The Conversion Corral

[T Jones]

^^^^
THAT is amazing work! And you wear it well.

Thanks Bob. I appreciate that.

 

[Redfokker]

Another great one! I love these conversions you are sharing, inspiring.

 

[T Jones]

Another great one! I love these conversions you are sharing, inspiring.

Thank you, Red.

 

[T Jones]

Got out another old Stagecoach that I want to try and do something with. This poor hat's been through hell and back. Three different conversions, numerous blockings, and scores of recreasings. So much so, that it has a small weak spot that developed at the pinch. I turned the hat around on the block so that the weak spot will be at the back of the hat. After it dries and comes off the block I'll reinforce the spot from the inside with a little bit of flexible tape. Afterward I'll trim the brim and put it back together and try to figure out what kind of crease I want go with. It's on a straight sided block, so maybe a Center Dent, some kind of play off an Indy style hat, don't know yet...

 

[bond]

Nice job TJones.
Here's a Midcentury Borsalino I recently restored/converted from a beat up homburg.
Gas bath, new ribbons , trimmed brim, wind cord, and sweatband. Felt is the chameleon like Reutinio which is best described as mouse grey/brown. Hard to pick ribbons , especially vintage stock ,but when it works the results can be satisfying.
Here is before and after.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[T Jones]

Nice job TJones.
Here's a Midcentury Borsalino I recently restored/converted from a beat up homburg.
Gas bath, new ribbons , trimmed brim, wind cord, and sweatband. Felt is the chameleon like Reutinio which is best described as mouse grey/brown. Hard to pick ribbons , especially vintage stock ,but when it works the results can be satisfying.
Here is before and after.
View attachment 76116 View attachment 76117

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Bond. I've been seeing some nice Borsos posted lately. I gotta add one to my meager collection some day.

 

[Redfokker]

Nice job TJones.
Here's a Midcentury Borsalino I recently restored/converted from a beat up homburg.
Gas bath, new ribbons , trimmed brim, wind cord, and sweatband. Felt is the chameleon like Reutinio which is best described as mouse grey/brown. Hard to pick ribbons , especially vintage stock ,but when it works the results can be satisfying.
Here is before and after.
View attachment 76116 View attachment 76117

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beautiful restoration. A new life for a classic. You are an artiste!

 

[RJR]

Beautiful restoration. A new life for a classic. You are an artiste!

+1

 

[1mach1]

Nice job TJones.
Here's a Midcentury Borsalino I recently restored/converted from a beat up homburg.
Gas bath, new ribbons , trimmed brim, wind cord, and sweatband. Felt is the chameleon like Reutinio which is best described as mouse grey/brown. Hard to pick ribbons , especially vintage stock ,but when it works the results can be satisfying.
Here is before and after.
View attachment 76116 View attachment 76117

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gorgeous work Scott!

 

[T Jones]

I definitely like the take on the Whippet look.

 

[bond]

Thanks for the comments guys. I am still searching for one of these to keep for myself in a 7 1/2 with a wide brim which is nearly impossible to find these days.


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[T Jones]

Just getting around to posting some pictures of my latest conversion project. This poor Resistol Stagecoach has been through the proverbial mill. It's seen at least three prior conversions by different people, several recreasings, a few simple reblocks, and some ribbon changes. Throughout these processes it has developed a couple of weak spots which I secured with some flexible medical tape. All in all this hat should still last quite a few years without any problems. The conversion went nicely enough and this will be the last one for this hat. I reblocked it on a 23 1/8 straight sided block which gave the crown a nice boxy look all around. The open crown is 5 3/4 and is creased in a teardrop, 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. I cut the brim down to 2 5/8 and reflanged it on a 2 3/4 brim flange. While giving it just a little flatter look, the brim still has a very noticeable fedora snap brim curl. Since my finances aren't the healthiest I've not been able to buy more ribbon, so, I scavenged a contrasting 1 5/8 ribbon off of another hat....

