Making a fedora, criticism is wanted

[Ianthepilot]

Hello everyone, Ian here.

I've always been a big fan of the fedora, but living in the middle of nowhere and not trusting internet stores has made it impossible to get one anywhere, so the funny notion of making one myself got wedged into my head. I actually started working when I found the basis for my project at the local Salvation army store.
..I think that at one time, it may have been a hat. Maybe.
As it was, it looked like it had been stuffed into a small soup can and left in a pool for a few weeks, but I knew better than to complain.

I used a large pot of boiling water with a strainer perched on top to bring the hat to the sort of shape a blank would have, and from then I've been using a relative's old steam iron, an ironing board, and a large pill bottle to flatten and shape the brim and the crown. I haven't put a hatband on it yet because I'm still looking for some proper grosgrain ribbon to do the job with. I'm leaning towards a 1" black band on the black wool felt. It has a 3" brim, with a 4 1/2" unbashed crown, 4" bashed as it is.

I don't really know what kind of hat it used to be. I just knew I wanted a fedora.

I wanted to put these pictures up (now in a non-hyperlink form!) and get some feedback from you, the experts. I've been doing research on both hats and a few other interests of mine, and I keep finding links to the Lounge where ever I go, so I feel like the people here are the ones who could tell me like it is as far as my little project is concerned.

 

[Flipped Lid]

I can' t tell you how it is because I don't know. To an untrained eye like mine, it looks to me like you're going to have yourself a very wearable hat and very few would guess that you made it yourself. I don't care for that bash, but that's a matter of personal preference. Kudos to you for taking on the challenge. You've learned well, pilgrim.

 

[Old Rogue]

As Flipped Lid says, the bash is largely a matter of personal taste. Looks like you're going with something similar to a "C" crown, which is actually my favorite. Kudos from me also, looks like you're going to have yourself a nice lid there, and the fact that you made it yourself will mean it's truly a one of a kind!

 

[Ianthepilot]

Thank you for the support!
I agree about the personal nature of the bash. I am indeed trying to go for something closer to a 'C' crown style, albeit a very rounded one. If the hat had a higher crown when I found it, I could have chosen something different like a lengthwise crease, but I couldn't have done it justice without trying to deepen it and risking ruining it. As for the side denting, I was working off of my own internal picture of what a fedora looks like, and that picture of Humphrey Bogart and his fedora with the very prominent forward pinching was what came to mind. I'd put the picture I'm talking about up, but for some odd reason I can only post annoying hyperlinks, and chances are people already know what I'm talking about. I might do some work to give the bashing a bit more definition, but I think that affixing a hatband, and possibly putting in a lining and a better headband are the main things I need to do, unless someone can point out something off about it that needs fixing.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

Congratulations on making your own hat, a courageous decision. By working on the hat yourself, you're definitely learning about the elements which determine the true "quality", be it (of) the material or the work you put into it, your limits and the appreciation of the work of the professional hatters (of days gone past). That's a hint: go hunting for vintage hats. Ask family, neighbours, check out local garage or church benefit sales...you probably have no idea how good the US market is for those traditional American items called "the hat".
Hat off to you, Sir!
Paul

 

[El Sid]

This is a great and fun project to undertake, Ian. I've done several cowboy conversions myself. One thing I learned is that the bash, the profile and then general shape of the hat is really all about the original block. I started with a metal bowl that I squeezed into a lopsided oval to match my head, but my finished product was a bowl-shaped hat that had too much upper taper. The fedoras I admire are more straight-sided, from what I believe is called a stovepipe block that is almost flat on top. These things are hard to find and expensive, so I made one out of basswood that I'm quite proud of, but it was a long project and extreme measure if you want to make only one hat. Another method that is easier and seems to work for people is to line an unbashed hat with a block shape you like with plastic wrap, fill it halfway with foam insulation that shoots from an aerosol can; once it sets up, you pop it out and pray you didn't spatter any of that nasty stuff on the felt, and then you can trim and sand this solid foam block to your liking. Then get the felt on the hat you want to block really damp and hot and stretch it over your foam block. You have to tie it down around the base of the block so it will keep it's shape, but the next day you'll have a blocked, open crowned hat to bash and finish. Then there are brim flanges to look into. Have fun...

