Hat Blocks & Accessories for Milliners |
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+44 (0)1225 899000
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Choosing blocks
When ordering from us, there are a few things we need to know. However, if you're new to millinery and don't know where to start we have included some helpful tips here. We've also put together some block 'bundles' with all the hard work of choosing done for you. Click here to view the bundles.
Since November 2012 we have been changing over from using Obeche & Tulip wood to European Lime.
Lime (Linden, Tilluer) has been the wood of choice for wood carvers since as long as people have carved wood, and many old hat blocks are kmade from it as a result. It is known for its easy carving qualities, Its ability to hold very fine detail and its clean smooth texture. It is simply one of the nicest woods to work - and it even smells amazing too! But, it's great attributes don't end there - it also pins very easily and rather than being shipped half way round the world before we use it (obeche & tulip), it comes from a sustainable source in Europe. Our supplier is fully registered with PEFC, which is an organisation that promotes sustainable forest management - see www.pefc.co.uk if you would like more details.
We are very excited to be using lime more and more - it hardly needs saying that the better the quality of the raw material, the better the finished product will be, and that helps us to continue to provide you with the best quality hat blocks that you can buy. You'll still see some obeche wood - especially for the bigger blocks, but don't worry, they are totally compatible with each other. The quality of the lime wood is so good that we don't feel the need to use Tulip wood at all, and once again it's great not to have to use timber that has to find its way accross the atlantic before we make blocks from it.
We use the term 'form' for the shape of either crowns or brims at the headband position. We offer three different forms; slim oval, broad oval and circular. Most milliners find that the slim oval form provides a good head fitting. The form of the headband on the brim should not be confused with the outline, which of course can be cut to any shape you wish.
Crown blocks can be made in any of the forms except where stated otherwise. The choice between the three forms is really one of aesthetics. Broad oval crown tips have a pleasant full shape, which is even more pronounced with the circular form. Slim oval provides the best head fitting and in any case, even when using broad oval crowns, they would normally be fittied to a slim oval brim in order to give a comfortable fit. As such, brims are almost always made in the slim oval form.
The choice is yours!