Hat Experiment #3 - "The Sofi Tukker"
Felt: 230g 50/50 beaver, dark plum, factory 2nd
Crown: 4-4.5in, teardrop
Brim: 3.5in, flat with a pencil curl
Ribbon: Horsehair with a chicken feather
Size: 7 1/8
So, to start with, I really got spoiled with the factory seconds I had before. They had maybe a single spot off, they were really borderline 1st runs. This guy, on the other hand, had creases all over the place and something very weird happening with the stiffening agent. It was a struggle to work with, but I think led to a distressed/marbling look in the final product that I think looks kinda sick. I may go back and distress some more with a blow torch, to lean into that more, or at least add a sharpshooter lift. Jury's out right now.
Major technique change with this one was that I finally got a scroll saw, so was able to make a custom crown/sweatband shaping block for my head. All my hats so far have settled into a good fit after a day or so, but this one fit like a glove out of the gate.