What is your favorite hat crease?

[Mr E Train]

This is what I was referring to, something like this

as opposed to something like this (one of mine)

At least that's all I can think of.

 

[greatestescaper]

My favorite is one that I have newly acquired from hatcountry.com. It is called the Elkton hat, and has a glorious Gus bash. I'll have to take a picture to post. Here is a link for the site:

https://www.hatcountry.com/images/Elkton.jpg

 

[Lefty]

At least that's all I can think of.

I like the uncurved teardrop.

 

[Mr E Train]

You see, what I want is an uncreased center crease with an unpinched front pinch.

 

[Dewhurst]

Center dent with a pinch.

Classy and cool.

 

[scottyrocks]

Depends on the hat. All my hats have a tight front pinch, but the tops are done according to how the hat looks good on my head. Some hats have a center dent, and others have a 'c' or teardrop.

 

[Iyor]

I think I might ask Tony from Tumwater to put such a crease to my new hat on order.

 

[Pompidou]

Looking at that bash makes me ponder the possibility of an M shaped bash. You see, I'm more excited about my one of a kind Art Fawcett hat I'm shooting for in the near future than anything, and I don't just want a hat, I want a calling card, if that makes any sense. My real name is Matt, and an M bash would be different.

 

[Yeps]

I voted for center dent with pinches, but it really depends on the hat. If I have to take out some crown so that my face does not get swamped, I will end up with more of a diamond or c-crown.

In any case, I prefer to have very loose pinches and creases that can be changed when my mood does.

 

[scottyrocks]

Looking at that bash makes me ponder the possibility of an M shaped bash. You see, I'm more excited about my one of a kind Art Fawcett hat I'm shooting for in the near future than anything, and I don't just want a hat, I want a calling card, if that makes any sense. My real name is Matt, and an M bash would be different.

Ah, you guys with symmetrical first letters are soooo lucky! lol

 

[zetwal]

 

[AlterEgo]

Recently, I've been leaning toward the pinched telescope, generally interchangeable with "teardrop," but the way I do it creates a deeper "moat" and more prominent "dome" than the latter term usually describes. This bash enables me to take a lot of the the height out of tall crown hats like the Fed IV, which don't look so good with too much altitude on my face and body type.

Yet the inherent hat shape, to some extent, will determine what crease will work no matter how skilled the basher. Try putting a pair of beautifully punched and perfectly symmetrical cattleman's creases in a bowler!. (I'm hoping someone will do just that and post the pics here.)

I much prefer an open-crown hat because of the ability to change the crease at will. A different bash completely changes the look; it's like having a brand new hat at no charge.

So, why do I keep buying new hats?

 

[danofarlington]

Center dent with a pinch.

Classy and cool.

That's my thought. On me, center dent with a pinch is the most wearable thing, and to my eyes looks more modern as opposed to retro.

 

[Redwoodjedi]

Center dent with a semi tight pinch for me.

 

[Mr Vim]

Go center dent pinches!

Hey, that sounds like an old school football team name. Ha!

 

[jwalls]

http://www.myphotos.yahoo.com/s/20um7cjq58eneodb1063 Grand Dad called this one "The Preacher's Crease".

 

[jimmy the lid]

Those are absolutely killer Jell-o molds....

 

[tnitz]

As for steam...

I echo warnings about steam. I bought a steamer a few years back and have decided it's too "hard" on the felt. I now use it for the brims and crown ribbons and generally keep it away from the crown unless it's on a block.

I recently received a Camp Draft and wanted to see what would happen if I avoided any hard creases. I put a soft center dent and front pinches in it and they held just fine (and no-one would argue that's a fine hat felt).

I learned a couple things:
Where I live I would never be able to maintain an open crown hat with simply popping in a crease for wear and popping it back out for storage. I wish I could, but between sun and rain the crease will set within days.

The second thing I noticed is that the front creases remained pretty symmetrical over time, though they changed from the original. Also, the center crease and front pinches moved slightly to resemble a crease I have often purposely created, somewhere between an alpine crease and a raked center crease/front pinch crease. I don't know what that means, but it's interesting...

All that said, I have found a great use for the steamer. It is great for popping out the top dents on vintage bowlers and does a great job cleaning them. Well, it's also great for taking wrinkles out of suit jacket sleeves.

I'm now to the point that I refrain from water or steam unless absolutely needed it's hard on the hat and difficult to take a crease back out without reblocking. Looking at old movies from 20's and early 30's I don't think many of the hats worn were creased with the help of steam.

 

[B.U.H.]

Hello Gentlefolks,

maybe you could please let me know if there is a name for this crease, and what it is:

OT: Since this is my first post, please allow me a short introduction. For many months I have been lurking on this board now and then, and it has been a tremendous help for me, especially this spring/summer when I finally retired three of my hats and was looking for new ones.
My Name is Bernhard, I am from the Ruhr industrial area in Germany and work as an IT-guy at a university. I am living with one wife, one daughter of 14 years, and a cat or two.
Most likely I will not post very much here, but having received so much information and advice, I want to give something back, and thus will (maybe on the next weekend) present the hat conversion project that led to the hat pictured above.

EDIT: Are the pictures above unreasonably big? Would you prefer smaller ones?

EDIT 2: Pictures are smaller now.

 

[rlk]

Adam 1939