On the block Dried and off the block

 

[KarlCrow]

Just getting around to posting some pictures of my latest conversion project. This poor Resistol Stagecoach has been through the proverbial mill. It's seen at least three prior conversions by different people, several recreasings, a few simple reblocks, and some ribbon changes. Throughout these processes it has developed a couple of weak spots which I secured with some flexible medical tape. All in all this hat should still last quite a few years without any problems. The conversion went nicely enough and this will be the last one for this hat. I reblocked it on a 23 1/8 straight sided block which gave the crown a nice boxy look all around. The open crown is 5 3/4 and is creased in a teardrop, 4 3/4 at the pinch with a rake sloping to 4 1/4 at the back. I cut the brim down to 2 5/8 and reflanged it on a 2 3/4 brim flange. While giving it just a little flatter look, the brim still has a very noticeable fedora snap brim curl. Since my finances aren't the healthiest I've not been able to buy more ribbon, so, I scavenged a contrasting 1 5/8 ribbon off of another hat....

On the block Dried and off the block

amazing as usual.

 

[T Jones]

amazing as usual.

Thank you, KC.

 

[bond]

Here's a Borsalino that a lounger sent me for a conversion from homburg to fedora. Black felt and crown ribbon, trimmed the brim slightly and added a charcoal binding . Still managed to maintain a healthy 2 3/4 brim .

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FedOregon]

@bond : that looks great!

 

[Bob Roberts]

Here's a Borsalino that a lounger sent me for a conversion from homburg to fedora. Black felt and crown ribbon, trimmed the brim slightly and added a charcoal binding . Still managed to maintain a healthy 2 3/4 brim . View attachment 77090
View attachment 77091 View attachment 77092 View attachment 77093


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Blasphemy

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Blasphemy

ah ah

 

[Redwoodjedi]

My New Hat Project... (X - Posted from my Facebook)

I found a vintage, mint condition Resistol Stagecoach on eBay in my size for $50! Still in the box! These hats are highly coveted in the Hat Conversion community for turning into classic fedoras. (Don't worry, kids. I kept that little stagecoach hat pin. I know they're rare.) The first pic is the eBay listing. The next three is how I received it.

I then carefully took off the pin and the leather cordage hat band and measured off a half inch on the 3.5 inch brim. I trimmed that off and still found it too wide for my taste and so I took it down another quarter inch to its final width of 2 3/4".

I then soaked the entire hat in piping hot water and began to shape it. I've never had an Indiana Jones hat and so I thought I would try that style of bash. But I didn't want to go "full potato" on the Jones bash. So I put in the signature dents on the front of the crown but kept my usual diamond crease on the top. The trimmed brim received a nice sanded finished to round out the edge and then I gave it a nice, swoopy curve all around.

I then stole the ribbon off of an old Akubra Squatter that didn't ever fit me to my taste and stitched that on, bow and all, to the hat. The last four pics are the finished lid.

The crown is 5" high.
The brim is 2 3/4 all the way around.
I call this hat the "Tanis" after the dig in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Erik

 

[RJR]

My New Hat Project... (X - Posted from my Facebook)

I found a vintage, mint condition Resistol Stagecoach on eBay in my size for $50! Still in the box! These hats are highly coveted in the Hat Conversion community for turning into classic fedoras. (Don't worry, kids. I kept that little stagecoach hat pin. I know they're rare.) The first pic is the eBay listing. The next three is how I received it.

I then carefully took off the pin and the leather cordage hat band and measured off a half inch on the 3.5 inch brim. I trimmed that off and still found it too wide for my taste and so I took it down another quarter inch to its final width of 2 3/4".

I then soaked the entire hat in piping hot water and began to shape it. I've never had an Indiana Jones hat and so I thought I would try that style of bash. But I didn't want to go "full potato" on the Jones bash. So I put in the signature dents on the front of the crown but kept my usual diamond crease on the top. The trimmed brim received a nice sanded finished to round out the edge and then I gave it a nice, swoopy curve all around.

I then stole the ribbon off of an old Akubra Squatter that didn't ever fit me to my taste and stitched that on, bow and all, to the hat. The last four pics are the finished lid.

The crown is 5" high.
The brim is 2 3/4 all the way around.
I call this hat the "Tanis" after the dig in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
View attachment 78103 View attachment 78104 View attachment 78105 View attachment 78106 View attachment 78107 View attachment 78108 View attachment 78109 View attachment 78110 View attachment 78111 View attachment 78112

Erik

Interesting conversion.