Hat making?? Learning Millinery..

[belfastboy]

Documenting these videos that show techniques of other hat makers. Some of these are more promotional videos but watch closely and you can get some ideas.

Of course will re-post the @Jed I. Knight video of @Art Fawcett working on his hat.

Sewing Milan braid on a modern home sewing machine!!

https://vimeo.com/98932613

Used leather pricking irons to punch holes for closing up the sweatband.
https://vimeo.com/490466830

https://vimeo.com/227186325


Video overview of Hornskov making a hat
https://youtu.be/NYl3_ea-C_c

That Hollywood Hatter looks like he is using a surplus WW2 flame thrower to singe his hats!!! The female milliner....first time I have seen a staple gun used in hat making. Art's video is still by far the best. I watched the two part YouTube series on Tatton-Baird....parts are good but too much fluff. I have to think there is a market out there for a comprehensive series of YouTube instructional videos on the art of hatting. I think there is money to be made and a real service to be delivered.

 

[belfastboy]

All are open crown. 2 sets for Long Oval....a slightly tapered, medium domed and then a slight domed straight sided/no taper. In the Reg Oval I have clones of the Stetson #52. I also have a few (4 blocks) of straight sided, Long Oval, flat top....Bolero style. My flanges are Reg Oval to 2 5/8" and Long Oval 2 3/4". I have made flanges to fit upwards of 3 1/4" wide. This winter will add to the flanges so I have more sizes for both Reg & Long.

I always get them to 6" height and tie off higher up the block if the client wants a lower crown. I also have cut 1 1/2" high extensions in many sizes so that I can add height (tape the extension to the block with a vinyl painter's tape) if necessary but only had to do that twice now. All my blocks are straight sided most of the way up....the one only begins to taper at the top as the dome begins. It is amazing to me how much extra the full crowned, straight sided block takes up of the felt. For a lot of felts (non western weight) I have to use the slightly tapered one to get the height and brim width. If i use the full crown blocks there is not enough to get the size, the height and the width using that block.

Received my blocks from Emilis in Lithuania yesterday. I like them.....very servicable blocks in both Long oval and Reg oval. Emilis will post, with pics, his own blurb in the next few days on his offerings. He also talked about a 'mystery' offering that is exciting. Unfortunately (for me at least) he is not making flanges at this time.

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Received my blocks from Emilis in Lithuania yesterday. I like them.....very servicable blocks in both Long oval and Reg oval. Emilis will post, with pics, his own blurb in the next few days on his offerings. He also talked about a 'mystery' offering that is exciting. Unfortunately (for me at least) he is not making flanges at this time.

Sounds great, I would really like to see what his work looks like. I could use a set of long oval blocks at some point as I only have one block and flange in long oval.

 

[belfastboy]

Sounds great, I would really like to see what his work looks like. I could use a set of long oval blocks at some point as I only have one block and flange in long oval.

Aesthetically they are not as polished as HatBlocksPoland but they are very serviceable. I am on the fence about making further flanges as it is so time consuming for me. Did you buy yoours through Hatters Supply in Colorado?

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Aesthetically they are not as polished as HatBlocksPoland but they are very serviceable. I am on the fence about making further flanges as it is so time consuming for me. Did you buy yoours through Hatters Supply in Colorado?

Yes all my flanges to date have been from Hatters Supply House in Colorado. Just like everyone else his prices keep going up, I think they are $205 each and if you want them finished that will add another $15 each. I don't have a fullset of flanges what I do have is 4 different flange profiles and each profile supports a different brim width. I was trying to go for a full set of 12 per profile but I think will see if I can work with 9 flanges per profile. Right now I have been starting with size 7 and going up. Not sure if I need to have one in the size 6-3/4 size or not.

 

[belfastboy]

Yes all my flanges to date have been from Hatters Supply House in Colorado. Just like everyone else his prices keep going up, I think they are $205 each and if you want them finished that will add another $15 each. I don't have a fullset of flanges what I do have is 4 different flange profiles and each profile supports a different brim width. I was trying to go for a full set of 12 per profile but I think will see if I can work with 9 flanges per profile. Right now I have been starting with size 7 and going up. Not sure if I need to have one in the size 6-3/4 size or not.

I too have been cheating. A good cheat for using one flange for a wide range of sizings is cutting out one side of the flange and flanging a smaller size hat in two segments. I have just one full set of flanges for 2 3/4" brim Long Oval and another Reg Oval. I want to have another 6 flanges ultimately in a wider brim/shallower flange model. 3 LO and 3 RegOval. I have only ever used the 6 7/8" block/flange for my wife's hats. I bought it as a set as it was a #52 block and in that small size was a great price.

