Flattening Brim & Stitching Sweatband?

[dlgilbert]

Can anyone point me to some information regarding techniques for sewing in a leather sweatband on both felt and straw (if there's a difference)? I haven't been able to find any instructional material and, although by looking at existing sweatbands, it looks like it's not rocket science, I just want to be a little better prepared than my current "I'll just give it a shot!" level.

I have some roan leather sweatbands and a few hats in which I'd like to use them, but I'm a bit shaky on taking that first stitching step. I also have leatherworking needles and a variety of other craft-type needles, along with some cotton/rayon thread.

Any advice from veteran sweatband sewers?

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Fedora will help you.

Give Steve a call or send him a email he will help you.

Steve Delk Aka Fedora

http://www.adventurebilthats.com/

New phone # 662-327-4644

 

[Fedora]

If it is a reeded leather I can give you some tips. Since you apparently will not be assembling the band, I take it you mean you need tips on sewing it in. Here goes, although this is info that for some reason hatters keep close to the vest.


Remove the ribbon and liner. Position the leather in the hat, and sew it in temporarily,(better to use highly visible white thread), by pushing the needle through the band, between the reed and the leather. You can make stitches around an inch long. They will be coming out anyways once you sew it in permanently. Once you have attached the sweat to the felt with the white thread, lie a pencel on the brim, and use this a straight edge to draw a chalk line around the hat. The width of the pencil is perfect. Move the pencil around the hat and scribe a line around the circumference. This will be the line that you sew through, not only for a nice, straight apperance, but also to keep the leather seated equally inside the hat.

Fold down the sweatband. In doing so you will expose the plastic tape. This is what you sew through to attach the sweat to the felt. Start from the inside, pushing through the tape around 1/8 an inch from the bottom of the tape(where it is sewn by the factory to the leather) Watch the needle and hit your chalk line on the outside of the hat. Push through that line from the outside, to the inside, watching where your needle comes through. You want it to be the same 1/8 inch from the bottom of the plastic tape. The key here is consistency with the stitches. It is essential, and takes a bit of practice until you get good at it. At this point you must decide if you are gonna use lock stitches. This will take you longer to sew, but is well worth it. This stitch keeps the sweat in, even if you bust a stitch or two in the future. Don't ask me to describe this technique, as I have tried to in the past, and only confused folks.

So, you just sew through that line around the hat and tie it off with another lock stitch. I use nylon braided thread for attaching sweats to the hat. And, I just use a single thread. If you double it up, it will show through the ribbon, if you have good ribbon on the hat to begin with. The modern stuff is so stiff, that you do not have this problem. Well, that's about it. Oh, once you get it sewn in, just fold it back up in the hat, and remove the temp stitching. If the sweat is not pulled inside the hat at the bell, or if it does not stick above the opening, you have done well. If not, you will have to start all over!! It generally takes me an hour to sew in a sweat, but I nail it the first time now. The pencil width is the secret. Fedora

 

[dopey]

Apparently, while trying to offer a helpful response, I violated some secret rule, and my post was deleted.

I am happy to respect rules I know about, but I don’t like being slapped down by secret rules. A PM explaining the policy would have been appropriate.

Thank you all for what I have learned here and I am sorry I could not have contributed more in return before departing.

 

[dlgilbert]

Thanks for the help, everyone!

 

[feltfan]

Apparently, while trying to offer a helpful response, I violated some secret rule, and my post was deleted.

I am happy to respect rules I know about, but I don’t like being slapped down by secret rules. A PM explaining the policy would have been appropriate.

Thank you all for what I have learned here and I am sorry I could not have contributed more in return before departing.

What happened here? I saw the earlier post mentioning another site
(with useful information) and now it is mysteriously deleted and
a nice guy is quitting this site?

 

[badhatter]

Big Brother

Funny...I posted an ad in "Classifieds" and "POOOOFFFF" it was gone...Hmmmm. No comment of why it was deleted...which I assume! Nothing...just GONE!!!

There are people on here who have extensive knowledge and share it with the likes of me and others. They promote and tout their products and services with immunity and impunity. Seems the powers to be have established a double standard that they only understand and fail to share with us mere mortals. That said...I am sure I will disappear as well!

 

[Biltmore Bob]

It has been my experience and understanding...

That the mere mention of a certain individual with the initials C S or any of his minions or lakeys or the wide open forum he runs, will be cause for deletion.

Double Standard, the hell you say! I'm not a Moderator or anything, but I would say this, don't get too upset...after all, it's just a message board.

Badhatter...your post was probably deleted because some may find your avatar offensive .

 

[Johnnysan]

Bob...

Thought I'd better reply post-haste, since, as you mentioned the name of the man who will get your post deleted, your post probably won't be around in twenty minutes or so!

