Brooks was born in Durango, Colorado and raised on the ranch lands of Colorado and Wyoming. Hat Accessories In the factory the hats are molded onto metal blocks using steam and pressure. The braid can be made of natural or man made materials. These production machines need a team to keep them in tip top shape, as many of them are the same type that have been in use for years in the hat making industry.I have been taking millinery classes, learning how to finish both fur felt and straw ladies hats. The short video clip of the woman sewing shows how quickly she can line up this narrow braid, sewing in a small circle for the crown of the hat then wider for the brim. Stetson is a name for the wide variety of hats made by John B. Stetson Company. The brimmer has brass fingers which push the bottom of the cone out. Adding the sweatband, the logo and the lining were also interesting processes. This will cause the hat to shrink several inches as the fur felt becomes tighter. Today RHE Hatco Inc. is headquartered in Garland, is a division of Pro Equine Inc (also based in Texas). However, since the 1960’s, hats have fallen out of mainstream fashion. Their craftsmanship and skill is something that amazed all of us on the tour. Please send us any sewing related articles, blog posts, or tutorials you have written. Hat Brands For example to sew in the hat bands, the operator has to sew “blind” as the machine sews at an angle.There is one other type of hat, and that is one that is created from braid.
After careful inspection, the Stetson hat is boxed and ready to be sold and enjoyed by the masses for years to come.Stetson's hats are well-known for their quality and craftsmanship, and their manufacturing process shows the meticulous detail put into every Stetson hat. Straw hats can take from 2 days to weeks to weave. Every hat is handmade one at a time, which gives each Stetson hat its quality finish and craftsmanship they are known for.To shape the crown, wooden blocks are pushed into the crown of the hat which gives the taper and the shape of the crown, as well as the head size. The brim is pulled out from the body and is trimmed down later in finishing. It’s often worth taking in the names engraved on old Philadelphia buildings.
This applies to not only garments, but also hats. The difference in couture or hand made millinery is that this molding process is done on wooden hat blocks with the hat maker’s hands. The longer hairs are disposed of, and the shorter hairs, referred to as down are what they use to make the fur felt. Contact Love to sew? Much like velcro interlocks, the fur fibers act the same and the barbs on the raw fibers of the fur lock together.To continue the felting process, pressure is applied to the hats using rollers.

Hat Shapes

[3] Maybe, if I live long enough I can acquire some of the skills of the Stetson workforce, in the meantime, I just bought me a Stetson!Want to take your own tour? Featured Hats John Stetson had been trained as a hatmaker by his father.

Hat Info Call to schedule your tour 972 494-0511. A fur hat may have specialized finishes, one includes applying a flame to smooth out the fibers. For comments and suggestions, please contact Want techniques and inspiration? Not that I would ever be able to sew that accurately or that fast! Hat Brands The Stetson Company, at its peak, employed 5,000 people in its factory at 5th and Montgomery St.The building at 1225 Sansom was the backdoor of a large Stetson store on Chestnut St. Straw hat bodies are made by artisans overseas, but the unfinished hats are shipped to the Garland, Texas factory to be shaped, trimmed, and finished by hand. Various techniques are used with hot water and pressure until a desired hat size is reached and then it's off to the next process of manufacturing.The hats are then placed into the pressured dyers to give the felt its color and coated with shellac, which is beetle saliva from the lac bug.

$235.00. Hats had once had practical applications, especially before everyone had their own car to travel in. The Stetson company grew to become one of the largest producers of men’s and women’s hats in the country.