Leather Bowler

[Fatolbaldguy]

I want to make this. I am looking for a cheap bowler with which to make a block. I see that the artist made a correction or relief point that he/she disguised as decoration.. Anyone have any insights?

[shtoink]

A block wood and some time with a belt sander maybe? You may need to hit some thrift shops, otherwise.

It looks like the edge of the brim may have been rolled with a AAA battery, too.

[Fatolbaldguy]

i saw a video on youtube where a Brooklyn NY hat maker bought a thrift shop hat whose crown he liked . He sprayed it with size and then cut out all the inside crap. Then after greasing the inside with Pam he filled it with automotive foam. it dried hard and after sanding it he used it to make felt hats for ladies. I cheered after watching the video. There are so many clever people in the world. I am now on the hunt for a cheap bowler.

[shtoink]

That's a great idea! I have to admit that I may have eventually stumbled onto that idea, but only after trying out a half dozen other ideas that didn't work first.

I seem to have an affinity for doing things the hard way.

[Fatolbaldguy]

by the way the AA battery idea is one I had not heard Thank you

[shtoink]

That was an odd little trick that was passed on to me after I was issued my first beret that refused to take proper shape.

[footrat]

I would definitely sand or otherwise slick the flesh side down a lot more than in that picture. If you plan on making more than one of these, do yourself a favor and make the crown mold from a block of wood. You can wet form over it, and then tack the leather to the block to prevent uneven shrinkage or movement as it dries. If you were doing felt hats, you could use something else that would mold easier to an existing crown for the pattern. But a wood mold would be best for this, so you can really stretch the leather against it.

[Feraud]

What an interesting project!

Proper felt hats are made on wooden blocks and flanges. You can definitely take the DIY route with cool results.

An online search should yield inexpensive wool bowlers to fool with.

Another option may be found in these plastic hat shapers-

http://www.hatshapers.com/

Whatever you decide I'd love to see progress pictures.

[shtoink]

I can't help but think that having a positive and a negative mold to clamp the leather between would be even better. It works pretty well for other wet forming, why not a hat? It'd just be the time invested in making the molds and then you can make them very consistently.

[Matt S]

I can't help but think that having a positive and a negative mold to clamp the leather between would be even better. It works pretty well for other wet forming, why not a hat? It'd just be the time invested in making the molds and then you can make them very consistently.

At one pair of moulds for every hat size and crown shape you wanted to make, that would be an awful lot of moulds to invest in.

[shtoink]

At one pair of molds for every hat size and crown shape you wanted to make, that would be an awful lot of molds to invest in.

Ooops, I completely forgot about that...

[Feraud]

I can't help but think that having a positive and a negative mold to clamp the leather between would be even better. It works pretty well for other wet forming, why not a hat? It'd just be the time invested in making the molds and then you can make them very consistently.

I don' think it is necessary to use a positive and negative mold to clamp the leather between. Hat-makers have for many decades been doing what you want to do with just the block method. Either a plastic, wood, or DIY'd block should work.

I agree with footrat, finishing the underside of the brim will raise the look of the hat considerably. Also, in the photo you posted there is stitching showing at the base of the crown. I'm not sure if that is a design element in itself or the maker stitched a sweatband on the inside. You may want to craft a type of hatband to cover any stitching that is done.

[Fatolbaldguy]

I am not a commercial leather worker. I'm just a duffer hobbiest. The stuff I make, besides the accasional gift, is for my own use or to see if I can do it. You should see my drawer of spectacular failures. If I build a bowler chances are it will be one or two tops. So I think a big investment in stuff will have to wait. Maybe I will try the block of wood belt sander idea.

[JPThomas]

I have spoken with the folks at http://www.hatshapers.com/ and their plastic forms hold up to the steaming used to make felt hats; another of their clients uses one to make leather baseball caps. I haven't had the funds to make an order with them but at $28 I do not personally see a downside to such an investment. If I were to use the traditional block method I think that I would make one such as a shoe or dress form and figure out a way to include a size change gear that way all I would have to do is cut wooden shims to slide in the gaps as I increased the size.

The hat in your picture has been made in basically two parts (if we ignore the patch at the top) the crown has been stitched to the brim after the brim area was darted and folded up into the crown for gluing and stitching. You can tell this by the way the crown undulates back and forth below the stitching; using this manner requires a sweatband to be added to the hat to keep the glue and the darts from abrading the forehead and scalp. A hatband would hide this, if deemed necessary.

If you are using a wooden form that would include a full a full brim for proper "turn up" I would suggest making a 2 part brim ring for proper shaping. This may also reduce leather wrinkling by properly stretching the leather over the crown and then locking in place inside the lower brim form where it would stay until dry.