Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-25
OLD SILK HATS TO ACTORS.
With Care VIII Last Century In
Each Hat Twenty-Five Pieces.


Actors use up the old silk hats" said
the halter. "Actors?" asked the listener
Actors" said the halter, pausing In the
act of lifting chunk of iron out of the
stove and dropping IT in the hollow fat
iron he carried "Actors-I mean variety
actors OF course. They need them in their
business Haven't you ever wondered
where all the old silk hats come from
when you've seen the comedians kicking
each others tiles all over the stage. up
the street here9 Well. such places as mine
supply them.
at takes a good many years TO wear out
silk hat. With proper care they'll last
TO be a hundred years old. OF course be-
fore that time the silk will turn red on
top. where II is exposed to the sun, but
that redness can be overcome for a time.
You can. make over a silk hat 30 long as
the frame holds together. / had one here
a While ago that could see had been done
over several times before. But when
opened II found written underneath the
lining: This is the sixth time this hat
has been made over / wrote underneath
that: This is the seventh and signed II.
''I've got one here now that Is at least
forty years old. II was made by some
firm with a store on Westminster street.
so long ago that ] never heard the name
before, and I've been around here some
years too. IL is a beaver hat of the fash
ion before silk hats came in. This hat was
made on a felt body-the silk hat of today
Is made on a gossamer body, shellacked.
1t is Tighter hat. but do not know that
ii Will wear so long.
There are twenty-nine pieces In silk
hat. They are the brm, which Is In four
pieces: the silk lining, in two; the founda-
ton. in two, the gossazner tips between-
there are two of these also; the two COW
erings for the side crown, the two for the
tips. the three pieces of plush. the three
rubbers, the underbrim, one piece: the two
pieces of the band and binding. the leath-
err one piece; the bow braid, one piece; the
label one piece; the eyelets, two Of them;
the sticker. or piece of court plaster, joining
the swaziland together In the back.
Cotton cloth is the foundation OF the
silk hat. 1t is stiffened with shellac cut
with ammonia and hot water. The cloth
is cut up in strips. cut on the bias, and
then stretched on the block In four thick
nesses, one thickness being stretched and
permitted 10 dry before another Is put on.
The lining is put in first, the cloth being
stretched over that. and then, after IL has
been permitted to dry, it is ironed on the
block powdered gum demar being busted
on to prevent the iron from sticking 10
the cloth soaked in shellac.
1.-The block is in five pieces. the center,
the two sides and the two ends. which are
removed In this order when the cloth body
has dried in shape. The leading makers
get out their hats on the block they adopt
for the style of the season. and block
makers then initiate this block until any
halter may buy from New York or Bos-
ton block maker the seasons latest block
at a reasonable price
1.-THE block Is then removed from the
shellac cloth she'll and doffer is inserted.
to stretch the hat to the required size. the
block being a tritie small. This doffer is
simply felt shape, which fits closely to
the block. and thus puts thickness of
felt between the hat and the block. The
hat is ironed as soon as the dofrer Is IN
serted this melting the shellac and per-
hitting the cloth shell to adapt itself to
the changed conditions. After the IRON
ing 1t is covered with a coat of shellac
varnisi, for which the halter now has to
pay S. quart. When 1t Is dry again the
silk plush is put on with hot iron,
steamed on, in fact.
This plush comes In rolls like any other
and is sold by the yard. Ii is cut in strips
seven inches wide for the crown and two
and one-half inches for the brim. The
top. piece having been cut out, il Is sewed
to the crown piece, and Is then put on the
cloth shell. Once on. the plush nap Is
turned back at the joint, cut OFF and stuck
on. and then brushed back which makes
a joining so neat that it is almost impos-
sible TO detect.
The hat is put on a potance block and
potanced. which means simply that 1t Is
hung on q round block OF cloth-covered
wood which rests on an elbow iron at the
hatters bench and is finished over again.
after having already been finished with
hot iron and plenty of elbow grease. The
edge of the brim is curled. the hat is
trimmed bound, the leather sweatband is
inserted and then it is ironed again until
Ii shines like glass. After that IL Is ready
to wear.
1T may be made over whenever the
change In the modes is great enough to
make this seem desirable, and when IL
gets too dirty 1t may be washed by the
halter and thus thoroughly cleaDsed.
When he makes 1t over, he strips the plush
from the frame and starts at the beginning
again. just as for a new hat with this ex-
ception, that he has the groundwork, and
toc eli raafxr to hal a
of the silk looks worn, he will replace it
so deftly that one may not be detected
from the other and thus the silk hat may
be said never to wear out