 

[Ianthepilot]

A block would certainly have done me a lot of good forming the crown. As it is, I took the hat in it's heavily abused state, stuffed as much newspaper into the crown as possible to give it a somewhat workable shape, cooked it, and I did a rudimentary bash just after that. I further defined the creasing and pinching, and I used a pill bottle a bit larger than a soup can and the iron to smooth out the dents on the back and sides of the crown that my uneven paper stuffing had left in the felt.
I know this isn't going to be a 'great' hat, I'm just looking at making a hat that's 'good' enough to be presentable. If I want to make some high quality hats, I'm going to have to invest the time and effort into learning the trade, something I fully intend to do as resources become available to me.

Since this is my first felt hat, my main goal was to make something that I could wear without spending too much time at work on it. I've been made aware of the limitations of wool felt, but I like the idea of having a hat like this that's only a minor investment that I won't have to worry about getting wet or losing it's color. If anything, if it fades to more of a jet-dark grey, it'll be perfect to wear with my favorite trench coat, so it's a win-win situation.

Now that I've got something to cover my head with, I can focus on making sure the next hat is better. I hadn't heard of using expanding foam to make a block. I'm perpetually strapped for cash, but I think even I can figure out how to procure some.

This is going to be my all weather hat. For the most part, what I take home is whatever happens to be sitting in the local thrift store any given day I walk in, which is usually at least twice a week. I don't think I have the luck to find a vintage fur felt, and if I do it probably won't fit my 7 5/8" head, but I'm certainly not going to stop with this one hat. I've been searching for some time now for hats and materials to make them with, and I don't intend to stop.

 

[danofarlington]

Looks like you've bought a wool hat that needed shaping. Myself, I like "center dent with pinches" kind of crease, which is not too far from what you've got, but has a pinch in front that is wider than what you have, and the top does not form a C, but a dent in the middle. That is my favorite crease. Good to practice on that wool hat. What I like about it on you is the color and the dimensions--you do well in a low-crown, wider-brim hat like that one. You can use it as a model when you search for fur felt hats.

 

[Aureliano]

Looks like you've bought a wool hat that needed shaping.

Agree. Making a hat is a whole other process.

 

[Edward]

There are a lot of hat blocks on eBay, at varying prices. The better ones (i.e. those that are not pre-shaped to a specific bask design, but are simply a blank block for producing an open crown) seem to be expensive, but if it's a hobby you want to get into, might be worth it. I'm halfway tempted myself, but it's the sewing on seatbands and all that that makes me wary.

 

[Sam Craig]

I'm not familiar with your area, but around here, the best hope for something you can work on yourself is to start with a good cowboy hat, a western hat, especially Resistols.

Try putting a wanted to buy ad in your local paper ... state the type of hat, color, size ... though, frankly, most people won't get the size unless they are into hats.

You might be surprised what turns up.

There are lots of places to learn about trimming the brim, or you can invest a few bucks and go to either a hat store or a western wear shop and get it trimmed. A good shoe repair shop could undoubtedly do the job too, but I'd stay on hand where ever you go.

For shaping the crown of a cowboy hat, go to Youtube and watch the Roy Rogers video. Just type "Roy Rogers hat" in the Youtube search. He shows how to make the heavy felt moldable.

Find a picture of the shape you want and then match it as closely as you can.

You will end up with a much nicer hat that is tough as nails and which you can get years of use from.

Hope that helps,

Sam

 

[Ianthepilot]

In the end, I am considering making fedoras and other hats as a hobby, as well as wearing them. I might try to track down some open crown and bashed crown blocks, at least in my own size, but I've also got some family members who are possibly competent enough to fabricate the blocks, so I'm bound to end up with some sort of collection of hat blocks.

it's the sewing on seatbands and all that that makes me wary

I agree completely. As it is, I still don't really know if it would be worth taking out the preexisting band on the inside of the hat I'm working on to attempt to replace is and risk making a mess.

