BUCKAROO BONANZA! - The Hats that Major Mike Moore Makes

[Joao Encarnado]

Those look really really nice!

 

[ManofKent]

They look good Lando. I particularly like the silver against the silverbelly.

 

[TheDane]

A brief version of the making of "The Ole Buckaroo"

As most of you have noticed by now, I recently visited the US - and also had the opportunity to visit Buckaroo Hatters in Covington, TN. Ed (The Wiser Hatter) picked me up in Nashville on his way from Louisville, KY - and he gave me a fantastic guided tour to Covington. Here Mike More very generously let me make my own fedora, and I had an awesome, memorable day with him, Rocky, Rusty and Ed.

A week ago I got a CD with pictures, Rusty took during my visit at shop, and now I have finally found time to get the them sorted. Sorry about the delay, but here we are - Ed and I arriving at the shop shortly before Saturday noon:



No, the car is not the one, we arrived in - but it did look nice! Mike's shop turned out even more fantastic, than I had expected from the postings I had read, and from what I had learned through numerous visits to the shop-website. If you are interested in hats, this is like Disneyland to a five-year old - and if you're also interested in mechanics and tools in general, it's completely out of this World! Here's a view over the shop from the first floor:



The observant lounger will notice a very unhappy little cowboy, struggling to get back up on the horse, in the bottom of the picture. Well, all tears (even "The Last Drop") very quickly evaporated under Grandpa' Rocky's comforting canopy of love and pride:



I was fortunate enough to get Rocky as my patient teacher. I really admire his approach, telling and showing me what to do. He then let me do any error in the book - as long as I didn't rip, burn or send the poor deceased rodent into orbit. Instead of interfering, he let me proceed to the "Doooh! But he told me so!" point. Also if it took me two or three failing attempts to get there. As long as things can be salvaged, that's a very good way to learn ... at least for me. Many warm thanks to Rocky! He's a great guy, and he's very generous with his wonderful sense of humour.

After Mike and I had chosen the body, it was steamed, and Rocky got me going with the pulling over the block. Notice the angled shaft for the block, mounted on the table edge. That's an ingenious little tool, making the pulling a whole lot easier!



Pushing down the blocking cord, and ironing the crown with Mike's low-tech, manual crown iron (love that thing!):



The block is placed on a motorized spinner, mounted in the table and running appr. 50-70 RPM (Mike may want to correct me on the speed). Pouncing of the crown was also (mainly) done on the spinner. After pouncing of crown and brim, the brim was cut and later pounced to bevel/round the edge:



Here "Chief Walking Foot" is stippling a magic circle along the brim edge under strict and concentrated command by Major Moore. I'm not quite sure, if Ed was loosing his jaw over the unfolding craftsmanship - or if he was just checking his camera



Mike also sewed in the sweatband with his ancient Singer 107-1, and after flanging, Rocky conformed the hat to my head. Not with a formillion, but with a couple of repeated cycles of steaming, followed by pressing the hat to my head - and then flattening the (still warm) inner-part of the brim with a tolliker against the table.

Here follow most of the finished hat, but the important thing here is the fistful of gentlemen behind me ... The A-Team: Mike, Rocky, Rusty and Ed. After a long wonderful day, where I was carpet-bombed with kindness, fabulous experiences, hat-talk, gear-check and anecdotes, it was time to get freshened up and get ready for some nice, Southern chow together with Mike and Ed:



I really can't thank you guys enough! What originally was meant to be "just" a pickup of a custom hat, you turned into an experience for life. Meeting folks like you was absolutely a factor, when I decided to have a try at living in the US. Gentlemen "on all shelves" - and darn good ambassadors, you are! From the bottom of my heart: Thank you!


After returning home, I sewed on the vintage wind trolley, Mike supplied me with - re-creased the crown a bit - and took these pictures:





Specs:
Felt: Dress-weight 100% beaver in oxblood
Crown: Block #51 - 4-5/8" creased as diamond (Open appr: 5-1/4" - 5-1/2")
Brim: 2-5/8" with black stitching à la Stetson *******
Ribbon: 12''' (1-1/16") black 1930s grosgrain with woven centre stripe

 

[DesertDan]

Fantastic hat, well done sir!

 

[1mach1]

Nice work, Ole! :eusa_clap

 

[RBH]

Ole, I look forward to our next visit!

 

[job]

Thanks for the post Ole.

Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Nice color.

 

[splintercellsz]

Beautiful!!!!!

 

[CRH]

What a blast! Those Buckaroo boys sure know how to do it up right for the visitors.

 

[ManofKent]

Ole - looks a great hat.

 

[barrowjh]

Awesome lid, looks like big fun was had by all.

 

[Rogera]

Ole, great hat sir! Thanks for posting the pictures!

 

[majormoore]

Ole, if you ever decide to move to the USA, please come to Covington, I'll put you to work in the shop, you did a outstanding job on the hat from start to finish.

Major Moore

 

[hatsRme]

Travel envy... That's what I have! Your comment that this was a trip/experience of a lifetime tells it all, Ol...

You learned about hat making, now can you show us how to make pastries... Danish, of course!

 

[mayserwegener]

Awesome lid, looks like big fun was had by all.

+1

 

[Mr.Astor]

Nice job,nice hat Ole! Sounds like you had a very nice visit. Thanks for pics.

 

[TheDane]

Thank you, all. Yes, it was a fantastic day. Mike is such a generous person!

What a blast! Those Buckaroo boys sure know how to do it up right for the visitors.

You hit it right on the nail! As I see it, Buckaroo Hatters is about so much more than "just" felt, sweatbands and ribbon. It may sound strange, but in some ways the shop reminds me of a "sub-culture-hang-out-hotspot". Here they don't print T-shirts or badges, and the driving force is not political - they do not paint their skateboards or tune their ball-bearings - but the atmosphere is just as vibrant and enthusiastic. Look at the interior and decor. If the shop was just about making and selling hats, much of it wouldn't be there. My impression is, that it's just as much about celebrating "life before death" in a playground for grown-ups - and have a business running at the same time. Hard to explain, but the place so much invites one to hang-out. Wellness for hat-people

Ole, if you ever decide to move to the USA, please come to Covington, I'll put you to work in the shop, you did a outstanding job on the hat from start to finish.

Thanks a lot, Mike! I really appreciate your kind words. You know, there are "musicians" and there are "instrument owners" - like there are "hatters" and "tool owners". I deeply respect craftsmanship, and in this context, I'm just a happy amateur, who loves to play with hats. Two things I know for sure, though:

1) When I get out of this limbo of mentally swimming in the middle of the Atlantic, I'm going to buy some more felt bodies - make some more tools - and make me some more hats.

2) When I get settled, I will visit the shop from time to time. Not to be carried around on golden shields like the last time. "Just" to hang out with some great people in a warm and inspiring atmosphere. It's an addictive place to visit

 

[majormoore]

Ole, the door and anything in the shop you can use, ask or copy, I can tell within 10 min. if a person likes hats or loves hats, You love them as do I and others that make them. So anything I can supply or help you get just let me know, I will be making the table top crown irons mid to late summer. I know several hatters that want one. I love mine, heck never use the Doran Bros crown iron in the back we rebuilt to new.

Major Moore

 

[TheDane]

Wow! What can I say ...?!??!!! I really appreciate it, Mike