WTB: Cowboy Hat Making Fundamentals Book

[p51p28]

Hi there everyone. If someone has a copy of this, I'd be interested in getting it from you. Thank you very much

 

[jackadven]

I have an ebook copy I purchased recently, but there were no print copies available for sale anywhere that I could find.

 

[p51p28]

I have an ebook copy I purchased recently, but there were no print copies available for sale anywhere that I could find.

That's interesting. I guess a digital copy is fine

 

[belfastboy]

I have an ebook copy I purchased recently, but there were no print copies available for sale anywhere that I could find.

What are your thoughts on the book? Worthwhile? Who is the author?

 

[jackadven]

That's interesting. I guess a digital copy is fine

You can order it from Leko Millinery Supplies.

 

[jackadven]

What are your thoughts on the book? Worthwhile? Who is the author?

Book is by Scott Goodwin, and it's pretty short. He goes through some history and legend of fur felt and Stetson, and then he explains his process. A number of his tools he made himself, including his rounding jack. His steamer is a pot of water on the stove, at least starting out. He seems to like all the JW machinery, though I don't know if he actually has any.

You will be horrified by the grits of sandpaper he uses: 180, 220, and finally 320. But by and large I think his techniques are about the same as anyone else's. I think he stitches in the ditch like you do, but that's one area people could really do to explain better. He also glues his liners in. He talks a little about running a business and marketing.

I don't think I really learned anything from it about how to make hats, having already consumed a lot of other resources, but if I was starting out I could certainly have learned just from the book. I don't mind the $30 I spent for the opportunity to read it.

 

[p51p28]

I've heard some similar reviews about the book as well. Can you recommend another book that's more through? I'm just getting started in the craft. Thanks a lot for responding

 

[jackadven]

I've heard some similar reviews about the book as well. Can you recommend another book that's more through? I'm just getting started in the craft. Thanks a lot for responding

Same here. I'm only on my third hat, and I'm loving the craft so far. How about you?

I highly recommend you check out @belfastboy 's Crafting a Fedora Course. It's a video course online that walks you through all steps of the process. A bit pricey, but well worth every penny. It's what I did to learn. Robert Gault also writes some great tutorials in the HATalk magazine. They are very helpful too. Besides that, Scientific Hat Finishing and Renovating by Ermatinger is a classic manual in the hatting world. Most of what he writes about is cleaning dirty hats in gallons and gallons of gasoline, but there's other instruction in there as well.

 

[belfastboy]

I've heard some similar reviews about the book as well. Can you recommend another book that's more through? I'm just getting started in the craft. Thanks a lot for responding

I write a monthly column in HaTalk eMagazine. Since October 2023, each month, I have written a column covering an aspect of hat making (in sequence). It is but $5 per month to subscribe and they offer a free trial. Take the free trial, print off the columns of mine and you have a book that covers the A to Z of hat making....all for the cost of paper and ink.

 

[p51p28]

Haven't even bought materials yet! Excited to get things started though -

 

[p51p28]

I write a monthly column in HaTalk eMagazine. Since October 2023, each month, I have written a column covering an aspect of hat making (in sequence). It is but $5 per month to subscribe and they offer a free trial. Take the free trial, print off the columns of mine and you have a book that covers the A to Z of hat making....all for the cost of paper and ink.

Hi Robert how are you? Thanks for the information. Would your course be a good place to start if I wanted to make western hats instead of a fedora style of hat? I'm assuming the fundamentals are pretty much the same in many ways. Appreciate it

 

[belfastboy]

Haven't even bought materials yet! Excited to get things started though -

One of the earlier articles covers "Setting Up Shop". It addresses what tools are needed etc.

 

[belfastboy]

Hi Robert how are you? Thanks for the information. Would your course be a good place to start if I wanted to make western hats instead of a fedora style of hat? I'm assuming the fundamentals are pretty much the same in many ways. Appreciate it

Yes, the basics of hat making are the same. The one aspect it does not cover is making the multitude of western creases and brim shapes. There is a discussion about the various weights of felts.

 

[belfastboy]

Hi Robert how are you? Thanks for the information. Would your course be a good place to start if I wanted to make western hats instead of a fedora style of hat? I'm assuming the fundamentals are pretty much the same in many ways. Appreciate it

A thought: Check out my articles in HaTalk eMagazine. It will give you a general overview of the video course. All issues/articles are in the Archived section of their webpage.