Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

[Edwin Carl Erwin]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

Ms. Schmitt,

Should have been clearer, my apologies. I too am aware of the scalloped edge difference between petersham & grosgrain ribbon.

Millinery suppliers can be curiously inconsistent in the way they'll refer to ribbon & the matter gets worse when someone who is going to work on a hat for the first time reads what appears to be contradictory terminology. I want to assist Tyler with millinery suppliers references & how they are variant on different sides of the pond.

Every British theatrical costume designer I've ever worked with has always referred to hat band/brim binding ribbon as, "petersham", even when they've had a roll of grosgrain in hand. Click on the Baxter Hart link & there's an example of how the English can interchange the ribbon terms.

Who knew a simple hat restoration would require such applied linguistics?

Regards,

[sthabig]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

The verdict here:

After a couple of days of wracking my brains together myself and a bit of outside help arrived at a couple of possible conclusions before finally finding one that worked.

First we tried water and washcloth and simply rubbing: didn't work

Next was rubbing alcohol and washcloth: didn't work

Finally we got some "Goo-Gone" and whaddaya know? All gone...not a spot of glue left.

Immediately after applying the "Goo-Gone" I rinsed the whole hat with water to remove any "Goo-Gone" should it stick.

I don't know if anyone had the equivalent of "Goo-Gone" in 1861, but with a good thourough rinse it is like it was never even there.

So if you happen to find glue in your hat try this method if you decide worth doing so.

Tomorrow I will fully be able to see the effects of the "Goo-Gone" and be able to get back with you all to see how it finally turned out and whether any traces of it remain once the hat dries out.

I don't anticipate any problem, but if I do I'll give a shout.


Thanks,
Tyler Habig

[sthabig]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

I took a look at it today and everything is perfect! No glue no smell no trace of the goo-gone.

Thanks for everyone who provided input. Next step for me is to sew on liner and ribbon.

Thanks,
Tyler Habig

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

Hey, I see you're a fellow Hoosier. There are a number of great places to find fabrics for your lining. Give me a shout at jwickett@comcast.net

[Jon The Beloved]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

I'm also looking into hat modification. I started with a sutler row nutria black hat blank and have big dreams for it. It's turning out quite nicely. I'm adding a crown ribbon, brim ribbon, liner, and sweatband. Wish me luck! My poor fingers will get a lashing but I'll be a better man for it. Good discussion folks.

[J_V]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

I too have a hat from Dirty Billy. Your fixing your own hat is a good move, probably for another reason: it probably fits well. New hats can sometimes be very hard to break in, and after spending a good amount of time at a rainy event, and wearing my hat dry, my DB hat now fits my head like a glove. So, if there are modifications to be made, I will certainly be undertaking them, as you have, because a good soft hat is something to take comfort in, as a certain CS soldier once wrote.

[Hyde64]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

You might also try Wooded Hamlet Designs as they carry all sorts of natural threads,tapes and ribbons. Clifford Earl Hyde

[Rebel Yell1863]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

Hallo!


Linings seem to fall into two "styles." The first being a solid affair, and the second being a continuance of the 18th century style of having an opening adjusted with a drawstring at the crown to adjust for comfort as well as size as to where/how it rides on the head.

I had often wondered about that, one of my hat liners is made in the older 18th century style of having an opening adjusted with a drawstring at the crown...

I learned something new today. :D

[Ian M.]

Re: Repro vs. Original Civilian Hat

The sweat band is tacked, sometimes with a whip stitch on its bottom edge, into the felt of the hat (without piercing all the way through.

The lining is also tacked partially but not all the way through the felt, aboout half way or so under the sweat band.

Thinking of doing this to a hat myself. So if I read Curt right, both the sweatband and the lining are sewn to the interior of the felt crown but the stitching does not penetrate to the exterior of the crown (i.e., cannot be seen, even before the grosgrain ribbon is added). Is the felt on most hats thick enough to hold the stitching in place without it pulling out when it does not go all the way through the felt?