Beaver Felt Process

A fur felt top hat.

Felt is perhaps the oldest textile material and one of the strongest. Beaver felt hats can be traced back to the 14th century in Holland and Spain. European beaver grounds were exhausted by the mid-1600s, when hatters turned to North America for their supply of beaver skins. The felting process intertwines the fibers so thoroughly that it is impossible to tear the felt apart.

Preparing the Fur

The fur used to make the felt for beaver felt hats is not the long outer fur of the beaver, but the short under-fur. The long fur is sheared or pulled off and the short under-fur is chemically treated. The chemical treatment raises the short microscopic barbs, which results in a better felt. The resulting fur is shipped in bags to manufacturers, who put the fur through several mixing and refining processes, after which it is blown to remove dirt, clotted fur and air.

From Fur to Felt

The cleaned fur is shaped in a forming machine, comprised of a cylinder containing a large perforated copper cone about 3 feet high. An exhaust fan beneath the cone sucks the air and the loose fur into a compartment beneath the cone as the cone revolves slowly. The fur for one hat is fed into the top of the forming machine, and sucked down by the exhaust fan to settle on the revolving cone. The machine operator wraps damp burlap cloths around the cone, and places it in a vat of hot water for a short time. The hot water shrinks the fibers into a thin layer of felt.

Shaping

When the felt is removed from the cone, it is very delicate and must be handled carefully. It is shrunk down to the final size by folding and dipping it in hot water and rolling it with pressure. The fibers shrink, locking the projecting barbs together. This work must be done quickly so the bodies do not cool off and produce a poor felt.

Stretching and Blocking

Stretching is done by a machine with a frame and metal fingers. The cone is placed over the frame and metal fingers press the felt through the frame. The rough shape is blocked into the final shape by wetting and pulling it over a wooden block. Steam and an iron are used to block to the final size. Setting the brim in the hat is called flanging. The brim is ironed flat and cut to the required width. It is curved, laid on a wooden flange, ironed, dried and pressed.

Finishing Touches

Stiffening shellac impregnated into the brim ensures it holds up. The entire hat is rubbed with sandpaper to make it smooth. Depending on the level of smoothness desired, this may need to be done many times. The hat is trimmed, and the leather sweatband, lining and band are all sewn on.

References

• Miller Hats: Felt Hats Info
• Hat Doctor: Felt Hats