About the Author
Robert Gault, owner of Wolfbrae Custom Hatters, is a custom hat maker based in Vancouver, Canada, specializing in creating the classic fedora look for men and women. He takes great pride in his craft, replicating the fedora stylings of the first half of the 20th century. Robert considers himself most
fortunate to have been mentored by
Art Fawcett, now retired Master Hatter of Vintage Silhouettes fame.
The last machine on my list is the Finger Blocker and I mention it only because it is such an incredible piece of machinery. The rarity and the cost of one is beyond the reach of the vast majority of hat makers. But for many, again especially for those engaged in working
Finger blocker
This machine is golden for those who do more mass production. You can imagine how being relieved of the arduous task of wrestling the felt onto the block multiple times per day can be a game changer for the busy shop. I have spoken to the owner of a hat shop that calls his blocker “the carpal tunnel prevention system”. But at a cost of $50,000 for used and perhaps double for new, it is well beyond reach for most of the trade.
Robert welcomes feedback or questions you may have about hatting. You can email him directly at
wolfbraecustomhatter@gmail.com
with heavier western weight felts, this is a holy grail item. It automates the entire blocking process using hydraulics/steam and saves the hard wear and tear on your body at the same time. I know of a number of full-time hatters who have experienced carpal tunnel syndrome in their hands and forearms, forcing them to either take time off to heal or to retire from the trade entirely. A Finger Blocker only requires the operator to place the wooden block and the felt into the machine and then to lower the lever pushing the block completely into the felt. Mechanical fingers hold the brim edge in place.
Both Mike and Jimmy share the perspective that any person new to the craft would be best served by becoming competent in completing all the steps by hand before contemplating acquiring any machinery. Then as one advances to the point of running a full-time hat making enterprise, it may be worth adding pieces of machinery into your processes. But learning to make a hat completely by hand is a foundational step and not to be bypassed. Mike made another valid point about the critical importance of knowing how to do each step solely by hand. Machines break down, parts might not be readily available, or the repair takes an inordinate amount of time. But a hatter with customer deadlines does not want to put themselves totally at the mercy of a machine. These hats have to be made, with or without the aid of machinery, so having the ability to return to your original skill set renders the breakdown an inconvenience not a catastrophe.
Next month I shall write about what I have learned regarding ‘workarounds’. Or how to replicate this expensive machinery with limited capital budgets.
HATalk | APR 2026
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