An American dye for best fine hats (12 doz.) is composed of 144 lb. logwood chips, its equivalent in extract, 12 lb. green sulphate of iron (copperas), '7i lb. French verdigris, placed in a boiler, and heated to 88° (190° F.). During the operation, the hats are kept turned ; when removed from the pan, they are exposed to the action of the air. When the manufacture is extensive, two boilers will save much time, one batch of hats being in the pan while the other lies exposed to deepen in colour. From 6 to 12 hours are required to complete the operation. The copperas and verdigris are added for the second bath.
An English composition (for 36 doz. " medium furs "), mordanting first with the bichromats of potash, is 120 lb. of logwood chips, or the equivalent of extract, 4 lb. verdigris, 12 lb. copperas. The process is conducted as before. To dye soft goods, more logwood will be required, as the hats absorb more ; and it should be noted to give more for extra weight of material in all cases, and that the strength of the liquor be kept up, or bad dyeing will result. Should the boiler become foul, it can be cleaned by using about 2 lb. of whiting and a little urine. The goods on removal are all washed out clean in hot water first and cold afterwards, when they will be ready for blocking.
Blocking.—All the goods are removed after dyeing to receive shape at the hands of the " blocker." A ground floor is necessary for this purpose, and good drains must be provided to carry off the large quantity of water used. Steam pipes are laid on to a battery, similar to the one described under the head of planking, allowing 4 men at each. A small bucket containing cold water is placed on the right, and the left hand holds a block of the shape and size required in the finished hat. Steam is turned into the centre cistern, filled with clean water, and heated to 88° (190° F.). To make the felt more pliant and elastic, sometimes a little meal is mixed with the water. Unprincipled workmen, to secure this end, will surreptitiously use alkalies. By this, the work is damaged in dye and stiffening, showing a whiteness after standing for some time in the finished state. Two hats are plunged into the hot water by each workman, as one can be made pliable for working while the other is in process ; but not more than two should be in the water at once. Lifting one hat, the workman will pull out the tip, or " unbutton " it. If this is effected thoroughly, the crown will stand sharp in its mould, so long as the stiffening holds good in wear. Should this operation be badly performed, the hat has a tendency to go back to its original shape, as seen when coming from the " former," before planking ; and in the trimmer's hands, it will frequently occur that when she puts in the lining with a little flour paste, the hat will spring out of shape, spoiling the article after all the cost of trimming has been incurred. Taking hold of the brim whilst hot, having first placed the block on a pivot so as to raise it about 4 in., the workman thrusts it vigorously down evenly on all sides. Passing a draw-band around the extremity of the block, he turns up what forms the brim, running the cord down on the flat portion of his battery, lined with copper, which retains the heat longer and assists him better in his work. With a small brass runner, grooved to fit the cord into its place, he immerses the hat bodily again in the hot water. Holding the brim firmly with one hand, he breaks it with the other, using his thumb as the fulcrum, and removing all the creases, until, from the cord to the edge of the brim, the hat is quite flat and without " puckers" round the outer edge. Loosening the draw-cord, the hat is lifted from the block,
and thrown into cold water to set. This process is applied to all kinds of hats, hard and soft. Other means are employed if hand labour is dispensed with ; and of late years, both in America and England, great efforts, with varying success, have been made to supersede this most laborious branch of the trade, as the workmen's hands, by severe scalding and pulling, are frequently disfigured, and the work is not adequately executed. In America, machines are used for breaking the brims and opening the tips, for common goods especially, and are occasionally also applied to fine goods ; but the risk is so great in this class of work that it is not advisable to resort to the plan until care and experience have proved its complete adaptability. For common woollen goods and soft hats, it may be used with safety, if care be taken to work the goods through hot water, and to commence the strain from the centre of the tip, until open to the width of the block. The brim breaker must be worked in the same manner, the hats being taken from the hot water. As this machine acts with a motion much like the opening of an umbrella, it will be understood that it strains the edges of the brim, but should the brim be kept in one position during the operation, or be pressed too far between the brass fingers, the marks will be seen after the goods are finished, and will completely spoil them. The only safe method is to press the brim gently, raising the fingers of the machine, and moving the hat just so far as to take under pressure the portion hitherto unstrained ; by this means, the whole brim is evenly broken, and made ready for blocking. Many forms of this machine have been partially perfected, the most successful being one in which the bat-block is placed upon a central spindle, from which radiate ribs, the same as those of an umbrella. Notches are made on the extremities of these ribs, which are jointed so as to produce a partly horizontal motion, whilst fingers clip the outer edge of the hat. The machine is adjustable to any width of brim. Upon a shaft above the block, is attached an iron ring, having the shape and size of the average blocks to be used, and working on a loose swivel. The ring performs in a leas effectual manner what the hand-blocker effects by his draw-band, making a close and firm band where the leather of the hat is placed. Taking the hat from the hot water, the workman presses it over the block, seizes the outer edge with the fingers of the machine, draws it to the width of brim for which the machine is set, and brings down over the block the iron ring to form the band, when the blocking is considered complete. Many points require consideration before adopting these machinea. For first-class goods, they cannot compete with well-trained hand labour. For medium and common aoft and hard goods, where every convenience is at hand, and with workmen who can be depended upon to watch carefully that all the hoods are of one size, rejecting any that are not uniform in this respect, they may and are being worked successfully. But for a small output, and where the other requisite conditions cannot be complied with, it would not be advisable to adopt them. Where these machines are successful, ten times the amount of work can be performed as by hand labour.