- Do you have the courage to follow?
- Hinamatsuri and Tashlich : Casting out our Demons
- Read this for Pete’s Sake!
- Justice, Faith, Power and Mardi Gras
- A Thousand Proposals
- What’s your waterline?
- Does Twitter need a Mulligan?
- How to work naked
- Is Seesmic Look Your Mother’s Twitter App?
|
|
|
|
Choose from 52 major languages
and translate this page now!
Short Intro to the American Felt Hat
September 15th, 2009
Trends come and trends go, many leaving societal ripples in their wakes. Today was meant to be a day to commemorate the heyday of the felt hat. You’ve seen them in classic movies; ubiquitous fedora, casual panama, happy-go-lucky homburg, high-class derby, or classy Borsalino. Indiana Jones dons a beat-up felt hat for each and every one of his adventures. In the 1940s to be seen outside without a hat was considered in poor taste, and perhaps even a sign of loose morals. The felt hat was more than a covering – it said a great number of things about you in those days…
History of Felt Hats
Felt is considered to be one of the oldest textile materials, used for centuries in all manner of clothing items, and of course hats. There are three basic types of felt used to make modern day hats – wool, fur (largely rabbit) and beaver. Beaver was used to make hats as early as the 14th Century, largely in Holland and Spain. Russia introduced beaver pelt as a trimming for coats, then sent the excess to Holland for use in felt-making. In the mid-17th Century North America began exporting animal skins to Holland for use in the felting process. The United States began to manufacture hats soon thereafter, only to have their exports banned by England in 1731 in an effort to control the industry, one of the many financial extremes leading to the American Revolution.
As with all industry, in the late 19th Century small-time experienced hat makers were replaced by larger hat-making factories. Steam power and the ability to combine the felt-making and subsequent hat-making processes together contributed to this turnover. The felt hat became prominent in the wardrobe of Western nations, creating a sea of floating felt on every major city street.
Manufacture of Felt Hats
Beaver felt hats are produced by removing the coarser hairs from the beaver pelt and then brushing the remaining pelt with a hot mercury-based solution. The shorter, finer hairs then locked themselves together under the eye of the professional felter, in a process known as “carotting.” During the 1920s through 1940s many poorly-ventilated factories led to the airborne mercury fumes causing brain damage slowly over time. Have you ever heard the term “mad as a hatter?” The finely matted-together hairs are then cut from the pelt, and placed on a special bench called a “hurdle.” A large bow is suspended over the fibers, and vibrated by a craftsman. This unique musical spectacle evenly distributes the fibers into a loose mat, called a “batt.” The batts are then layered together and shaped into a cone, then boiled and rolled to create a dense felt material. The hatter then shapes the felt as desired, by ironing flat or shaping on a wood block.
Rabbit fur felt hats are produced in a similar fashion, but with a bit of a vacuum created under the fine, soft fur fibers to help matt them together.
The wood of the American poplar tree is typically used as a hood shaping block by the hatter, as the wood has no grain on it, so no grain shows up in the shaping process. The flange or brim is shaped by being soaked, ironed flat, then cut to the correct shape, dried and pressed. Shellac is typically applied to the brim, and the hood of wool felt hats. The assembled hats are sanded quite a bit, to smooth out the texture. Hats are then trimmed with inner and outer bands and silk linings.
Whatever happened to hats?
In the past few years, the felt hat has began a slow comeback into our closets; however, factories overseas have greatly increased the likelihood that any felt hat you purchase will come from an Eastern European or Chinese factory. There just aren’t many hat-makers in the good ol’ USA anymore…
Should you choose to wear a hat, the conventions our grandparents followed in wearing headgear in public (taking it off inside, tipping your hat to each other in hello, pinning smaller hats to ones hair, etc.) are typically no longer followed. The hat is now seen more as a fashion statement these days, rather than a considered necessity, full of meaning and tradition.
September 15th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Gotta love a day dedicated to felt hats… warm, stylish, fun…
Keep your eyes open, though. There are still some American felt hat makers here and there…
September 15th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Thanks for the read! Hopefully all that read the posting will visit your site and learn more about the hat-making artists that still reside in America!
September 15th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Some feltmakers in Hungary still use mercury today too! There are also many contemporary feltmakers in Australia and around the world making fantastic hats.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
[...] yesterday was Felt Hat Day… who [...]
September 16th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Much appreciated. We’re a small number, perhaps, but mighty in our own right!
Your site is so much fun… I had no idea about Cream-filled Doughnut day… thanks!
December 13th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Hello I came across this site by mistake, I was flipping through Yahoo for New Designer Fashion when I found your website, I must say your webpage is really interesting I truely think the layout, its astounding!. I don’t have the time at the moment to entirely read through your website but I have bookmarked it and also subscribed for your RSS feeds. I will be back when I free up some time. Bravo for a great website.
December 13th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Thank you! I love it when someone stumbles across my site! Please do visit often and let me know what you think! ~Steve
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:31 am
Hello I discovered this site by mistake, I was browsing Yahoo for dereon by Beyonce when I came upon your website, I must say your blog is very interesting I just love the content, its astounding!. I don’t have the time right now to totally browse your blog but I have favorited it and also signed up for your RSS feeds. I will be back when I have more time. Thank you for a fantastic site.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Your blog came up in my research and I’m impressed by what you have published on this subject. I am presently widening my inquiry and thus cannot contribute further, nonetheless, I have bookmarked your web site and will be returning to keep up with any upcoming updates. Simply love it and gives thanks for granting my remark.
December 27th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
I enjoyed this very much! Just gratifying! Your composing style is delightful and the way you handled the topic with grace is exemplary. I am intrigued, I take for granted you are an expert on this topic. I am subscribing to your incoming updates from now on.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Good Day!!! dopodomani.me is one of the best resourceful websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. dopodomani.me rocks!
January 5th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
I found your blog by accident. Pretty informative read, I am happy that I stayed to read this one, Thanks. Please subscribe my email to Thank you. Bye byee x)
January 6th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Hi from germany, good review. i’ll come back later to see what’s new.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Please do and hello to Germany!
January 26th, 2010 at 2:54 am
Aw, this was a really quality post. In theory I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and never seem to get something done.
January 28th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Nooooo! I’m using my iphone and I cannot seem to be able to open the page correctly. I will be back to read this tonight when I get back from school. The title looks like something I must read.
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Kudos from one braniac to another.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:30 am
Thanks, good content. Helped me write some articles on casual fashion designers. Bookmarked your article to my bookmarks.
March 5th, 2010 at 1:46 am
I like the layout of your blog and I’m going to do the same thing for mine. Do you have any tips? Please PM ME on yahoo @ AmandaLovesYou702
March 8th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
I Like this site your article is very nice , Thanks, very interesting article, keep up it coming