Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Hat distressing

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,788
Location
Central Ohio
Sorry kemosabies. Posting another view of my refurbished and naturally distressed 3X Beaver Quality Stetson Western. This hat has actually turned out to be my favorite Western. Nice smooth pliable felt with just barely a smidgen of stiffener to help hold its shape. I wear this hat all the time. They don't make 'em like they used to. Definitely a lost art....
3-X-Beaver-Quality-Stetson-9-A.jpg
 
Messages
17
Nope. 5 inch crowns aren't for me. Pure Beaver Hat Supply has felts. He's on Instagram.
Hello ! Thanks for the shout out. FEPSA offers several crown heights; and, we can get brims made to order. The FEPSA c- style crown is approx., 5-1/2 inch open crown. The C-10 FEPSA crown is approx., 6 inch open crown. The FEPSA CX crown is approx., 7 inch tall. We have the c style in stock now, 15 colors. We have 95g Beaver 100x special pounce 1200 on the dark colors; and we have 120 gram dress Rabbit, special pounce 600 finish. Brims are 9 cm., 3.543 Inch and in most cases would clean up at 3.250 or slightly over. Also is a worthy Stiffness note. We can get the felt made however we prefer.
We have worked close with FEPSA owner/CEO to get stiffness levels that remind us of old vintage hats. The outcome, is amazing crowns and brim stiffness for very classy dress fedoras or Western.
We will post and show pictures from last months 25 day advanced hatmaker apprenticeship, in a new thread.
A reminder for all, we will begin ordering for 2023 this week. Effective January, 250 units a week over a 47 week schedule. Now is the time for all business big and small to plan for a stable supply.
Note: Everyone can please let their favorite hatmakers know; shop Pure Beaver Hat Supply for the best felts on the market. Readily available, fast and friendly service. Reach us directly 570 578 9258 [ no voice mail, text us your name and felt inquiry] Email purebeaverhatsupply@gmail.com
 
Messages
10,832
Location
vancouver, canada
Hello ! Thanks for the shout out. FEPSA offers several crown heights; and, we can get brims made to order. The FEPSA c- style crown is approx., 5-1/2 inch open crown. The C-10 FEPSA crown is approx., 6 inch open crown. The FEPSA CX crown is approx., 7 inch tall. We have the c style in stock now, 15 colors. We have 95g Beaver 100x special pounce 1200 on the dark colors; and we have 120 gram dress Rabbit, special pounce 600 finish. Brims are 9 cm., 3.543 Inch and in most cases would clean up at 3.250 or slightly over. Also is a worthy Stiffness note. We can get the felt made however we prefer.
We have worked close with FEPSA owner/CEO to get stiffness levels that remind us of old vintage hats. The outcome, is amazing crowns and brim stiffness for very classy dress fedoras or Western.
We will post and show pictures from last months 25 day advanced hatmaker apprenticeship, in a new thread.
A reminder for all, we will begin ordering for 2023 this week. Effective January, 250 units a week over a 47 week schedule. Now is the time for all business big and small to plan for a stable supply.
Note: Everyone can please let their favorite hatmakers know; shop Pure Beaver Hat Supply for the best felts on the market. Readily available, fast and friendly service. Reach us directly 570 578 9258 [ no voice mail, text us your name and felt inquiry] Email purebeaverhatsupply@gmail.com
I have a stock of both the 100% FEPSA 95gr beaver and the 600 pounce dress weight rabbit. Love working with both these felts.

They give me the closest feel to a vintage hat of all the different felt makers products I work with. They both produce a wonderful hat.
 

Who?

Practically Family
Messages
686
Location
South Windsor, CT
Going way back to the beginning of the thread, the best way to distress a hat is to wear and use it.

The result will be worlds above anything done with powders, etc.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,074
Location
London, UK
It occurs to me, seeing this thread is active again, that anyone wanting a natural-looking distressed hat could do worse than haunt some of the Indy cosplay websites; a lot of the guys who get deep into replicating the Indiana Jones look also age and distress the hat for the look. I believe most of them use products like "Dirtydown" and Fuller's Earth, specifically designed for the theatre and film costume industry as they give the effect of being dirty / worn / old without compromising the integrity of the piece (and thus shortening its lifespan) or rendering it prone to rotting and/or smelling "off".
 
Messages
10,832
Location
vancouver, canada
It occurs to me, seeing this thread is active again, that anyone wanting a natural-looking distressed hat could do worse than haunt some of the Indy cosplay websites; a lot of the guys who get deep into replicating the Indiana Jones look also age and distress the hat for the look. I believe most of them use products like "Dirtydown" and Fuller's Earth, specifically designed for the theatre and film costume industry as they give the effect of being dirty / worn / old without compromising the integrity of the piece (and thus shortening its lifespan) or rendering it prone to rotting and/or smelling "off".
That form of distressing is just the first and most obvious tranche. Most of the BoHo stylings so popular these days are more prone to use burning, hole cutting, fraying, tchotchke insertion and what have you as 'distressing' techniques.
 

Rmccamey

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,838
Location
Central Texas
I agree, Terry. I have also "accelerated the process" on a denim jacket by leaving it out on a picnic table 24/7 for about 3 weeks. This may not be the best way to distress felt hats, but you get the idea.

I found that the easiest way to get a natural looking distressed hat is to go outside and wear it while you do yard work and other outside chores around the house. I have a Resistol that I converted for that very purpose.


https://i.postimg.cc/VsD3ryVL/Resistol-Center-Dent.jpg
 

T Jones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,788
Location
Central Ohio
He specializes in selling hats to folks who frown upon sweating.
They want the branding but not the work required to gain the look.
There used to be a Lounger here that went by King Rat. I don't know if anybody remembers him or not. He also converted hats and sold them on Ebay. He had a regular group of buyers who loved the naturally distressed stuff. He would say, the dirtier the hats, the better they loved it. There's definitely a clientele for just about anything. There's hatters who will put a torch to their hats and put holes in them just to get a distressed look. That's nothing I personally like but there's definitely a market for it. People buy it. What one doesn't like, another one does. There's a market and a buyer for everything.
 
Messages
10,832
Location
vancouver, canada
There used to be a Lounger here that went by King Rat. I don't know if anybody remembers him or not. He also converted hats and sold them on Ebay. He had a regular group of buyers who loved the naturally distressed stuff. He would say, the dirtier the hats, the better they loved it. There's definitely a clientele for just about anything. There's hatters who will put a torch to their hats and put holes in them just to get a distressed look. That's nothing I personally like but there's definitely a market for it. People buy it. What one doesn't like, another one does. There's a market and a buyer for everything.
Yep, and as much as I criticize Nik Fouquette he deserves props for creating a market and a mini empire for himself.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
109,096
Messages
3,074,051
Members
54,091
Latest member
toptvsspala
Top