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ID #SA1229292
FOR SALE
£275
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Antique 19th Century French Milliner's Hat Stretcher. Hat Block. Hat Sizer.
For sale by Hough & Son
for sale €322     $349
£275

Hough & Son

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2025
Browse dealers 74 items
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    Passionate about unusual antiques, mid-century modern and quirky collectables
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Id #SA1229292
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Antique 19th Century French Milliner's Hat Stretcher. Hat Block. Hat Sizer.

1900 - 1920
For Sale by Hough & Son
Description

Antique 19th Century French Milliner's Hat Stretcher / Hat Sizer / Adjustable Hat Block. Apparently unsigned. Nice original patina; unrestored. Measures approx. 32 x 25 x 17cms. Good working condition. Recently sourced in Brittany, France.

Physical Dimensions
Height
32cm (12.60")
Width
25cm (9.84")
Depth
17cm (6.69")
Declaration

Hough & Son has dated this Antique Wooden Hat Stretcher to the 1900s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1229292
Description
Antique 19th Century French Milliner's Hat Stretcher / Hat Sizer / Adjustable Hat Block. Apparently unsigned. Nice original patina; unrestored. Measures approx. 32 x 25 x 17cms. Good working condition. Recently sourced in Brittany, France.
Height
32cm (12.60")
Width
25cm (9.84")
Depth
17cm (6.69")
Date of Manufacture

Hough & Son has dated this Antique Wooden Hat Stretcher to the 1900s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1229292
Hough & Son
Sellingantiques verified Since May 2025

Passionate about unusual antiques, mid-century modern and quirky collectables

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Hough & Son Profile Page

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A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base.
1 / 8
Archive I A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base.

Antique 19th Century French Milliner's Hat Stretcher. Hat Block. Hat Sizer.

Archive II A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base. View II
Archive III A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base. View III
Archive IV A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base. View IV
Archive V A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base. View V
Archive VI A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base. View VI
Archive VII A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base. View VII
Archive VIII A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base. View VIII
Enlarged Archival View

Hough & Son
Telephone 07800 952281
Location
Haslemere
Surrey
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/houghson
Verified Since May 2025
Items For Sale 74
Items Sold 52
Hough & Son
Verified Since May 2025
View Dealer Info
Location: Haslemere, Surrey, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/houghson
Verified
May 2025
For Sale
74
Sold
52
A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base.
Antique 19th Century French Milliner's Hat Stretcher. Hat Block. Hat Sizer.
Ref: SA1229292
A nineteenth-century dark carved wooden hat stretcher featuring a split block mechanism operated by a threaded metal turn screw, set on an oval base.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Detail View 6
Detail View 7
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectMillinery Equipment
  • Period1900 - 1920
  • Style19th Century French
  • MaterialHardwood, Cast Iron
  • ColourDark Brown
  • MotifsSplit wooden block, Threaded iron screw, T-bar handle, Oval base plate
  • SizeH 32 cm (13 in) x W 25 cm (10 in) x D 17 cm (7 in)

This nineteenth-century French milliner's hat stretcher belongs to the industrial loft style, functioning as a practical hat block and sizer. The piece consists of a dark brown hardwood split block with decorative turned mouldings, mounted upon a solid oval base plate. Hardware comprises a threaded iron screw and a T-bar handle used to expand the mechanism, displaying a nice original patina with visible signs of age across the unrestored timber. It stands 32 cm high, 25 cm wide, and 17 cm deep. In a contemporary home, this item serves as a decorative display object suitable for placement on a bookshelf or desk. The functional design and utilitarian character make it an engaging conversation piece for collectors of historic millinery equipment or vintage industrial objects.

FAQs

A milliners hat stretcher is a mechanical wooden block tool used by hatmakers in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to resize, shape, and maintain the form of felt or straw headwear.

These tools were predominantly crafted from dense hardwoods such as beech, oak, or fruitwood to resist splitting under pressure, combined with threaded cast iron or steel central screws for adjustment.

Authentic period examples feature hand-turned wooden components, heavy threaded iron mechanisms with T-bar handles, natural patina from repeated hand use, and occasionally stamped maker marks or size measurements in centimetres or inches.

A milliners hat stretcher functions as a sculptural accent on a bookshelf, sideboard, or desk, adding historical texture and mechanical interest to contemporary or rustic decor schemes.

Dust the item regularly with a dry cloth and apply a natural beeswax polish occasionally to preserve the wood moisture and finish, while keeping metal threading lightly lubricated to prevent corrosion.
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