In the early 1900's, the early days of mechanical hat making, sand bags and water were used to shape the hats and wood molds to block hats. When aluminum was available in the 30s or 40s, and also because aluminum distributes heat so well, the use of aluminum in molds changed the hat industry. Shady Brady now uses two types of presses. One,a device known as a Stomper, and a Hydraulic Press The Stomper which runs at a temperature of about 330 degrees heats the straw hat mold and you use your foot and stomp down, summoning the steam which shapes the hats within seconds/minutes depending on the type of straw being used.

The hydraulic press runs at about 200 degrees F. To operate the press, you utilize the presses male and female parts in harmony with the water pressure to create pressure and heat. When the press is hot and the bodies of the hats are damp you put the saddle in, line it up, you close the press and allow the pressure and heat of the machine to mold the straw hat.

At this point we either leave the hats a natural color. Later, dye them brown or other colors later. Many of the hats are of a similar shape and often the same blank will be used for a number of models. The blanks come in bails and usually about 300 in a bail. We buy enough for thousands at a time. One of the first steps after the initial pressing process is to sew the very edge of the brim.

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