To Ride the Hat Lightning or Not Ride the Hat Lightning...

[Travner Ravenweird]

Okay guys and dolls, until recently with my current work and home project schedule (honey do's and personal sanity) I had resigned myself to scrimping and saving and "someday" choosing a lid from one of our fine hatter's here on COW...or this guy on Etsy who does some nice looking work, and just being able to put it on and go. Then chaos struck.

Saturday I came across a great old cowboy hat at a thrift store in a beautiful brown color (don't believe the crappy cell phone pic, there is actually more russet/ cocoa in there which is totally non existent in the picture) in a fur felt, (the sweat says "3X Quality", so it's rabbit) and in my Size! I couldn't walk away, so I bought it.

So here comes the questions for the group I guess, is this able to be converted to a fedora or would it be wasting my or somebody else's time?

Some specs on the hat; It's Bailey B bar B in a 7 3/8, the top end of the size I wear depending on the hat. Open crown height is about 5 3/4 or 6 inches, I couldn't tell for sure. The sweat is in great shape and so is the liner, so those could be reused I'd think. The determents; who ever owned this hat at one point took their pocket knife and put a couple of holes in the brim next to the crown to run a lanyard through. I don't know if it's possible to fill those holes at all in any way. The holes are pretty small and uneven, and actually after rubbing a little bit with my fingers one almost closed up. If I were to measure I'd say 1/8 of an inch give or take. I was wondering if some of the brim trimmings couldn't be put in there and then lightly pounced or something, to kind of re-felt the area. But that's just me kicking the idea around. Any thoughts on that would be helpful.

I guess I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do. I haven't ruled out converting it to an Indy fedora myself, but I'm trying to decide how much time energy and effort I'm able to put into it right now. Making or purchasing hat blocks and flanges and the like, (hat block and flange lending or rental? Just a thought) And then following the tutorials on here. Is there a tutorial on refurbishing an existing hat here that I missed or is it closer to starting with a raw felt than I think it aught to be? One of things that scares me the most is trimming the brim correctly. I might consider making my own block if I could get the brim flattened and trimmed correctly. Do I steam it? Do I iron it? Anyway....

Or if it would be better just to take my money and see if someone else can do it.

I'm just starting to consider my options here, so any thoughts you have on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

[binkmeisterRick]

It partially depends on how stiff the hat is. If it's heavily shellacked and stiff as a board, trying to reblock it could tear the hat. On the other hand, if the felt is soft and pliable, it should handle a reblock with little problem. The lanyard holes may or may not pose a problem. On one hand, they are two individual holes on each side. If they were around the whole circumference of the brim break, then you'd have the likelihood of tearing the brim off during a reblock. I don't think that two small holes should pose much of a problem, in my opinion. I've found a few old cowboy hats at thrift stores which I've used as reblock experiments and the hats held up fine.

[maboot38]

Son, that's a fine looking hat as is. I wouldn't touch the bash if I were you. Just wear 'er as she comes.

[Michaelson]

This round, I gotta agree with friend maboot.

That looks like a nice old Bailey. If you're going to do anything, I'd spend a few dollars having it professionally cleaned and reblocked to its formal glory and enjoy it as is. There are too many good candidates you could use for making a fedora, or just wait and have one made from scratch by one of our hatmakers.

I'd suggest spending the funds on getting that old war horse back to prime again.

Being 3x, I'd agree rabbit, but with some beaver blended in.

One company for consideration: http://www.pbhats.com/RENOVATION/Default.htm

Joe does GREAT work, his family has been doing it for almost a century, and it will only add value to the hat when done correctly.

JMO

Regards! Michaelson

[Travner Ravenweird]

Hmmmmm,
Well truthfully I hadn't ruled that out as an option, I just got excited about having my potential fedora in my hand as opposed to "in the future somewhere".

More things to ponder ............

Thanks guys.

[Michaelson]

Understood, believe me.

I'm just an old softy, though. You see a potential fedora. I see a little piece of Bailey history that needs restoration. There are PLENTY of fedora producers out there with a hat that will fit your budget when you're ready for it. There's only that one old Bailey, and it's still in pretty decent shape, and worthy of restoration. If/when you get it restored correctly, you could turn around and probably re-sell it for a profit.

Like I said JMO.

Regards! Michaelson

[Travner Ravenweird]

, you could turn around and probably re-sell it for a profit.

Hey, I like profit.

I guess I need to do a little more Bailey research. Growing up in Eastern Kansas everything was Stetson just about. My knowledge of Western style hats is pretty much limited to that. I knew there were other hat makers, I just didn't know who they were. I've only been seriously wearing cowboy hats for like a year anyway....another thrift store find...and I bet you can guess what it is.

Okay, curiousity piqued.

Here GoogleGoogleGoogle....

[Travner Ravenweird]

Okay then, new question, how do you date a hat?

(sigh) Besides asking permission from it's daddy first...

There is a tag on the inside of the hat underneath the sweat that says the size and the word 'Capitan'. I'm assuming that is the style of this hat.

Anything else I should look for?

[Michaelson]

I'd suggest you call Joe Peters at Peters Brothers and ask him.

Like I said, his family has been in the business at the same location for almost 100 years now in Ft. Worth, and specialize in Western hats. He might know the 'secret' of dating them, or at least give you a lead on where to look for the information.

Tell him I sent you....and that I said 'HOWDY!'

Regards! Michaelson

[Texan Scott]

...the task is to capture lightning in a bottle.

[Michaelson]

Well said, Tex!

[Indiana Bugs]

Having a done a Bailey to Indy hat conversion, Id say to give it a go. Cautionary word, though: regardless of how much shellac or other stiffener is in the hat, cowboy hat felt is thick, and this will affect the 'Indyness' of the converted hat.

[Travner Ravenweird]

Thanks for the input guys. First thing I think I'm going to do is take it to the source. Turns out the Schatzlein Saddle Shop, the name embossed in the sweat band, is still in business and over on West Lake street somewhere, (who knew?) and see what they have to say about it and maybe what kind of services they offer for the gear they sell...or sold once upon a time.
Stay tuned.