' yet... it's my first time bashing and I don't quite know what I'm doing, etc, etc..."

If Indiana Williams - and the rest of us - HAD had access to a video showing "how to" just think how this whole thing woulda gone differently...

He would've popped open that box and saw all that "relaxed bashing" and IMMEDIATELY plopped himself down in front of his computer - hat in hand - and worked it over (under YOUR tutelage, Steve) and THEN posted cool photos!

This could SERIOUSLY minimize the number of times you, or Marc, or John P (or whoever) have to see one of your beautiful hats (that left your hands looking GREAT!) on display for all to see, looking kinda' flat or squishy or.... blahhh...

DEFINITELY do the video!

All the Best,
Mitch

Steve , That hat of your is perfection. Do you ever brush your hat?

Thanks for chiming in, Steve. I understand that a newly bashed hat is subject to popping out a tad during shipping. Ive been working the felt and it looks better and better each time but a video would definetly be a huge help. I really do hope you procure such a video. I now realize that when I started this thread I made it come off too disasterious then it really was, hence I took the 'diema' out of the title.I really do appreciate every ones input. even yours, 5. ;-) once I get my AB finely tuned Ill post up some good pics.
Best Regards,
Joe

Do you ever brush your hat?

I try not to do so John. Just kidding. I had done some sanding on some hat blocks the night prior, and did not notice it was that dusty until I pulled it off my head to take the pic here at the pc. But, with that said, I still have not brushed it off. Personally, my daily hats I like dusty looking, and a new looking hat just doesn't do it for me personally. I had Fuller's Earth on this hat, but it was washed off in the rain. Once I get the saw dust off, I will dust it again with the Fullers. I want my hats to look as if I have been somewhere, even if that somewhere amounts to nothing more than the shop. Not any dust in there, except felt dust, and that is the wrong color to show up on my hats. Fedora

Steve,

This is the very first hat you made me and I wear it most of the time. I haven't done anything but wear it.

Up one side and down the other...
That is NOTHING but HANDSOME!
Mitch

Mitch LaRue wrote:Up one side and down the other...
That is NOTHING but HANDSOME!
Mitch

Like i said before , a real master hatter Steve is.

One day Steve... I WILL own one of your proud creations...

(I just hope I get it underway before my plan becomes: trying to drag you out of Retirement to DO it... but I'm still saving my quarters...)

It's pictures like that of John's hat that keep me going, though...
Thank you (both) gentlemen.
Mitch

Mitch LaRue wrote:One day Steve... I WILL own one of your proud creations...

(I just hope I get it underway before my plan becomes: trying to drag you out of Retirement to DO it... but I'm still saving my quarters...)

It's pictures like that of John's hat that keep me going, though...
Thank you (both) gentlemen.
Mitch

Both Steve and Marc's hats are well worth the $$$ and wait time. I can never get tired of look at these two guys hats.

I never get tired of seeing that hat, John. It really is my favorite hat at COW.

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote:I never get tired of seeing that hat, John. It really is my favorite hat at COW.

Dave

I like showing it off as well.