Hat distressing

[T Jones]

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....

 

[belfastboy]

All heck, I had gold / brown plaid checked bell bottoms when I was 8 or 10 (1968 to 70) with a big collar and a gold / red paisley scarf deal. Glad there aren't pix of that.

Later

Yep, thankfully no cel phone cameras back then...to take a photo you had to really work at it.

 

[T Jones]

Even back in the early '70s, in high school, when everyone else was wearing bell bottoms, I was still wearing straight leg Levi's, Chuck Taylors, slicked back hair, and silk Tee Shirts...and a quarter length black leather coat in the winter....Greasers had their own style too.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Not sure if you are still keen on the distressing. I have never done anything to my hats but I would guess trying the stuff you use to wax cotton. Something like this. https://www.drizabone.com.au/reproofer-dressing-dbgd-t
Or maybe try mink oil. As I say, I have never tried this but it’s an idea. Maybe reach out to Art Fawcett and see if you can get some direction from him.
Johnny

 

[Tukwila]

I've seen hatters burn the felt, not just by spritzing it with alcohol, but burning it so the felt darkens, throwing dirt and chalk on it, etc.

It's not for me... I'd just buy a used hat off ebay and wear the heck out of it.

 

[PURE BEAVER HAT SUPPLY]

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

 

[belfastboy]

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?]

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.

 

[Yamahana]

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.

… or send it to me in the summer along with $500, in 2-3 months it’ll be naturally distressed. I’ll even cover return shippjng.

 

[Edward]

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".

 

[belfastboy]

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.

 

[T Jones]

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.

 

[belfastboy]

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.

A fellow hatter here in my city has perfected using a saline solution spritzed on a hat to replicate sweat stains.

 

[Rmccamey]

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]

A fellow hatter here in my city has perfected using a saline solution spritzed on a hat to replicate sweat stains.

I perfected that process by using actual sweat!

 

[belfastboy]

I perfected that process by using actual sweat!

He specializes in selling hats to folks who frown upon sweating.
They want the branding but not the work required to gain the look.

 

[T Jones]

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.

 

[belfastboy]

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.

 

[Rmccamey]

They want the branding but not the work required to gain the look.

Posers!

 

[belfastboy]

Posers!

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I am a bicyclist not a biker......but I refuse to wear the spandex uniform. Very few people look good in the requisite spandex uniform and I certainly am not one of them