 

[belfastboy]

I think I can relax for a while on my blocks as i have 3 full sets up to 62.5cm. RegOval in a #52. Long Oval in full squared block, no taper 56cm to 62.5cm and a match in another LO set similar to #52. Then two oddball flat topped Bolero style in LO 58 & 60. These last two were a mistake by the British maker and he refunded my money and told me to keep them.

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Here is my latest creation. I will start with the specs. This is post 1 of 2

Fiber Content: 100% Beaver
Color: Blue Smoke
Finish: Suede with an intentional over pounce (I like the subtle mottling in this color)
Open Crown: 6"
Brim: 2-7/8" (was supposed to be 3" but I made a mistake that cost me 1/8")
Brim Edge: Bound in a vintage tonal color closely matching the felt
Crease: Diamond, I went for the character look rather than tight lines that you would get from large manufacturing
Front of Crown: 4-15/16"
Back of Crown: 4-1/4"
Ribbon Treatment: 2-inch vintage Navy Blue with box bow and sharks gills (6 gills on either side of the box)
Extras: Wind trolley (this is custom made by me, matches ribbon), Custom made liner also made by me and is made from a brocade/jacquard fabric. Trying something new, I put in 4 ruffles and learned that I should put in more! Rather than cutting circles for the liner tip, I used the block to make the tip and get the oval and I need to refine that process as well. The sweatband hat bow is also made by me using the same ribbon that it is bound with. Added fraying to the bow. Crown ventilation

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Post 2 of 2: The rest of the pictures.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Post 2 of 2: The rest of the pictures.

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Yes, please!
Great looking hat with equally great attention to details.

 

[belfastboy]

Post 2 of 2: The rest of the pictures.

View attachment 367720 View attachment 367721 View attachment 367722

Oh my lord is this hat a beauty! Congrats

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Yes, please!
Great looking hat with equally great attention to details.

Thank you so much Brent. Really appreciate that as this build was in the work a while because of work commitments I have not had the time to work on this. I have another to finish up for my wife. I am waiting on my plates for long ovals, unfortunately, my supplier has had health issues and is delayed but I am hopeful.

Oh my lord is this hat a beauty! Congrats

Thank you Robert, I really appreciate the comments from a fellow hat maker.
I am hoping to work out some final details for obtaining white hat boxes and hat liners. Unfortunately NES sold off their liner business and now you have to buy a gross of liners per color.

 

[belfastboy]

Thank you so much Brent. Really appreciate that as this build was in the work a while because of work commitments I have not had the time to work on this. I have another to finish up for my wife. I am waiting on my plates for long ovals, unfortunately, my supplier has had health issues and is delayed but I am hopeful.



Thank you Robert, I really appreciate the comments from a fellow hat maker.
I am hoping to work out some final details for obtaining white hat boxes and hat liners. Unfortunately NES sold off their liner business and now you have to buy a gross of liners per color.

I am fortunate in that my wife has the ability and willingness to make my liners. We deconstructed a few liners from stock beater hats to use as patterns. I am still hunting for the perfect material..... My home method of imprinting my logo is a very low cost method of using sublimation transfers using an old school dry iron (Ebay $15). The transfers cost me about .50 each and are really quick to do. I looked at embroidery, screen printing etc and the price was just stupid high.
I am using the ULine hat boxes but they are light weight and have no liner. A Canadian source wants $12 each and a minimum run of a few hundred. Don't want to tie up that much $$ in boxes. So I use the ULine and build my own liners. It is time consuming and a pain in the ass but for now!!! Let me know when you find a source close to you. If/When the border opens I can try that route with a Blaine WA delivery point.

The one piece of equipment should I decide to upgrade would be a brim press. My plywood clamping home model has its limitations What is a ball park figure for one including a set of plates for Reg & Long Ovals?

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

I am fortunate in that my wife has the ability and willingness to make my liners. We deconstructed a few liners from stock beater hats to use as patterns. I am still hunting for the perfect material..... My home method of imprinting my logo is a very low cost method of using sublimation transfers using an old school dry iron (Ebay $15). The transfers cost me about .50 each and are really quick to do. I looked at embroidery, screen printing etc and the price was just stupid high.
I am using the ULine hat boxes but they are light weight and have no liner. A Canadian source wants $12 each and a minimum run of a few hundred. Don't want to tie up that much $$ in boxes. So I use the ULine and build my own liners. It is time consuming and a pain in the ass but for now!!! Let me know when you find a source close to you. If/When the border opens I can try that route with a Blaine WA delivery point.

The one piece of equipment should I decide to upgrade would be a brim press. My plywood clamping home model has its limitations What is a ball park figure for one including a set of plates for Reg & Long Ovals?

