Describes a garment, typically a hat, formed by stretching and pressing the raw material over a carved wooden block by hand. Milliners use steam and specialized irons to force felt or straw to take the exact contours of the block. Handblocked items hold their shape indefinitely and represent higher craftsmanship than machine-stamped equivalents.
Heard on the job
These fedoras are handblocked in our studio, so expect slight variations in the crown crease.