Brim press or brim plater


and pressure. In a short period of time you have the hat flanged, set, dried and ready for the next step. In my world of the fully hand made, I save this for the last step of the day. I am very satisfied with the results of my hand flanging and cannot see a quality upgrade using the sandbagger. But the time saving is immense. Cost is $3000 to $5000.


Also an interesting machine is the Block Spinner/Crown Pouncer. There is a solid consensus that the crown pouncer not only brings efficiencies to the workroom, but that it


five minutes. I would argue that this is the one machine that produces not only great efficiencies but also a superior result to pure hand work. This wonderful piece of machinery will set you back $10,000 to $15,000. )


Next on my list is the Sandbagger. This performs a similar function to a brim press, only instead of pressing the brim flat, it is used in conjunction with a flange (brim block). The brim is pressed to the flange under the force of heat


Block spinner/ crown pouncer


Sandbagger


is the one piece of machinery that produces a better finish than the hand worked equivalent. The hats with the finest finish are invariably ones pounced by this machine. The steady pressure, the consistent speed of the machine’s turning, all lend themselves to producing a more finely finished product. These machines are hard to come by at a cost of up to $40,000.


HATalk | APR 2026


INDEX PA G E


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