I can get white hat boxes with the hat inserts for $4 a box and you must order one carton minimum which is 30 boxes. They are in NY and shipping is in th $100 range. The other thing is that they are a wholesaler and require a tax ID so I will need to formalize things to purchase from them.

As for the platting machine, I bought mine before metal prices went through the roof and not too long after both Art and Mike Miller got theirs. Art paid $3,500 and I paid $5,500. At the time a set of plates was $600 but they have nearly doubled now to $1,100 which is what I am paying for the long ovals. To my supplier's credit, because of his health issues, he told me that he wouldn't require a down payment but would make them and let me know when ready since I have to wait.

 

[belfastboy]

I can get white hat boxes with the hat inserts for $4 a box and you must order one carton minimum which is 30 boxes. They are in NY and shipping is in th $100 range. The other thing is that they are a wholesaler and require a tax ID so I will need to formalize things to purchase from them.

As for the platting machine, I bought mine before metal prices went through the roof and not too long after both Art and Mike Miller got theirs. Art paid $3,500 and I paid $5,500. At the time a set of plates was $600 but they have nearly doubled now to $1,100 which is what I am paying for the long ovals. To my supplier's credit, because of his health issues, he told me that he wouldn't require a down payment but would make them and let me know when ready since I have to wait.

Well at that price I am going to make do with my plywood press. I will never sell enough hats to recoup that expense. I am paying about $4 canadian per box freight in(25 at a time) from ULine so your price even with the freight is OK. I like the Uline size 14x14x7" as that size lets me ship at the lowest Postal rate. If I go just 1" bigger in any one of the dimensions the cost about doubles. In this size box I can bit most fedoras. If I get above a 2 7/8" brim on a larger hat (above 7 1/2") I have to go to the 16" box and pay the extra.
Does Mike at NW get his out of NY? Surprised there isn't a WA source. Tim gets his out of Tennessee.

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

Well at that price I am going to make do with my plywood press. I will never sell enough hats to recoup that expense. I am paying about $4 canadian per box freight in(25 at a time) from ULine so your price even with the freight is OK. I like the Uline size 14x14x7" as that size lets me ship at the lowest Postal rate. If I go just 1" bigger in any one of the dimensions the cost about doubles. In this size box I can bit most fedoras. If I get above a 2 7/8" brim on a larger hat (above 7 1/2") I have to go to the 16" box and pay the extra.
Does Mike at NW get his out of NY? Surprised there isn't a WA source. Tim gets his out of Tennessee.

I know the platting machine is expensive. The engineer side of me wants to try and make these to sell but I haven't gone down that route yet.

Funny you ask about Mike at NW, earlier this week I confirmed with him and he is indeed getting his white hat boxes out of NY. And yes, they are a little on the larger size so that puts it in the higher shipping range that you mentioned but will accommodate a 3-1/8" brim. Mike and I talked for a good hour about hatting. That conversation spurned me to look up some old patents for hat making tools and I found an iron that I would like to reproduce at some point. I have the iron portion modeled up in CAD and plan to 3D print it this weekend and see if the prototype would be serviceable before trying to produce it in metal.

 

[belfastboy]

I know the platting machine is expensive. The engineer side of me wants to try and make these to sell but I haven't gone down that route yet.

Funny you ask about Mike at NW, earlier this week I confirmed with him and he is indeed getting his white hat boxes out of NY. And yes, they are a little on the larger size so that puts it in the higher shipping range that you mentioned but will accommodate a 3-1/8" brim. Mike and I talked for a good hour about hatting. That conversation spurned me to look up some old patents for hat making tools and I found an iron that I would like to reproduce at some point. I have the iron portion modeled up in CAD and plan to 3D print it this weekend and see if the prototype would be serviceable before trying to produce it in metal.

Folks like you and Rick @ Phoenix (the McGyvers of the hatter's world) amaze me. I can work rudimentarily with wood but to tool metal is something that always fascinated me. In my career as large scale valve salesmen I would often be in machine shops getting a part designed and made. I loved those days. Alas, not in this lifetime for me.

 

[belfastboy]

If they ever reopen the damn border I would love to pop down to Monroe and buy you lunch just to hang out with a fellow hatter for a few hours. Drink coffee and tell lies!

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

If they ever reopen the damn border I would love to pop down to Monroe and buy you lunch just to hang out with a fellow hatter for a few hours. Drink coffee and tell lies!

Sounds good to me. I look forward to it when the border opens up.

 

[humanshoes]

Post 2 of 2: The rest of the pictures.

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Fine work indeed CWV!! That one truly captures the spirit of the classic American fedora.