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Why would the felt not get softer with 30+ yrs of age? The black is stiff & thick as a board; the Tanbark has dye in it & stains your fingers when wet.
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Western, anyone?
- Thread starter kokopelli
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- western hats
Joao Encarnado
I'll Lock Up
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I'm no felt expert but doesn't the fibbers being tighter with the felting process would make the felt more dense making it harder to work with?
I think dye bleeding is a "common thing". My first 80's 4x beaver black stetson bled some dye and it was supposed to be a better felt. Not all lots are perfect.
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As felt ages it does get more dense therefore getting thinner & softer, not thicker. Some of the shellac stiffener probably breaks up & is lost over time also. That's why a bit of steam usually softens the shellac that remains, reactivates it & helps set the new crease. Good quality vintage felt should be soft. All of the above is why vintage hats are so highly sought after. Not because they are like cardboard.
Previous to this Tanbark I have only ever had two hats ever bleed dye before: a cheap Charlie One Horse that was more white than Silverbelly, & a cheap black Rodeo King that I bought while on the road as a replacement hat. I wore in just one day, in the rain then it went in the trash can. Had I had the time I would have demanded my money back. No good hat ever bleeds color when wet.
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Mustang Mike's Hats
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Eeee Haaw! Just finished a fun "B Western" style hat this weekend. Found an interesting accent to mount on the hatband that I think I may continue to use on a somewhat regular basis.
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Nice!!I'm getting close for now with my black Stagecoach Outlaw. With a 6-3/4" open crown I wanted a crease that could sink some crown so I settled on a horseshoe. It's pretty close now; just needs some smoothing up with steam. With a 4-1/2" brim I ate up some of that with a gentle swoop instead of taking it flat with an edge curl. I still haven't selected a hatband for it.
My two Akubra Woomeras have much better felt & are a much better hat than either of my Stagecoaches.
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Thanks Dale.
I got this 5X Stetson off ebay and it arrived yesterday. It does look perfect, but reeks of old cigarette smoke and needed a good brushing. I've stuffed the box with wadded up newspaper to absorb the odors and wrap the hat in the same when not wearing. It seems to be helping.
It's a 7-3/8 Long Oval and fits pretty darn good. The felt on the crown is fairly soft, but the brim is real stiff. Brim is 3" and the crown as creased is about 4-1/2" front and back and up to 5+" at the top center of the crease.
It's a 7-3/8 Long Oval and fits pretty darn good. The felt on the crown is fairly soft, but the brim is real stiff. Brim is 3" and the crown as creased is about 4-1/2" front and back and up to 5+" at the top center of the crease.
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Nice! Is that box from a higher-end hat (7X and up)?
I'm not sure, Bob. I wondered the same thing myself. Could very well be, as the leather snaps have deteriorated and the box has worn at the back hinge, has a torn corner, etc.
Looks like a heck of a catch,congrats.I got this 5X Stetson off ebay and it arrived yesterday. It does look perfect, but reeks of old cigarette smoke and needed a good brushing. I've stuffed the box with wadded up newspaper to absorb the odors and wrap the hat in the same when not wearing. It seems to be helping.
It's a 7-3/8 Long Oval and fits pretty darn good. The felt on the crown is fairly soft, but the brim is real stiff. Brim is 3" and the crown as creased is about 4-1/2" front and back and up to 5+" at the top center of the crease.
Joao Encarnado
I'll Lock Up
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The box seems to be "out of place" with that modern 5x beaver hat...
Dogman is selling a hat with the same box and Alan have the same box but I can't remember with what hat in it.
raven5
New in Town
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Like the hat and flat brim. What model is that?This will have to do for now. I am on the lookout for a nice hat band. I really like the looks and simplicity of this one, but I would like it to be a nicer leather. It looks more leatherette to me.
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Latigo
Familiar Face
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@FedOregon They can talk about the box all they want......
..........I like the side profile with that minimal cow kick its' got....as opposed to the ones that really look like you did get kicked by a cow! That's a really nice hat..........
Latigo
..........I like the side profile with that minimal cow kick its' got....as opposed to the ones that really look like you did get kicked by a cow! That's a really nice hat..........Latigo
Thanks, it has that cow kick on the back as well... very slight, but it's there.@FedOregon They can talk about the box all they want......
Latigo
Thanks, Raven. The best I can tell on model is from a tag on an identical looking hat from eBay. This one is missing its identification pieces. It says S047 BRAZOS, Granite Grey.
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johnnycanuck
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That is one of the best examples of stetson I have seen in ages. May have to send my old Stetson XXXXX off to get it to look like this.I got this 5X Stetson off ebay and it arrived yesterday. It does look perfect, but reeks of old cigarette smoke and needed a good brushing. I've stuffed the box with wadded up newspaper to absorb the odors and wrap the hat in the same when not wearing. It seems to be helping.
It's a 7-3/8 Long Oval and fits pretty darn good. The felt on the crown is fairly soft, but the brim is real stiff. Brim is 3" and the crown as creased is about 4-1/2" front and back and up to 5+" at the top center of the crease.
Wear it ion good health.
Johnny
johnnycanuck
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Question? what does that hat look like open crown? Is it square or tapered at the top?I got this 5X Stetson off ebay and it arrived yesterday. It does look perfect, but reeks of old cigarette smoke and needed a good brushing. I've stuffed the box with wadded up newspaper to absorb the odors and wrap the hat in the same when not wearing. It seems to be helping.
It's a 7-3/8 Long Oval and fits pretty darn good. The felt on the crown is fairly soft, but the brim is real stiff. Brim is 3" and the crown as creased is about 4-1/2" front and back and up to 5+" at the top center of the crease.
Johnny
It's square and blocky, like an OR or a Stratoliner. If the brim wasn't so stiff with shellac, I'd turn it into an OR with a fedora slant and a downturned front brim.
