Making a Western hat by hand?

[hatsRme]

I hope you’re as pleased as you appear, Scott. I’d say you did it!!!
Super results!

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

OK finished up the Nutria hat. I still may make some changes to the brim shape but here it is for now. I included a photo to show the flexibility of the brim. The felt is soft yet holds its shape well and springs back. It feels lightweight while wearing it. It's not a masterpiece but I'm satisfied with this first attempt. I modeled this after the Stetson Dakota with a 5.5 inch open crown and 3.5 inch brim. My brim came up just shy of 3.5 but I did get a 5.5 inch open crown. I went with 3/8 inch silver belly ribbon rather than the 7/8 I initially considered.
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Most excellent all around Scott!
Thanks for sharing the build.
B

 

[Cornshucker77]

Most excellent all around Scott!
Thanks for sharing the build.
B

Thanks Bowen.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Outstanding, Scott! What’s not to like about that? Are you leaving it uncreased? It’s a good look.


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Yep going with the open crown and thanks, Brent.

 

[humanshoes]

OK finished up the Nutria hat. I still may make some changes to the brim shape but here it is for now. I included a photo to show the flexibility of the brim. The felt is soft yet holds its shape well and springs back. It feels lightweight while wearing it. It's not a masterpiece but I'm satisfied with this first attempt. I modeled this after the Stetson Dakota with a 5.5 inch open crown and 3.5 inch brim. My brim came up just shy of 3.5 but I did get a 5.5 inch open crown. I went with 3/8 inch silver belly ribbon rather than the 7/8 I initially considered.
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Very nice work there Scott!

 

[Rockwater]

OK finished up the Nutria hat. I still may make some changes to the brim shape but here it is for now. I included a photo to show the flexibility of the brim. The felt is soft yet holds its shape well and springs back. It feels lightweight while wearing it. It's not a masterpiece but I'm satisfied with this first attempt. I modeled this after the Stetson Dakota with a 5.5 inch open crown and 3.5 inch brim. My brim came up just shy of 3.5 but I did get a 5.5 inch open crown. I went with 3/8 inch silver belly ribbon rather than the 7/8 I initially considered.
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Most excellent Scott! Something about it looks so..familiar.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Very nice work there Scott!

Thank you Rick.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Most excellent Scott! Something about it looks so..familiar.

Ha, thanks Jim.

 

[Cornshucker77]

I hope you’re as pleased as you appear, Scott. I’d say you did it!!!
Super results!

Thank you Charlie.

 

[RossRYoung]

OK finished up the Nutria hat. I still may make some changes to the brim shape but here it is for now. I included a photo to show the flexibility of the brim. The felt is soft yet holds its shape well and springs back. It feels lightweight while wearing it. It's not a masterpiece but I'm satisfied with this first attempt. I modeled this after the Stetson Dakota with a 5.5 inch open crown and 3.5 inch brim. My brim came up just shy of 3.5 but I did get a 5.5 inch open crown. I went with 3/8 inch silver belly ribbon rather than the 7/8 I initially considered.
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Very very nice! Love that liner

 

[BobHufford]

OK finished up the Nutria hat.

I dig it Scott! Congrats on a job well done.

 

[J Williams]

OK finished up the Nutria hat.

Wow Scott! Excellent work. I might just have to give one a go. That’s a pretty spectacular hat at a good price!

Are you already planning on making another?


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[Cornshucker77]

Very very nice! Love that liner

Thanks Ross.

 

[Cornshucker77]

I dig it Scott! Congrats on a job well done.

Thanks Bob.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Wow Scott! Excellent work. I might just have to give one a go. That’s a pretty spectacular hat at a good price!

Are you already planning on making another?


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Thanks J. I may make another but it might be a while. I have wanted to make a Boss of the Plains so maybe in the future. It was a lot of fun making this hat so if you have a desire to make one, I say go ahead and have some fun.

 

[thundurchasur]

I'm a retired pro photographer and I live just west of San Antonio, Texas. I watched a video online yesterday of a guy making a fur felt hat from the raw fur. Amazing! I'm not ready to make my own felt but would love to pick up some beaver bodies and get started with blocking and shaping. My interest lies mainly in making my own fur felt western hat(s). I have zero experience but am an artist and have done a lot of work with my hands so I feel this is something that I might like.

I've been hangin' out for a couple of days and digesting everything I could find on hat making here, as well as YouTube, and ready to learn all I can from you guys.

 

[jlee562]

Yes, seems like everyone wants to get into the hat making practice now. Supply of beaver bodies is limited, as Winchester is not always accepting new customers. As a non-hatmaker I might suggest not starting with the top of the line materials anyways as even experienced hatters sometimes have to discard a body and start over. Many folks, including Bob at Black Sheep Hatworks, cut their teeth, so to speak, renovating western hats which are relatively cheap and plentiful.

 

[GHT]

Jlee's advice does sound very sensible, personally I wouldn't even go there, then again I'm one of those people that phones an electrician when a light bulb goes pop. But if you really want to give it a go, this video is part three of four, everything from trapping the racoon, through to making the hat and even eating the meat. This part three video is all about making the hat.

 

[thundurchasur]

Thanks, Jared. I have a few old Resistol wool blend hats laying around that I'm going to start with. Can I do a wet block with it so I'm going back to square one or is it best not to?

 

[belfastboy]

I'm a retired pro photographer and I live just west of San Antonio, Texas. I watched a video online yesterday of a guy making a fur felt hat from the raw fur. Amazing! I'm not ready to make my own felt but would love to pick up some beaver bodies and get started with blocking and shaping. My interest lies mainly in making my own fur felt western hat(s). I have zero experience but am an artist and have done a lot of work with my hands so I feel this is something that I might like.

I've been hangin' out for a couple of days and digesting everything I could find on hat making here, as well as YouTube, and ready to learn all I can from you guys.

Welcome, spent a week in your neck of the woods this spring til we got spooked by the weather trying to kill us.....6 hour lightning storm, tornado alert 3 miles to the north of us and tennis ball sized hail stones. ….sent us back to NMexico. May visit again when feeling braver or luckier.