barrowjh
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,398
- Location
- Maryville Tennessee
Nice looking lid, TJ
Thanks buddy. John G's done a good job on it so far.Nice looking lid, TJ
Now there's something I would like to do to my messed up Stetson 4x.This cordova Stagecoach was a regular telescope and I 'redneck'd' it into a flare crown to mimic the iconic hat that Clint Eastwood's character wore in Pale Rider:
You definitely did a heck of a job on it though. It looks like Eastwood's Pale Rider hat.Joao - it was not worth doing again, in my case. I really learned something about playing with the felt, though, and just how hard it can be to stretch it tight over that flare crown. Mike Moore has talked with us about how the flare crown hat blocks (puzzle blocks) are a physical strain to work with, even when you have the right tools. The only way the crown will lay flat (instead of concave or convex) is if it has been pulled fairly tight and has a good dose of stiffener in it. I found that you could not do this by simply pulling the felt - it wants to tear somewhere along the edge of the flare. I had to get on top of the crown with my fingers and, with the felt damp with fresh steam, spread and push that felt outwards from the center and over the flare edge, and follow that quickly with pulling the felt at the brim, careful not to pull too hard. Several iterations. It was a great deal of work to 'redneck engineer' a way to have a hat turn out fairly well, and then such a disappointment to see that just because it looked good on some Hollywood actor doesn't cause it to look good on me. I guess the upside is finding this out without having to spend $200 - $250 on a new hat. The down side - that flare edge will leave a crease line around the crown and there is no way it will ever go away. Once you do this with a felt it is then forever more committed - no going back. You know, with the right tools (puzzle block for the flare crown in the desired size) and two people working on the felt at the same time it might not be such a strain to stretch the crown out like it should be.
You definitely did a heck of a job on it though. It looks like Eastwood's Pale Rider hat.
Thank you for the warning. Have you sold those you made?Joao - it was not worth doing again, in my case. I really learned something about playing with the felt, though, and just how hard it can be to stretch it tight over that flare crown. Mike Moore has talked with us about how the flare crown hat blocks (puzzle blocks) are a physical strain to work with, even when you have the right tools. The only way the crown will lay flat (instead of concave or convex) is if it has been pulled fairly tight and has a good dose of stiffener in it. I found that you could not do this by simply pulling the felt - it wants to tear somewhere along the edge of the flare. I had to get on top of the crown with my fingers and, with the felt damp with fresh steam, spread and push that felt outwards from the center and over the flare edge, and follow that quickly with pulling the felt at the brim, careful not to pull too hard. Several iterations. It was a great deal of work to 'redneck engineer' a way to have a hat turn out fairly well, and then such a disappointment to see that just because it looked good on some Hollywood actor doesn't cause it to look good on me. I guess the upside is finding this out without having to spend $200 - $250 on a new hat. The down side - that flare edge will leave a crease line around the crown and there is no way it will ever go away. Once you do this with a felt it is then forever more committed - no going back. You know, with the right tools (puzzle block for the flare crown in the desired size) and two people working on the felt at the same time it might not be such a strain to stretch the crown out like it should be.
Very unique ribbon work! That stands out really nice. I like everything about that hat, the crease and the way the profile slopes from the tall front pinch to lower in the back! Very well done! I'd love to have that hat!