Replacement hat band?

[Lorne]

Hello all,

I just got myself a broad brimmed Adam from Ebay, the hat shop of last resort. The seller said it was in Great Shape and just needed a light brushing. Brothers, Great Shape aint what it used to be. This hat was so grungy, just handling it turned my finger tips olive drab. I spent the weekend washing it in woolite, blocking it on a flower pot, sewing the hat band back in, washing the hat yet again to get the cigar smell out, and tacking the liner back up.

To make a long story short the hat is now, almost, in wearable condition. I am going to need to replace the ribbon though. Where can I get a black or tan Grosgrain hat ribbon, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches wide, with the bow?


Lorne

 

[adamgottschalk]

A hat person

Hello all,

I just got myself a broad brimmed Adam from Ebay, the hat shop of last resort. The seller said it was in Great Shape and just needed a light brushing. Brothers, Great Shape aint what it used to be. This hat was so grungy, just handling it turned my finger tips olive drab. I spent the weekend washing it in woolite, blocking it on a flower pot, sewing the hat band back in, washing the hat yet again to get the cigar smell out, and tacking the liner back up.

To make a long story short the hat is now, almost, in wearable condition. I am going to need to replace the ribbon though. Where can I get a black or tan Grosgrain hat ribbon, about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches wide, with the bow?


Lorne

My impression is (of course I could be wrong) that grosgrain comes in rolls and you'll need to go to a hat person if you want a piece tied nicely on your hat with a nice bow (part of what hat repair people do is make cool bows). I do not believe you can buy grosgrain with a pre-made bow (it needs to be placed on your hat before you know where to put the bow). As far as width, I've found wider ones are more common. In addition, you should check your hat for discoloration--pull the ribbon aside and see if it's darker underneath. If it is, you might not want to go with a narrower ribbon as then you'll see the line of discoloration. Many hat repair folks have real vintage grosgrain (instead of polyester, etc.). That stuff ain't cheap. If you search for "grosgrain ribbon" you'll find countless online sellers of the stuff (by the roll). It might be a good project to learn to put it on and tie a cool bow (personally, I'd just as soon take my hats to people who know what they're doing).

 

[Dalexs]

Don't bother searching for it online. Most of what you will find is junk.
Especially the size your looking for.

Except when I get it from a good friend of mine, I have had much better luck gooding to Millinary shops in the area (read as wedding dress shops.)
There are afew in the Boston area, depending on where you live.
I have I go to in Revere, that the woman loves when I come in.
She used to have a ton of assorted size, good quality ribbons.

I have quite a decent stock myself, so if you want, I could probably give you some. I'm not sure what colors I have in the sizes you want. I'll have to check.

I have a tutorial on my website showing how to replace the ribbon as well.
http://dalexs.whitvani.net/hat/hatpage.html
If you're not good at sewing, I could probably do it for you.

Dalexs

 

[Lorne]

Where in Revere?

Dalexs,

Thanks for the offer! I can sew (I seem to be sewing my hats together frequently...) but the bow is probably more than I can do. Where in Revere do you go? I work in Metro Boston, I can just shoot up the 99 into Revere and get my hat worked on. Oh, and how much do you think she would charge?


I will check out your website...


Thanks


Lorne

 

[Lorne]

That dosen't look to hard...

Dear Dalexs,

That dosen't seem impossible to do. Maybe I will just try making a band myself....


Lorne

 

[funneman]

Where can I get a black or tan Grosgrain hat ribbon..

Check with Art Fawcett, here on FL. I seem to remember him having Grosgrain ribbons for sale. The way I hear it, he collects them from old hats that have been sent to the big hat store in the sky. So they're not polyester like the ones you see on the internet.

Aaron hats I think sell ribbons too. They're not vintage, but I believe they come with a hook that makes them easy to install.

Please, let us know how you make out.

 

[Pilgrim]

Aaron hats has some very nice silk wrap-around hatbands, No bow, but they look great. At $9 each you can't go wrong. I have a red and black for my Panama, and I'm going to order a green as well.

Check them out.

 

[Magus]

Dear Dalexs,

That dosen't seem impossible to do. Maybe I will just try making a band myself....


Lorne

My understanding is that Art isn't doing just bands at the moment. But I agree that simply buying one pre swirrled is the best, least expensive way to go. I have found a good way to take it back on and get it tight. Let me know if you need that info.

M

 

[adamgottschalk]

My understanding is that Art isn't doing just bands at the moment. But I agree that simply buying one pre swirrled is the best, least expensive way to go. I have found a good way to take it back on and get it tight. Let me know if you need that info.

