The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-02-06
LIFE OF A SILK HAT
WITH CARE ONE MAY BE MADE TO
LAST A HUNDRED YEARS.
And n Can he Made over and over
Again ms Long a. the Frame Holds
Together - How Its Twenty-ntne
riece- Arc Nodded Into one.


Together How Its Twenty-nine
riece. Arc Nodded Into one.
Actors use mp the old silk hats"
said the halter "ActorsT asked the
listener
Actors" said the halter. pausing in
the act Of lifting chunk Of iron out
or the stove aud dropping II in the hol.
low natirOn lie carried. Actors
mcnn variety actors. ~ course. They
need thcm 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; Well, such places
as mine supply them.
"It takes u good many years to wear
out silk hat With proper care they'll
last TO bc hundred years old. or
course before that time the silk will
turn rcd on top where il Is exposed to
the sun, but that rcdncss can be over
come for time You can make over
silk hat 40 long as the frame holds
together.
There are twcnty-nine pieces in n
silk hat They arc the brim, which Is
in four pieces, The silk lining, In two;
the foundation. n two; the gIWamcr
tips between there are two of these
also. the two coverings for the side
crown. the two Tor the tips, the three
pieces Of plush, the three rubbcrs, the
undcrbrim, one piece; the two pieces
of the band and binding. the leather,
one piece; the bow braid, one piece;
the label, one piece; the cyclcts, two Of
them; the stickcr, or piece OF court
plaster. joining the swcntband together
in the back.
Cotton cloth is the foundation OF the
silk hat. II * stiffcncd with shellac
cut with ammonia and hot water. The
cloth is cut mp in strips, cut on the
bias, and then stretched on the block
In four thickncsses. one thickness be-
ing stretched ana permitted to dry be-
fore another Is put on. The lining IL
put in first, the cloth being stretched
over that, and then, after IL has been
permitted TO dry. II is ironcd ON the
block, powdered gum demar being
busted on to prevent the iron from
sticking to the cloth soaked In shellac.
The block X in Ave pieces, the cen
ter. the two sides and the two ends.
which are removed In this order when
the cloth body has dried III shape. The
leading makers get ont their huts on
the block they adopt for the style Of
the season, and block makers then iml-
tate this block until any halter may
buy from New York or Boston block
maker the seasons latest block at a
reasonable price.
THE block Is then removed from the
shcllac cloth shell. and doffcr Is in
serted to stretch the hat TO the required
size, the block being a trl1c small
This dofIcr Is simply felt shape
which fits closely TO the block, ana
thus puts thickness Of felt between
the hat and the block. The hat is iron
ed as soon as the doffer Is inserted.
this melting the shellnc and permitting
the cloth shell TO adapt itself TO the
changed conditions After the ironing
IL is covered with coat Of shcllHc
varnish, for which the halter now has
TO pay So quart. When II is dry
again the silk plush Is put on with II
hot iron, steamed on. in fact
This plush comes in rolls like any
other and Is sold by the yard. 1t Is
cut in strips seven inches wide for the
crown and two and onc-half inches for
the brlm. The top piece having been
cut out, il is scwcd 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 joining
so neat that it Is almost impossible tu
detect
The hat Is put on Il potance block
and potanced. which means simply that
II Is hung on a round block Of cloth
covered wood which rests on an ell
bow iron at the hatter's bench and is
finished over again, after having al
ready been finished with hot iron and
plenty of elbow grease. The edge ot
the brlm is curlcd, the hat IL trimmed
bound, the leather swcatband is In.
serted, and then IL is ironed again un.
w ~ HhAA'o INV hihNNs alA'I unit ~ N
ready to wear.
1T mas he made over whenever the
change In the modes is great eIfougll
to make this seem desirable. and when
IL gets too dirty II may be washed by
the halter and thus thoroughly cleans
ed. When he makes Il over he strips
the plush from the frame and starts at
the beginning again, Just as for new
hat, with this exception, that he has
the groundwork and has simply TO
shape II again. II any piece OF the
silk looks worn he will replace it so
defty that one may not be detected
from the other, and thus the silk hat
may be said never TO wear out
Providence journal.
Honey as Food.
Honey Is one of the most nutritious