Earlier this week, I posted a response to the thread on Optimo's new web site. It posted - I saw it when I refreshed the page AND it was listed as a new post. In my response, I merely suggested that if the owners of Optimo were not part of this forum, someone should invite them to join us given the general interest among us in their product and the fact that they had info to share.

Somehow overnight, my post was deleted - again with no explanation, no email and no PM from anyone. I contacted the moderators - AndyKev and Matt Deckard and was told that neither of them deleted my post and indeed, no record of my post existed. So, one of three things is happening.

1) I'm delusional (which is possible);
2) Someone is tampering with the forum (which seems unlikely); or
3) Someone with administrative rights is selectively culling posts that cross some boundary known only to the secret brotherhood (which, given your response, seems reasonable.)

As I explained to AndyKev (who was very responsive to my concerns), I intend to stick around the Lounge and don't want to run afoul of anyone. But if there are criteria for posting, then let's get them out on the board for general consumption as a FAQ or at a minimum, the moderators should post an explanation within the thread when a post is deleted so we can begin to understand the rules.

I left one forum (run by the guy you mentioned) because it was run with no rules, no structure and no regard for civility. I don't mind rules...in fact, I welcome them. I'd just like to know what they are.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Original post edited and all mention of the unmentionable has been deleted...

 

[MK]

I can speak for two

I deleted your post Dopey. You were promoting a place and a person that disgraced himself from one end of the net to the other. Also he keeps coming here in different aliases....even though we ban him ever time we find him out. He trys to promote his hat racket. Obviouly he can't make an honest living without these cheap tricks. He has caused too much grief and gets banned everywhere he goes.

You might be the lowlife mentioned above in sheep's clothing. If so, get lost. We don't want you here. Only a rude and twisted person keeps coming to a place he is not welcomed.

If you are not him, then get over it. It was just a post. You have almost a hundred posts. One gets deleted and your going to walk?

Bad hatter's post was deleted because it was violating the rules of the classified forum.

This is a very rare action that is taken here. We have very few rules here. Every blue moon someone steps over the line, but for the most part we have an amazing community here. It almosts doesn't need moderating. The bartenders and I appreciate that. It leaves more time for having fun.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

I have 788 posts...

Hardy har har...

 

[Nathan Flowers]

har har

I think that 788 can quickly be knocked down to 50 if somebody keeps bragging......

 

[Johnnysan]

MK,

Thanks for the explanation. As I explained to AndyKev, my computer was acting a bit glitchy, so perhaps there was something weird on my end with regard to my missing post.

IF we did indeed have a wolf in sheep's clothing attempt to return to the flock in the guise of one of the seven drawfs, we should enforce the ban but may at least rejoice in the fact that said wolf is apparently learning to spell, use proper punctuation and articulate his thoughts.

'Nuff said.

 

[MK]

.

I can't say what happened to your post Johnnysan. I have no knowledge on that one.

I have been thinking about the Dopey post. If I had the rule spelled out in the FAQ, my guess is that almost no one would know it anyway. It has been my experience that people don't read rules or instructions much. That is very evident by the number of people who register here with hotmail and yahoo addresses, even though is says is bold red letters on the main page and right next to where you type your address when registering, that we don't accept those.

Never the less, we should PM members when we have to enforce our policies. I will try to be less lazy and do that.

 

[nicolasb]

a person that disgraced himself from one end of the net to the other. Also he keeps coming here in different aliases....even though we ban him ever time we find him out. He trys to promote his hat racket. Obviouly he can't make an honest living without these cheap tricks. He has caused too much grief and gets banned everywhere he goes.

Blimey.

Would anyone like to explain to me and any fellow newbies in the audience who this evil person is and what it is about him that is so evil? Just so we know not to be taken in by it, I mean.

 

[airfrogusmc]

MK it seems that most sites have a few. Its the 10%ers.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Charlie xxxxxxxx...Sterling xxxxxxxxxx...He's a hatmaker...his site is xxxxxxx....Now, I've said too much.

Yes you did. We don't want his name here, because people will read it and go there. [bad] -MK

 

[Feraud]

Blimey.

Would anyone like to explain to me and any fellow newbies in the audience who this evil person is and what it is about him that is so evil? Just so we know not to be taken in by it, I mean.

I do not think that is necessary. The Mods are doing their best to keep the folks who abuse the forum out of it.
If you read the 'everyday' posts by the honest and knowledgable members you are not going to be taken in.
They will give good advice if you ask and you will learn to distinguish the good from the bad.

This place is just like school. Be interested, pay attention and ask questions.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

OK...

It was for informational purposes only anyway.

I was overtaken by curiosity a couple weeks ago and visited his site and forum and was sorry I did...what a freeferall...

Sorry, MK...