The Folk Prophet

I put it to you: Which takes less effort. Going to a movie, or not going to a movie? I mean it's kind of a weird question to me when you put it in terms of "exhausting". It's not exhausting to NOT do/buy/consume something.

So I'm actually pretty impressed by the effect the "firing" had. It made a big difference in texture and color.

Shaped! So shaping it was harder than anticipated...but also, not so hard... except the symmetry thing. But, you know...the hand-shaped imperfections adds character...right? Right?! RIGHT!?!

Here's a vid of me "firing" it. I did it way more than I should have. But... you know... it was so fun! I don't know if it evened out the color. I mean, obviously if I kept going, eventually it would, indeed, even out the color. You know...all black. It did seem to make the hat smoother https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOLt9Ts09YF7vzrJtuJTwNin9CON23g28x-1Gg1sNoYXt6-EeMUaEx8PofBk1oCag/photo/AF1QipPESH-EJfR07QysTqEswbXXUh8tvTly3EiyZUrT?key=TnRxUTF1cUY5X0lXYlRNNkNpbm13NlhPRFZaQkRB

Akubra makes a "Snowy River" hat: https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/product/83/snowy-river-hat/ It's described as a "classic Australian outback hat", so that's probably the name of it if any.

I tacked the ribbon to itself: I didn't get the center tight enough still, and didn't get the actual ribbon tight enough for the hat. I'd have to be more careful actually doing this for realsies, obvious. This one isn't going to be a fedora... so the western band goes back on!

Just for fun I tried my hand at a Fedora style hat ribbon. I just taped it in place, so it isn't lying flat. But not bad. The middle needs to be tighter so it gets scrunched just a bit in the center too.

The two reasons I prefer a safety (I don't have them on all my guns...) are, 1, just worried about my own brain/habits and thoughtlessly putting my finger on the trigger when racking it or something. A safety is one more measure that makes me stop and think about the state of the gun. Just works for my brain to have that. 2, and this is just from youtube vids I've watched rather than personal whatever, but.... if someone gets your gun away from you in a fight, the fact that it has a manual safety has been statistically shown to keep them from using it on you before you can react and deal with that reality. If they only have to pull the trigger..... Of course that #2 is one of those theoretical internet type arguments that... you know... internet opinions. But the #1 is the real reason. I'm a smart guy. But I'm also a dumb guy. So.... anything to accentuate the smart and diminish the dumb is a win in my life, especially when it comes to legitimate safety issues.

A. It also takes 2 hand. Which one may not have in the moment. B. Under duress it can take longer than that. Not trying to convince you to change your view. Just... you know.... chatting.

My wife sewed a liner too out of some satin I got. But... the satin is too thin so it doesn't stay well. And... when I measured it out, apparently I went a bit too small, so it doesn't quite fit. I ordered some heaver satin material and we'll try again:

Just finished sewing in the sweatband. A few interesting (maybe) notes: 1. I wear a size 7 1/8 (57cm), but it's tight. I prefer to get a 7 1/4 (58cm) hat and put some sizers in the sides. Then it fits slightly looser, but still fits. It wouldn't be as good in the wind...but... Anyhow, apparently you're supposed to buy a size up in your block to allow for the space of the sweatband. I assumed the block would accommodate for that. Maybe some do. Mine doesn't. I got a block in 58cm. After the sweatband, it's clearly a 57cm sized hat now. It fits. But it's snug. Apparently I should have gotten a 59cm. 2. I'm bad at hand sewing things. I think I only pricked my finger like 6 times... And only made myself bleed once. And the stitch-line is not very straight. That won't matter because it'll be under the hat band. But... Yeah. Alternatively, since the guy who made the block custom makes them in his shop... maybe he could make a 57.5cm block. Shrug.

Sounds like the lesson is, don't try and appendix carry a shotgun.

Depends. The P365 and other similar sized micro compact guns have versions with a compensator built in to the slide. They're small enough that it doesn't affect things. On a larger gun, yeah, makes them even larger. I could carry my P30 with it, I think...but it means a different holster, which I don't have. But I don't like carrying larger guns. Mostly because of weight. Concealment is another issue. But it's comfort that really becomes the issue. You do need to be concerned with reliability with a compensator. They can cause issues. So if you add one to anything, you need to shoot with it enough to trust the gun. The ones with built in compensation you don't have to worry as much, usually.

My home/bedside safe gun is a H&K P30 with a compensator and light attached. It has the LEM trigger which I quite like. I need to practice with it more the way you describe, just in case. But, really, what I need to get is a shotgun for home defense. My EDC (which I don't EDC... but in theory), is a Sig P365x. When I do carry, I do with a round in the chamber. but I got the version with the manual safety. I practice drawing and turning off the safety daily though. That seems significantly better to me as an practice than having to chamber a round.

Same. I got a laser cartridge and a responsive target that goes "bang" when the light hits it.

I'm not sure this is true. I mean, obviously...it IS true. But it's not true too. A baseball bat doesn't do any good either if you miss. But the reality is that most self defense needs for a gun are (at least as far as I understand) close quarters. Accuracy isn't the issue. Training is still very, very, important. But the chance of having to shoot a mass shooter or the like from 50 yards with your P365 is not really the likely self defense scenario where a gun becomes useful. The meth-head who pulls a knife on you trying to steal your car is much more the potential case. General accuracy matters. But most people can do that naturally. Anyone can hit anyone else with any gun from under 5 feet. That's my best understanding. I'm not expert. So just my view.

Commie!

Yeah...but now that we've got the tech issues resolved......

Yeah, I've been tooling leather long enough to know what I'm doing! It sure turned out darker than intended. That's because I know what I'm doing tooling....but not dying leather. I used a leather dye called "light brown". And, silly me, expected it to turn out light brown. (Apparently you have to cut the dye with a thinner to get it lighter and the "light brown" is just the color tone, not the darkness.) I actually prefer that look, and have no consternation over the fact that it's splotchy relative to the final look of a hat to wear. But... I do have consternation over the fact that it wasn't intentional, because I'm learning, and want to know WHY! I want to be able to control that. And ruining a $30 felt is fine. But if I get a $200 felt I don't want to do something I don't mean to do! So... ??? Yeah.

Actually I can just paste that link and it converts it for me into the post. So even easier....... after jumping through 6 hoops. Thanks. OP edited.

Right. But I already have them all online, so creating the links seemed the obvious. Thanks. Edit: Maybe that'll be better though...so links don't have to be clicked. It's just.... then I have to download them and re-upload them and....argh.

@zil2 try again.

Argh. I was afraid of that. I thought for sure I could share them. Darn. Okay...thinking on solutions....

We'll have to see if my hat making mania lasts or if it's just a passing phase first.

Here's the splotchy result of the sanding. I'm not sure if it's because the sanding process isn't meant for wool, or if I did something wrong, or if the fact that it was cheap means the dye isn't as consistent, and sanding brought that out. I dunno. I don't know if it can be fixed. If not, I'll go with a "distressed" hat look for this one.