I agree with the fact that dedicated hatmaking is different than what I've done with this, but I didn't start with a perfectly viable hat that I converted. At one time I'm certain it was a hat of some sort, but it was so beaten and wrecked that I had to completely reshape it from the bottom up. Stretching, shaping, sanding, the whole lot. I had to do a lot to bring the wool felt back from death. I do feel like 'made' is the proper term, though that's just my subjective experience giving it's two cents.

A lower crown and wider brim does seem to fit with me better, and that's why I didn't trim the brim shorter than 3". I could have put a center dent crown on it, but I felt like stretching the crown tall enough to accommodate the center dent that would have required a higher open crown could have put more stress on the already stressed felt that I'm using. I just felt like the hat was telling me to make it a low 'C' crown, and if I've learned anything here on the Lounge, it's not to argue with the hats.

I'm still searching for hats. Most of my family knows that I'm always looking for felt hats, so they know to run what they find by me. There just isn't much to find out here. I plan to do conversions as well as restorations on what I can find, though I don't yet have it in me to take a hat in good shape and take the tools to it when it could still be worn as is, even if it's something like a western.

I was able to find a good video on shaping wool, but I like what Roy Rogers has to say on it. Eventually I want to get into fur felt and nicer quality hats but I feel like this is just a good starting point. Save the fur felts for the occasions where I have to press my dress shirts. I wear suits all the time, but I do it in a casual way, so I feel like the more casual nature of the wool would let me wear it more often.
Thanks for your help!

 

[EggHead]

I actually used a real iron with steam to iron out the brim on one of my hats (the one in avatar). I first sprayed the brims with lots of distilled water and smeared it with fingers just to let it soak in, then used a wet kitchen towel in between the iron and the brim. As I was ironing, I would shoot the steam from the iron often and I was also curling the brim on the edge of the ironing board. That is I didn't curl the brim by hand but by aligning at an angle with the front edge of i-board. The original brim had an "outback" curl (downward in the back), I made and upward curl, like in fedoras.
One thing I've noticed, the water dried out very quickly from the brim, so be careful. Oh, and it did smell like a wet dog.

I wanted an upward curl because on windy days, which there are many in SF, the wind would blow my hat off when coming from behind. The upward curl allowed flowing of air around the brim. Aerodynamics!!

 

[Ianthepilot]

Thanks for the advice, Egghead!
I tried getting the shape I wanted by hand, but after I read your post and I spent a bit more time looking at fedoras here at the Lounge, I went and attacked the brim with the steam iron, and this is what I got.

I ironed the brim so that it was just about perpendicular to the walls of the crown, and I then added a downward slope in the front and a upward slope in the back. It's only very mildly curved in it's new shape, but I think that it looks alright. Can't put too much curve into a wide brim either way before things start to look a little off.

Also, I did some more work on the crown after reading what people had to say about it. It's still a 'C'/teardrop shaped crown which received mixed views, but I'm thinking it looks better after I spent some more time giving it a more defined shape.

Sorry about the exposure on the pictures; it was the only way I can show detail in a black hat like this.
Still searching the area for some proper cotton-rayon grosgrain ribbon.

 

[Edward]

Inspiring project.... I've been toying with the idea of converting a western for some time - I might just have to have a trawl on the bay again for a suitable donor hat...

 

[EggHead]

Looks good Ian. The thing about the crowns is, if it's short to begin with, it's hard to shape into anything you want. I have a western hat with short, but full crown. I wanted the hat to sit deeper on my head, so I rebashed it, but there wasn't that much room for the crease I wanted - it actually came out looking like yours, kind of a shallow c-shape.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

I'm impressed, Ian. You're young, and making hatmaking (and ... hatshaping) into a hobby is a most inspiring project, indeed. Who knows, there might be a future in this for you!

 

[Sam Craig]

Ian,

If you keep your eyes open, you can often find a decent fur felt western for 5 or 10 bucks, especially if you aren't too picky about the color to start with.
Just find a couple and start working with them.
I think you'll be much happier with the outcome and find that if you reduce the brim width and shape the crown the way you like it, they can be as dressy or as casual as you want them to be.

Good luck and keep up the good work.

Sam