Club Obi Wan

Can anyone point me to a good hatter who could clean and reflange my Adventurebilt in the states? Thanks in advance!

My first suggestion would be Penman, but he’s been going through some things lately. Still worth a shot to ask.

John is out of commission, he would be my first choice since the hat in question is a Steve Delk Adventurebilt KOTCS made from the screen used run of felt. I’m holding off on a reblock until John returns. But I need to get the brim re flanged, and the hat cleaned,

In Texas surely there is a western hat shop that can fix you up...

No personal experience but these folks have been around for a while: https://parishatters.com/clean-block-services/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.texashatters.com/services.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://m.facebook.com/PetersBrothersHats/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's also Baron: https://baronhats.com/pages/hat-cleanin ... nformation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

VS is now run by David Gibson, he does good work, though last I checked he had a long wait list: https://vscustomhats.com/contact-us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ive been to this shop in Phoenix, the owner was very nice and was doing refurb work while I was there, but again, no personal experience:
http://www.heritagehatshop.com/restorat ... vices.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You might also try:
https://watsonshatshop.com/hat-restorations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.shudde.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (I don't know if Shudde still does renovations, but they used to do A LOT of refurb work on Stetson hats)
https://jjhatcenter.com/pages/repair-price-list" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://gomezhatcompany.com/pricing.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was gonna ask the same thing. I’ve got a AB Raiders in beaver that Steve Reblocked for me. It was at the end of his hat making days and I have to admit it’s not what I was hoping for. He got the size wrong and it just looks “wonky”.
I’m in no rush. Does Steele & Jones do reblocks?

I’m in no hurry also, I was just curious what was out there since I’ve been out of the game for a while. Hopefully John gets better and I can just send it to him for a full refurbishment. However, if I found a hatter that I liked I’d be open to getting it done with them.

An alternative in the meantime might be to reshape the brim as much as possible or as desired while over a lot of boiling water. It reactivates the stiffening agent and helps hold the shape. It’s not what it needs, if you are looking to have it reflanged, but it will get you by so you don’t look like a Mountie with a straight brim.

Dave

If you do the boiling water thing, take care to avoid the sweatband. A handheld clothes steamer works well too and is more targeted. Should be around $20-$30 anywhere they sell home goods.

If you're feeling DIY, I can recommend Randal Alan on Etsy for 3d printed hat making tools, he'll set you up with a flange and stand. With a decent iron and a press cloth you're good to go forever!

I second the DIY approach. I bought an old wooden flange off eBay years ago. It has come in very handy. If you can get one 3D printed now on the cheap then that’s the route to go, honestly.

Dave

David Garrison has largely stepped back from making hats, but is my recommendation for a refurb. He may be up to it if you aren't looking for a full reblock and just need a reflanging. He has made me both custom hats and has reblocked a couple for me. http://garrisonhatters.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Peters Bros in Fort Worth have made Indy hats since the earliest days of this hobby. I have two hats made by them and they refurbed a hat for me. Their website is straight out of 1994 and they aren't great with e-mails, but I've always gotten good service by calling.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I've actually heard that Garrison was getting back into the game, so asking him could be worth a try.

If one really only wants the brim flanged, most any hatter can do it. You don't need an "Indy hatter" - for lack of a better term - to do the flange for you. The crown is a different story since we Indy folk are particular about the crown shape.

Peters Brothers in Ft Worth. They have been in business for over 100 years and are expert craftsmen.

I’m leaning very much towards Peters Bros since we are both in Texas. I’d forgotten Garrison, that’s a great idea too!

P.S. If you feel like paying for shipping:
https://herbertjohnson.co.uk/pages/faqs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We offer a full range of re-blocking, re-trimming and hat care services here at Herbert Johnson to help you keep your hats looking their best for years to come. All brands considered.

I contacted John for a reblock of my AB, got a response from Anna who is answering John’s emails - no date for him returning, but try back post summer. Not much use now but if you can hold off maybe something to think about.

Best

Gerry