OT: Hatrack

Rusty

Rusty

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Mar 8, 1999
Messages
8,911
Got a hat and coatrack today for $35. For $3 bucks more the store owner's hat was thrown in. Stetson in silverbelly with bashed open crown, 4" brim, 5XXXXX beaver. The crown can be starched and dried back to the open crown, and the owner's dog chomped on it about an inch deep and 3 inches wide. I like a narrower brim, maybe 2 3/4 or 3 inches on the sides and an extra half-inch fore and aft. Something like the Indiana Jones fedora's brim - tapered oval. All it takes is a pencil line and a razor sharp knife to make the cut. Anyway, a salvageable 5XXXXX beaver Stetson for 300 pennies.

You might remember me talking about a month-and-a-half back I picked up a black open crown, flat brimmed 5XXXXX beaver Beaver brand hat? Finally got a chance to watch Tombstone on video last night. Guess who was wearing the exact lookalike hat in the movie: Wyatt Earp. ( Wyatt had interests in saloons in Tonapah ( about a hundred miles south of Hawthorne, the Nye County seat ) and Goldfield ( another 30 miles further south, the Esmeralda County seat ). Matter of fact the Esmeralda County seat was in Hawthorne, first, then during the boom was moved to Goldfield. That's why when they formed Mineral County they made Hawthorne the county seat of that county, because they already had the courthouse. To add to your trivia collection knowledge, Virgil Earp died in Goldfield of Pneumonia.

Anyway, when I went to Tulsa I was wearing a black Bailey Tuscarora with an open crown and trimmed down brim - Yvsa thought I'd gotten off the plane wearing an Indian bowler, which I'd never heard of before. ( Tried to remember what Injun Joe wore in the movie Tom Sawyer? )

So those of you who've ponied up well over a hundred for a decent four or five X beaver, eat your hearts out. Three measly stinkin' bucks. Yeeow!!!!!
 
Ya keep looking at the title to this thread and reading "Hattrick"...I wuz reely kanfyuzd...


:D:D:

I did understand "bowler"

Keith
 
Good going Rusty. I'm eating.

When you flew to Tulsa did the security people make you doff your hat to check the lining? I haven't flown for quite a while and was wondering if that particular indignity was common.
 
Finn: when I flew in it was a couple days before the new regulation changes hit. When I flew back, I showed up early to check my bags in, but there wasn't anybody at the airline counter. In the meanwhile they promulgated a rule that said you couldn't check in luggage prior to 60 minutes before the flight. Anyway it was Jan or Feb and I was wearing black hat, black leather sport jacket, and black lace up cowboy boots. ( Got to special order some more black patent leather Justin boots. The slip on's don't work with the metal in my leg and ankle. )
 
Definitely a steal Rusty. Course, my dad was talking about getting a cowboy hat, never priced one out before. I told him your story. He changed his mind pretty quickly. Unless he can find another one for $3 of course. ;)
 
Great deal, Rusty ... for an American hat, anyway. Me, I'm partial to Akubras from Oz, my favorite being a Banjo Patterson in fawn. (A lot more than $3, though!)
 
Yeah, the Akubra's look like they've gone up about 50% in price since they are now the favorites to reshape the crown and trim the brim to make into Indiana Jones style fedoras.

The Indy fedora was my hat for nearly twenty years til it finally became too disreputable to wear in polite company. I then bought a 4XXXX beaver Resistol to reshape but found Resistol had dc'd that color. Trimmed the brim and made something of a Hopalong shaped crown.

After that I went to the Bailey Tuscaroras bought three of them and gave one to Pala, trimmed one for use on windy days and wear the third for my everyday winter hat.
 
Rusty, when you trim a brim what procedure do you use to keep things even? Do you steam it flat first?

Thanks.

Pat
 
The brown Resistol was trimmed in the store by using something that reminded me of a pipe cutter. Set the depth and run the cutter around the brim - it's self guiding. The cutter's horizontal rather than the pipe cutter's vertical axis. The black Bailey was cut with a knife by a saddlemaker in the shop I bought it from.

I will stiffen the brim of the Stetson using spray laundry starch prior to cutting it. I just use a pencil to line the thing out. Just use the eraser if you do a bad job. Right now I'm leaving the initial penciled really bad job plain to see so I don't try to do it again when I'm not 100%. Make that running at 110%. Got to reread the Indygear web site as it covers bashing and trimming the Akubra's brim to match the various hats in the 3 movies. I have trimmed other felts. Incidentally, once trimmed, the brim edge can be squared using fine sandpaper on a rubber sanding block. That evens out any bobbles in the cutting well. That's another reason for starching. You can wash the starch out later.

Ferrous, the initial title of the thread in my mind WAS "hat-trick".

Also the temp 70 miles north of us in Fallon yesterday was 105 F. Won't need a felt for a while. Got a nice Bailey straw I picked up used and a really light cheap $10 straw I bought when I got the "Wyatt" hat six or eight weeks back. The lightness of the thing and it's cheapness let me wear it without worrying about it. Kind of like the difference between glass and plastic lenses in eyeglasses.
 
PS: Finn, are you still getting those funny feelings that a feline that isn't supposed to be in your area is around, or seen any pawprints lately?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top