M

Interesting. A local hat fellow here in PDX told MK he wouldn't do just ribbons, which perplexed both of us. In the recent past, he (Paul Kaufman) has replaced just ribbons for me, but I've always brought him at least 2 hats at once. Maybe he and Art are in touch and both decided, "Yeah, no more just-hat-band jobs." Makes sense, labor intensive, little return. I just sent my new/60s hemp milan straw to Art (should be back in a few days). I had him clean and block it and change the ribbon. I didn't even stop think about the fact that I was asking for 3 separate pieces of work to be done.

 

[Dalexs]

Hmm, is Kaufman the old guy who has a shop in his basement over off NE 39th? I never successfully found any hatters in the PDX area.

Dalexs

 

[adamgottschalk]

Hmm, is Kaufman the old guy who has a shop in his basement over off NE 39th? I never successfully found any hatters in the PDX area.

Dalexs

Yes, that's the man. He does great work and makes nice hats too, or used to.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Gents, I think I need to clarify my positoin on this since there seems to be some doubt. I haven't stopped adding or replacing ribbons on hats that come in to the shop, but what I have done is to stop making up ribbons to sell without doing the work also. Here is my reasoning. I have spent years collecting ribbon (15 or so) going all over the country buying whatever I could find with the idea that someday I would retire and become a hatter using vintage ribbon and enjoying having the variety of ribbon needed to do this. A while back I did a favor and made a couple up for other Loungers and was pretty much deluged with requests to do it for others. At that point I realized that I could easily sell all of my ribbons one bow at a time and not have anything for my true passion of making hats, but become instead a bow maker. That isn't where I want to go career wise so I decided I could not continue on that path. If I have the modern ribbon in the sizes needed, OK, but I was getting requests for 1930s rarest of rare ribbons etc and that cannot happen. I know this isn't what anyone wants to hear when it's your need, but that's the reality of the situation.
BTW, I bought out Kaufmans vintage ribbons about two years ago and he was wanting to retire then. I don't know if he is still working the trade now.

 

[BellyTank]

So modern ribbon IS definitely do-able then(?)

B
T

 

[Pilgrim]

Art, your position makes perfect sense from a time and business perspective. I appreciate your being clear and positive about it.

 

[Magus]

Good thinking Art

I'm glad to hear it Art...that way when you build my custom hat it will have the vintage ribbon to match!

 

[Dalexs]

...BTW, I bought out Kaufmans vintage ribbons about two years ago and he was wanting to retire then. I don't know if he is still working the trade now.

Glad to hear it went to good use. I know Kaufman had bee nwantign to retire for years but because he was the only guy still doing custom work in town, he never got around to it. The few hat shops in town use to send all of their rebuilds to him from I've been told.

If he is retired, then that may only leave a guy down in Salem...
oh yeah, and you!

 

[adamgottschalk]

Glad to hear it went to good use. I know Kaufman had bee nwantign to retire for years but because he was the only guy still doing custom work in town, he never got around to it. The few hat shops in town use to send all of their rebuilds to him from I've been told.

If he is retired, then that may only leave a guy down in Salem...
oh yeah, and you!

Yes, when I went into John Helmer and asked for a little more work than just stretching, they gave me Paul Kaufman's number.

 

[Fortino37]

Replacing the hatband

If you got the ribbon, the bow is not really hard to make, I replace the hatbands and the sweatbands by my self several times.
This Royal Stetson Stetsonian had the original band stained, and I replaced it by a new one even had to make the bow.

Yes I know, never to hold a hat by the pinch front, but I made this picture for a friend, just to show him the wrong way to pick up a hat.

To make the bow I only have to un do the original and saw how was made, once you made one you never forget how to make it.

 

[Fortino37]

Replacing hatband

This weekend decide to replace the ribbonband of my Mallory Sportabout, it was ruined and stained, fortunatly I bought few years a go In Guadalajara several ribbonbands and bows in different colors and tones, and one of them match my Mallory band, it is little wider but not much.

Tis is the Mallory with the original band and bow

I start taking off the old one and locating the spot where the bow has to be placed.

Fix the middle part of the bow to the crown, one stitch will be enough,
then have to stitch the left end of the band being sure that the bow will cover at least 1cm of the ribbon.

To fix the band you must be very precise and make very small stitches.

For the band you only need from 5 to 6 stitches to fix it to the crown.

Once the band is fixed you can proceed with the bow

6 stitches needed to end the bow

And voila!!!!!!!!

The next issue will be How to make a bow, be pending.


Saludos from Mexicali

 

[adamgottschalk]

This weekend decide to replace the ribbonband of my Mallory Sportabout, it was ruined and stained, fortunatly I bought few years a go In Guadalajara several ribbonbands and bows in different colors and tones, and one of them match my Mallory band, it is little wider but not much.
The next issue will be How to make a bow, be pending.


Saludos from Mexicali

GREAT post. Thank you so much for this clear instruction and illustration.