THE HATTER.

CUTTING MACHINE.

The trade of the Hatter is confined to a few countries of Europe; but, as the fashion of hats is at present mostly restricted, both here and in most parts of the Continent, to those black stiff cylindrical coverings of silk which custom has ordained we shall wear, greatly to our own discomfort, and at a great expense, the business is of considerableimportance, and the making of hats has grown into a large branch of industry. Before the introduction of that kind of silk which bears a long pile, like velvet, and is known asplush, beaver was the material principally used for hat making; but beaver hats are much more expensive, though they are now seldom made of the skin or fur of the beaver, which has grown remarkably scarce, in consequence of the land which the animals formerly occupied having become inhabited.

Cutting out. Bowing.

Beaver hats of the finest quality are made with lamb’s wool and the fur of English rabbits. To form the body of the hat, the wool and rabbit’s fur are separatelybowedby bringing a set of strings attached to a bow in contact with a heap of the material, and then striking the strings, so as to cause violent vibrations, and thus separate the filaments.The two substances are next bowed together until they are intimately mixed; after which the mass is spread evenly, covered with an oil-cloth, and pressed to the state of an imperfectly tangled felt. The next process is to cover the felt with a triangular piece of damp brown paper, and then to fold it in a damp cloth, and work it well with the hand, pressing and bending, rolling and unrolling it, until the interlacing or felting is much more perfect, and the mass is compact. The felt thus prepared is next taken to the wide brim of a boiler charged with hot water and beer grounds, and a small quantity of sulphuric acid; it is well rubbed and rolled until it no longer contracts. The felt is next stiffened with shellac, a solution of which is applied by means of a brush to both sides of the felt; after which it is heated in a stove, and by this means the whole substance becomes duly impregnated with the resin; this renders the hat nearly waterproof.

Bow for Beaver.

To form the nap of a hat, one half or three-fourths of an ounce of beaver, and some other less costly fur, are bowed together and imperfectly felted in the manner already described, and shaped the same as the body to which it is to be applied; that body is then softened by immersing it in the boiler, when the nap is applied and worked as in felting, until the required union is effected between the two bodies.

The felt thus covered is brought to the proper shape by working it on a wooden block, and is then dyed black.The hat is softened by steam, the crown is strengthened by placing in it a disc of scaleboard, and linen is pasted over this.

The nap is raised and a uniform direction given to its fibres by means of warm irons and hair brushes. The last processes are lining and binding, when the hat is ready to be worn. In the low-priced hats of the present day, commoner wool and fur, and smaller quantities of each, are used.

Lathe. Finishing.

Silk hats consist of a cover or exterior part made of silk plush, which is laid upon a foundation of chip, stiffened linen, or some other light material, previously blocked into shape. The so-called velvet and satin hats deserve those titles only so far as the plush resemble those materials. The plush is mostly woven in the north of England. Paris hats are for the most part made in England, the silk plush being imported from France.

Rounding Card, No. 1. Rounding Card, No. 2. Finishing Iron. Brow-piece. Blistering Iron. Card. Polishing Block. Multer. Brush.

The various tools employed are mostly used for shaping the different parts of the hat. Thecutting machine, for dividing and preparing the felt and other materials; theblock, on which the body of the hat is formed previous to its being placed in thelathe, where it is made perfectly round; thebrow-piece, for shaping the hat where it fits the head; thecard, a sort of wire brush for scratching up or carding the fibre of the silk or beaver after the hat ismade; therounding cards, for pressing and completing the hat near the brim; thecurler, for turning up and shaping the brim; themulter,finishing iron, andblistering iron, are used for shaping and smoothing; thepolishing blockholds the hat while it receives the final process of brushing and smoothing with a pad of velvet called theveleure.

Curler. Block. Veleure.

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