Panama Hat. Leather or cloth sweatband.

[jviss]

I have some very nice montecristi hats with cloth sweatbands. They have a plastic like material on the backside of the sweatband. They are more comfortable than leather.

I wish mine was like that! I really dislike the elastic cloth headband that's in there. Can't wait to receive the leather one I ordered!

 

[jviss]

Your leather sweatband is from a member here and they have a good reputation. I quickly decided that sewing in sweatbands was not going to be one of my skills.

Oh, that's good to hear! Can you say his username?

Now that I know how sweatbands are attached to hats I don't think it's such a hard job to sew one in: the stitches are not visible once it's done, and I m pretty sure I can do this on the machine. I was able to get that portion of the hat under the presser foot without a problem. I also got a "tip" while working on a fedora, and that is that they had used small pieces of masking tape to tape it in place for sewing.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Oh, that's good to hear! Can you say his username?

Now that I know how sweatbands are attached to hats I don't think it's such a hard job to sew one in: the stitches are not visible once it's done, and I m pretty sure I can do this on the machine. I was able to get that portion of the hat under the presser foot without a problem. I also got a "tip" while working on a fedora, and that is that they had used small pieces of masking tape to tape it in place for sewing.

His name is Scott and he goes by @bond and his business is Fine Vintage Fedoras.

I’m surprised to hear that your able to use a standard sewing machine to sew on a sweatband. You obviously possess skills I do not.

 

[jviss]

His name is Scott and he goes by @bond and his business is Fine Vintage Fedoras.

I’m surprised to hear that your able to use a standard sewing machine to sew on a sweatband. You obviously possess skills I do not.

I'm not really highly skilled, but I'm an engineer who's a bit OCD.

The Panama I have is quite compliant. Also, the sweatband has a cloth flange stitched to it, so I need only stitch the flange to the hat, and once the hat band is put back on, none of my stitches will be visible. I didn't know that sweatbands were made this way until like last week!

Anyway, wish me luck. I'll post pics when I'm done.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I'm not really highly skilled, but I'm an engineer who's a bit OCD.

The Panama I have is quite compliant. Also, the sweatband has a cloth flange stitched to it, so I need only stitch the flange to the hat, and once the hat band is put back on, none of my stitches will be visible. I didn't know that sweatbands were made this way until like last week!

Anyway, wish me luck. I'll post pics when I'm done.

I know people pay thousands of dollars for replica sweatband specific sewing machines. Make that ten thousand plus if you want a vintage machine for un-reeded sweatbands.

 

[jviss]

I know people pay thousands of dollars for replica sweatband specific sewing machines. Make that ten thousand plus if you want a vintage machine for un-reeded sweatbands.

Wow! Well, I'm so ignorant I could just be wrong, and this won't work. But it seems, based on my trial of putting the hat on the machine, it will work in this case.

I'm also glad you replied as you did, I was searching for that term - the reed - that's in some hat bands.

Do you know a good reference for hat anatomy? I've searched, but no results I had showed the detail in which I'm interested.

Thanks,

jv

 

[jviss]

I’m surprised to hear that your able to use a standard sewing machine to sew on a sweatband.

As a matter of fact, I'll post some pics, maybe even a video, of me attempting this.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

As a matter of fact, I'll post some pics, maybe even a video, of me attempting this.

I’d love to see it. It would also be a great reference for posterity.

 

[belfastboy]

As a matter of fact, I'll post some pics, maybe even a video, of me attempting this.

Some hatters do, some don't .....that is, some baste the sweatband to hold in place correctly prior to the machine stitch while others just do it freehand. They baste the sweat in place.....placing the baste stitch through the sweat band just below the reed. Then once the final machine stitch is complete they remove the baste stitch. Hatters who don't have the pricey sweat band specific sewing machine do the entire process by hand. Keep us informed and post the results. I don't know of anyone that has used a conventional sewing machine to sew the sweats. This could be ground breaking!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Wow! Well, I'm so ignorant I could just be wrong, and this won't work. But it seems, based on my trial of putting the hat on the machine, it will work in this case.

I'm also glad you replied as you did, I was searching for that term - the reed - that's in some hat bands.

Do you know a good reference for hat anatomy? I've searched, but no results I had showed the detail in which I'm interested.

Thanks,

jv

It would be useful to have a thread with hat nomenclature, and it might already exist. Have tried to search TFL using Google? I’ll see if I can find such a thread this evening.

 

[jviss]

Some hatters do, some don't .....that is, some baste the sweatband to hold in place correctly prior to the machine stitch while others just do it freehand. They baste the sweat in place.....placing the baste stitch through the sweat band just below the reed. Then once the final machine stitch is complete they remove the baste stitch. Hatters who don't have the pricey sweat band specific sewing machine do the entire process by hand. Keep us informed and post the results. I don't know of anyone that has used a conventional sewing machine to sew the sweats. This could be ground breaking!

I think I mentioned earlier that one of my Fedoras has masking tape holding the band in place, presumably for sewing. They left the tape there, and it looks original.

Just have to decide what presser foot to use - maybe the zipper foot.

 

[belfastboy]

Yes, there is a good thread with pictures and arrows .....google "Fedora Lounge Hat terminology"

 

[belfastboy]

I think I mentioned earlier that one of my Fedoras has masking tape holding the band in place, presumably for sewing. They left the tape there, and it looks original.

Just have to decide what presser foot to use - maybe the zipper foot.

Yes, I saw that. That is likely a short cut from a mass produced hat company. Most hatters shy away from using glues/tapes Just pointing out an alternative.

 

[belfastboy]

There is an excellent video (30 minutes in length) that documents the steps of hat making by a master hatter. If you google "Fedora Lounge - Art Fawcett video" it should come up. There are references in the vid to hat nomenclature and is a great overview of the making of a hat.

 

[jviss]

Yes, I saw that. That is likely a short cut from a mass produced hat company. Most hatters shy away from using glues/tapes Just pointing out an alternative.

It was in a Dobbs Fedora. I like the basting idea, though, I think that would be better.

 

[jviss]

I’m surprised to hear that your able to use a standard sewing machine to sew on a sweatband.

Did it! Came out great. Not perfect, but really good. I didn't take any pics or videos as I sewed it, but it's the straw hat's compliance that allows this to be done on my "standard" machine. I used the zipper foot and right needle position to keep it tight to the band. I'll take some pics of the finished product.