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Permalink Reply by Darryll Osborne February 28, 2020 at 10:17am

Excellent question and so very important.

As a hat block maker this is how i would answer your questions

If you are looking for premium hat blocks stick with reputable website based professional companies for a start. (such as ourselves naturally) as they will use the correct types of timber and back up their products. On top of that they will 'know their stuff'' when it comes to blocks and the whys and hows of design and use. A good block maker will know not only how to carve a shape but will understand why a block is the way it is and also know how to construct the raw blanks in a fashion so as to maximize the life of the block. 

poor glues, poor timber and engineering methods coupled with poor workmanship will result in buying blocks again from someone else. cheap costs you double!

When setting your studio, second hand blocks are fine but do have a lot of disadvantage in sizes and styles available. 

Also to consider is the uniformity of the products as one makers blocks wont always fit another makers brims etc, so if at all possible you should stick to one maker when possible for certain things. Of course, makers catalogues do not all contain the same blocks and styles and reputable ones will not copy another's product so it is not a bad thing to use a few if they have what you need.

Consider the quality and reputation as well as warranty and customer service.

Hat blocks Australia is a maker of premium blocks for both hatters and milliners, ship worldwide free and offer a lifetime warranty on all blocks.

I guess in a nut shell, if it's cheap compared to premium makers then there is  good reason why! Premium blocks and service are expensive for a reason.

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