Shengxifu leather hat making technique
"Shengxifu" is a time-honored brand founded in Tianjin in 1911. It opened a branch in Beijing in the 1930s. The founder Liu Xisan constantly hired senior technicians in the industry during production and operation, and absorbed excellent hat-making technology at home and abroad, learning from others, and finally formed the unique Shengxifu leather hat making skills. The production process of Shengxifu leather hats is complicated. It usually takes dozens of processes to process and make a leather hat, and each process is refined. When matching, the raw materials must be excellent, the direction of the fur must be consistent, the length, thickness, density must be consistent, and the color, softness and hardness must be consistent. When cutting fur, there are many knife techniques such as straight knives, top knives, oblique knives, herringbone knives, arc knives, crescent knives, ladder knives, and fish scale knives. There is no limit to the style, and it needs to be flexible and flexible. When sewing, the top is required to be round, the head is even, and the seam head is even. For the leather surface, the seams must be aligned and the cross is flat. The many requirements for the processes such as hooking the fan, turning the hat, and serial ports are even more delicate. Shengxifu leather hats are elegant in appearance, exquisite in workmanship, and soft and comfortable to wear. During the Republic of China period, Shengxifu leather hats were highly praised, and "wearing Shengxifu on the head" became one of the standards of high-quality life. After the founding of New China, Shengxifu leather hats were favored by consumers at home and abroad. Shengxifu technicians have made hats for national leaders many times, and Shengxifu leather hats have also been selected as gifts for international friends. Now there are only two fourth-generation technicians who can master the Shengxifu leather hat making process, and their disciples are all over 40 years old. This excellent traditional handicraft must be given enough attention and protection to allow it to continue to be passed on.