Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-08-05
VIE sTovEPIPs M.
s.,,etbing About the High silk Hat-Its
history and How IL Is Made.

,.atbiug About the hish SILK hat-is
history and How IL Is Made.
Tho hiph silk hat--the plug, the
.nenine, call it what you willis a
s'oona,atively modern institution.
e ahnpt sixty years ago the silk tile was
;ntroduced into England from Flor
nnce Since then the stovepipe has
Undergone many strange transforms
| tons. 80
fair 1t was SO heavy that the Eng,
| I;sh dudes Of that time complained
tbat I'll was like carrying a bushel
hassetr Besides it was clumsy and
hard TO handle. 1t did not have the
sne tapering crown which adds to ita
,;ctnresoueness, nor did it have the
srmmetrical curling brim. Contem-
norary pictures and cartoons in Lon
don Punch give one far idea of the
STYLES then in vogue. Thus, the cock
nov sported one kind of a high hat;
he tnrfman another kind; the gentle
man another; while the dons and UNI
derpraduates of Oxford and Cambridge
had their peculiar style.
Then, again, there has been quite a
change of opinion in regard to the
wearing of silk hats. Some years ago
the Young man that wore a silk hat
was marked individual His stove
nine became the butt of wit and ridi-
rnle even among his friends, and the
target of the small boy. For change
of Sentiment about the silk hat almost
everything is due to the manufactures
who has made the tile thing of
beauty and a joy forever. Recently
we had talk with a prominent Broad
way manufacturer on the subject.
Yes said he, there have been
great improvements in the methods of
making silk hats. Now, what do you
suppose the body of this one is made
off, at the same time holding up a
glossy silk tile. We admitted our ina
biity to answer the question.
well. the body of this silk hat is
calico.
"Calicol"
"Yes You see, there are two kinds
| of silk hats-light and heavy weight.
Most of the bodies of the heavy hats
are made of felt.
How is the silk put onl"
The body of the calico or felt is
first dipped into hot water and then
| stretched on a block. After drying
/ the body is stiilened with a solution OF
| gum shellac and alcohol, and after
| ward with a solution of varnish to
prevent it striking through To tine sur
face \ cover of fine silk plush is then
cut and sewed to fit exactly the body.
When the silk covering is accurately
fitted il is smoothed over with hot
iron The heat striking into the glue
| dissolves it and in drying connects the
| silk plush with the body. This ex-
plains why severe wetting ruins "a
| silk hat.
The hat is then placed on a revolv-
| ing cylinder. where it is polished
with soft cloths. This process of
dressing and polishing is known as
'veluring. The glossy appearance
comes from the application of hair
cloths and velvet 'velures' to the nap
| Of the silk.
What kind of plush do you usel"
The best silk plush is imported
from France. 1t usually comes in
three pieces-for the tip, crown and
5rim. The skill consists in knowing
how to put the silk plush on so that
the seam will be invisible to the eve.
Down along the sides of the crown the
edges of the silk covering are allowed
to lap over They are then pressed
together by hot iron and finished
perfectly smooth by means of revolv-
ing brushes.
After a hat is finished as TO the
crown and brim. it is lined with
watered or embossed paper and a
strip of enameled leather is sewed
around the inside edge. Then it is
bound and banded. Lastly, the com
pIeted hat is wrapped in tissue paper
and put into box for the retailer y
| New York Press