My friend F regularly goes to local auctions. A couple of weeks ago she came back from a viewing and told me that she'd seen something hat-related, and was I interested. Was I?! The auction took place while I was at work, but F kindly bid for me, and I'm now the proud owner of a heftly 10lbs / 4.5kg of millinery wonderment.
It's a hat sizer/stretcher. There are no manufacturer's details on it, but the auctioneer thought it probably dated from the 1950s. I've put my 6" rule beside it, to show the scale.
Fully opened, it comes to a 64cm / 25⅛" circumference.
The moving section is held in place by the stretching mechanism and the two runners at the bottom. It's slightly shorter than the fixed section, so that it doesn't rub off the numbering on the size plate. Some of the chrome has flaked off the handle, but it's in good working order.
The dimensions are shown in inches, centimetres and hat sizes.
This view shows the extra guide rail inside, and the substantial metalwork of the stretching mechanism.
The wood itself is almost totally smooth.
Another view, end on.
As you may just about have noticed by now, I'm thrilled with this! I'd been planning to get a basic wooden dolly head anyway, for working on trimming hats, but this is so much more fun.
What a neat toy! I can't wait to hear about your adventures with it!
ReplyDeleteLaurie