I have seen a discussion regarding the various types of hat blocks available and choices being dependent the style of hat being made.
My question has to do with sizing. Is it possible to choose a size that works for small to large, in one block? Also, if I can only choose one size, is there an average head size to go with, at least initially?
It really does depend on the type of hat you want to make....
fascinator/cocktail/percher styles are of course, not a sized block and thus will fit most heads.
For sized hats, there is no real one size fits all, there are tricks you can use to up size and down size to a degree, such as 'double blocking' to make a block larger, and padding out the inside to make smaller. A 3mm thick layer of felt over or inside will change size up to an inch.
some blocks we make can be considered 'small, medium, large as not all sized hats are needing to be as exacting as others.
Men's hats, do need to be exact, and many hatters use up to 10 sized blocks for every style they make
What works on one block style may not work on other styles, best to discuss that with a block maker.
the most common size is 22 1/2'' (57.2cm)
I hope this is of help to you, feel free to drop us a line if you want to go deeper!
It looks like they are scheduled to be out by July 6th. So i think 3 weeks is pretty right. Glad you ordered when you did, as the wait time grows from now into spring racing season.