COLORADO NEWS

Greeley Hat Works Makes Your Hat Fit Perfectly Thanks to an Antique Tool Called the Conformateur

Aug 24, 2023, 5:00 PM

Greeley Hat Works has forged a rich history, not just in Colorado, but around the world, thanks to their fine hat-making and commitment to customers, from ranchers and rodeo queens to presidents, rockers, and movie stars. Like any great product or business, to last over 100 years like Greeley Hat Work has, it also takes some of the best tools of the trade to keep what you produce top-notch. 

However, not every tool in every industry has to evolve with time and technology… Enter one of the key tools to making the hats at Greeley Hat Works great, the antique Conformateur.

I am not hear to teach you how to pronounce things, so don’t worry about that part. Let’s talk about magic that this tool does. Simply put, the Conformateur, is a French tool used to measure the head size and shape of a person’s head, so that a custom-made hat can be built to fit the head by a hat-maker. In other words, when you put on this thing that looks like a prop from a Frankenstein movie, it lines up a series of pins that create a punched card with a top-down outline of your head. The crew at Greeley Hat Works then uses the info created from the tool invented in the 1840’s to make your hat fit perfectly to your heads specific size and shape. 

Keep in mind most other hat shops are made elsewhere so they are stock sizes and shapes that will never fit YOUR head right. If you’re serious about hats and want the perfect fit, you have to go see Trent Johnson and his entire team at Greeley Hat Works! 

Colorado News

(Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)...

Shawn Patrick

One weather model is calling for over a foot of snow in Denver the first week of March

March is typically the snowiest month in Denver, averaging 11.4 to 11.5 inches of snowfall based on long-term data, and this year we may hit those numbers in one storm […]

9 hours ago

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)...

Shawn Patrick

Joe Nichols, Aaron Watson & more set to do free shows at Colorado’s Greeley Stampede

The Greeley Stampede announced a great concert lineup for their mainstage during the summer of 2026 a few weeks back, but their free entertainment stage is also going to be […]

9 hours ago

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)...

Shawn Patrick

Denver named one of the top ten hardest working cities in America

You can say what you want about Denver in 2026, but now there’s at least one thing that can’t be disputed… We work hard! WalletHub’s annual list of the Hardest-Working […]

10 hours ago

Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Dog who ran away in Colorado mountains reunites with owner after 43 days

A dog was recently reunited with his owner after surviving 43 days alone in the Rocky Mountains near Montezuma, Colorado. Rocky escaped after Christmas while staying with a pet sitter as […]

10 hours ago

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Denver’s airport among the top two worst for delays in all of the U.S.

It may feel like flights out of Denver International Airport (DIA) are delayed more than most airports, but that could just be because it’s our home airport and we don’t […]

10 hours ago

KOSI 101.1

5-Year-Old Colorado Aviation Fan Spots Error in Southwest Training Manual

KUSA reported William Hines, a 5 year old from Arvada, noticed a discrepancy involving two terrain gauges that didn’t match. Not exactly light bedtime reading for most kindergartners, but William […]

12 hours ago

Greeley Hat Works Makes Your Hat Fit Perfectly Thanks to an Antique Tool Called the Conformateur