The Conversion Corral

[azhiker]

Maybe I just caught him at a bad time. He really was very rude, and I have not experienced that. MV you are the reason I called them, I was so impressed with your conversions you just had done. Oh well, maybe I'll buy a block, and start learning to do it myself!

 

[scottyrocks]

Edit:

Maybe the 'conversion corral,' 'cowboy hat conversions' and 'western conversions' threads should be combined?

 

[azhiker]

I had thought about Major Moore, good idea!

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

The only thing I can say is that I did not deal with them over the phone. I went in because I live only about 45 minutes from the shop. Perhaps that made the difference in my experience?

 

[azhiker]

I agree, they proably get lots of phone calls, people fishing. Maybe I was too harsh. I just got an email from lady there(I had emailed them, then called them) she seemed nice enough on email anyway. I live about 3 hours or more away. I guess I could drive it over, but I'm going out of town, and wanted them to have it before I left. I may be moving far, far away, and wanted to get this done now to avoid extrodinary shipping costs. Hey, maybe I could buy you a beer here in Detroit, and you could just drop it off on your way back?? thanks again.

 

[danofarlington]

Mine was originally a Stetson 'Low Places' hat. Thought it was time to pull it out and have it converted into something that I'd currently be wearing. So a couple of years back I had Art do his magic on it. It is currently being worn on cooler days, but at least it is getting out now to be worn. Still a little bit on the stiff side but it has worked in to it's new shape & life quite nicely. My best friend didn't even recognize it, he thought I'd gone & got a new lid.

Cheers!

Dan

That's a very cool look. What is the brim size on it, 2 3/4?

 

[Sam Craig]

Ok, now I'm at wits end! I called Optimo today to see if I ould get them to finish the conversion I started. I had Henry the Hatter trim the brim on my felt Stetson to 2 1/2, and I recreased it into a diamond bash, but the hat needs alot of work still. The 'gentleman' I talked to at Optimo was very short with me, and asked me to 'get to the point' when I ask him questions about what I would need done. He then told me I was probably 'wasting my time' with shipping, renovation, etc, and was just better off junking the hat! Wow, after eveyones alocades about these guys, I was really floored after talking to him. I am looking to have this hat erblocked into a 'c crown', new sweat, full cleaning, maybe brim welt and ribbon hat band. If I had a block, I would just do it myself So far, hatter in Detroit is 'not confidant' and hatter in Chicago is a j**k! Opps, did I just say that. oh well, I'll never set foot in their store. That's for sure. Anyones help would be appreciated!

The new sweat and brim welt ... do you mean ribbon binding the brim? ... may well be outside your abilities, but you ought to be able to work on the rest.
Go to a quilt shop, ask for Petersham ribbon, and find a color that compliments your hat. Buy 2 or 3 yards so you can practice making a bow. Press the ribbon with an iron and tack it on the hat. It's well worth the effort and the Petersham will look great.
Shaping a western hat into a c-crown isn't tough. Just wet the crown and start copying the hat you wear in your avatar.

And I have cleaned western felts with dish detergent and cold water

If the brim is trimmed, try the rest and see if you like the results.

I would love to be able to replace my own sweats and bind brims, but I haven't gotten that far, yet. The rest you can do yourself ... trust me, if I can do it, anyone can do it.

Good luck and sorry for the hassle,

Sam

 

[Yeps]

Everytime I tried to get my Bailey to look good, it just ended up getting worse. So, I made a telescope crease, stitched on the old leather band, and now I have a beater for fishing and camping.

Just a reminder, it originally looked like this:

and my abortive attempts to make a fedora turned it into this:

Thankfully, I no longer need it to try to be a fedora, so it is a western again.


By the way, this is officially the end of messing with the Bailey. If I do more conversions, they will have to start somewhere else. Maybe I can get myself some old beat up fur felt westerns to mess with.

 

[scottyrocks]

Yeps, I have a Bailey conversion I did back in this thread, as well.

Originally attempted a fedora. A few different creases. Wasnt happy with any of them.

Then I porkpied it. Looked okay, but nbd.

Then I thought, the hat was a stove pipe when I found it, why not let it have its way and I lifted the porkpie into a mild stove pipe, proportional to its now shorter (from the original conversion) brim. And thats where it now sits.

 

[RobFedoraField]

That is a beauty!! I love it.

:arated:

Optimo does great work I have to say.

Sweet Georgia Brown that's a nice hat!

I bought the hat for $40 on ebay and Optimo charged $90 for a cleaning, blocking, brown ribbon, brown edge binding and new leather sweatband. It would have been $20 less at Optimo if that darn original sweatband wasn't messed up. I was hoping to keep the whole thing under $100, but it crept up a tad more because of the sweatband.

Still, every time I've seen a good cream colored fedora with brown contrasting binding etc on ebay it has gone for well over $180. So, I think I still did OK in the long run.

I have to agree with you!

still hoping to do a conversion, I just haven't found one yet for the price I'm willing to pay.

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

Thank you, Rob.

 

[HeyMoe]

Here are three that I have done - nothing spectacular to be honest but they work until I can convince the wife to let me buy a nice one

Just XX Wool Felt - my daily hat. Hat is wet from walking inside a few moments before taking the pictures.

Did this one for my oldest son.

Justin XXX Wool Felt - I don't wear this one as often, only once or twice a week. Just re-did the hat band with the two common colors of shirts I wear it with.

 

[bolthead]

I wasn't impressed at all, with the way I was treated either when I called, to ask advice on a parabuntal body I got from Garrett. He was very arrogant in telling me not to waste my time with it, in so many words. Needless to say, they'll never get any of my business.

 

[RobFedoraField]

Here are three that I have done - nothing spectacular to be honest but they work until I can convince the wife to let me buy a nice one

Just XX Wool Felt - my daily hat. Hat is wet from walking inside a few moments before taking the pictures.

Did this one for my oldest son.

Justin XXX Wool Felt - I don't wear this one as often, only once or twice a week. Just re-did the hat band with the two common colors of shirts I wear it with.

great looking converts!

 

[Tom-n-Perris]

Here is another one that have finished. I saw someone eating a creamsicle bar, the ones that look like this.

Then I got an inspiration to try and make a hat using the same colors. I thought it would make a good combination so here is a Resistol Cowboy hat that is now a Pork Pie. As always gentlemen let me know if I have hit the mark on this one. I will be putting this one in the classifieds so I hope some FL will give this lid a good home.

 

[Tom-n-Perris]

Here is another one that have finished. I saw someone eating a creamsicle bar, the ones that look like this.

Then I got an inspiration to try and make a hat using the same colors. I thought it would make a good combination so here is a Resistol Cowboy hat that is now a Pork Pie. As always gentlemen let me know if I have hit the mark on this one. I will be putting this one in the classifieds so I hope some FL will give this lid a good home.

 

[Jedwbpm]

Tom i really like what you did as far as the colors. I don't like pork pies for me though, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate them.

Jeff

 

[DRB]

Tom: you get the "Most Unique Hat of the Year" award for that one. It looks delicious.

 

[HeyMoe]

Tom-


Hat looks awesome! I would have never thought of that combo.

 

[bolthead]

Sweet.