Torpedo
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,332
- Location
- Barcelona (Spain)
Hello,
These days I undertook a couple of straw hat recreasing jobs.
One was my Panama Cuenca. This had a typical machine blocked centerdent.
The other, a milan Biltmore porkpie.
I wanted to change them for different reasons. In the case of the cuencano, I wished something more personal and not so machine-made looking. As for the porkpie, it was because it had a somewhat low crown, and I have grown used to taller ones, hence I was not favouring it much.
Both hats I remodelled with warm water and my hands. The cuencano responded rapidly to water, immediately becoming malleable. I worked it carefully, the material being delicate. I creased it as a diamond crown with dome.
The milan straw of the porkpie was more difficult, but by kneading and massaging I could reshape it too, although it was not so responsive. Because of it, I could not achieve what I intended, which was a taller porkpie crown, so I ended with another diamond crown, although with looser pinch and no dome. It is taller now, which was my primary concern, so I am satisfied anyway.
(Note: I am not sure of what kind, or quality, of milan straw is this hat made of. It does not seem to be the resin-coated plastic-like "milan" material frequently encountered; I have tried to recrease one of those, and it was impossible, it returned to its original shape however much I bashed it; apparently those are termo-formed, and difficult (impossible?) to reshape afterwards. This Biltmore-made hat I could reshape, so I guess it is some better kind of material.)
Regards!
These days I undertook a couple of straw hat recreasing jobs.
One was my Panama Cuenca. This had a typical machine blocked centerdent.
The other, a milan Biltmore porkpie.
I wanted to change them for different reasons. In the case of the cuencano, I wished something more personal and not so machine-made looking. As for the porkpie, it was because it had a somewhat low crown, and I have grown used to taller ones, hence I was not favouring it much.
Both hats I remodelled with warm water and my hands. The cuencano responded rapidly to water, immediately becoming malleable. I worked it carefully, the material being delicate. I creased it as a diamond crown with dome.
The milan straw of the porkpie was more difficult, but by kneading and massaging I could reshape it too, although it was not so responsive. Because of it, I could not achieve what I intended, which was a taller porkpie crown, so I ended with another diamond crown, although with looser pinch and no dome. It is taller now, which was my primary concern, so I am satisfied anyway.
(Note: I am not sure of what kind, or quality, of milan straw is this hat made of. It does not seem to be the resin-coated plastic-like "milan" material frequently encountered; I have tried to recrease one of those, and it was impossible, it returned to its original shape however much I bashed it; apparently those are termo-formed, and difficult (impossible?) to reshape afterwards. This Biltmore-made hat I could reshape, so I guess it is some better kind of material.)
Regards!
