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miket5r

A-List Customer
Messages
353
Location
Austria
hello

which model is the hat from nicole kidman, please?
nicole-kidman-hugh-jackman-australia.jpg
 

konadog

Practically Family
Messages
624
Location
los angeles
i just received my first nice hat today - a Borsalino Medium Brim Sisal Straw from Delmonico. I ordered the same size (62) as my Borsalino cap that fits perfectly. This straw hat, however, fits snugly and leaves my head throbbing a bit. This fit issue may be due to my oval-shaped head. Also, the brim is wavy when i snap down the front. Few questions: 1. will this sisal straw conform to my head and eventually fit well? 2. is there a way to make the brim less wavy, OR 3. should i just exchange this for another hat?

IMG_0414.jpg IMG_0421.jpg
 
Messages
10,585
Location
Boston area
Hey Konadog, you got a nice hat there. The difficulty with straw and long oval heads like you (and me) is that unless the hat is blocked and flanged in a long oval, the sides will "wonk" up, get wonky, or wavy when on your head. I have used the techniques shown here, but only on paja straw, not sissel. It took a couple of attempts and some simple trial and error and brim shaping methods, but it worked.
 

konadog

Practically Family
Messages
624
Location
los angeles
after some trial and error i've seemed to work out the wonky brim. still haven't officially cracked code on getting it to fit perfectly, but a minor stretch could probably accomplish that. now, my issue is whether the shape is right for me. at this price point, i do want it to be the right hat for me. thoughts on shape would be appreciated.
IMG_0415.jpg IMG_0412.jpg
 
Messages
10,585
Location
Boston area
after some trial and error i've seemed to work out the wonky brim. still haven't officially cracked code on getting it to fit perfectly, but a minor stretch could probably accomplish that. now, my issue is whether the shape is right for me. at this price point, i do want it to be the right hat for me. thoughts on shape would be appreciated.

You're welcome! The shape is fine, and projects a solid look. It's now a matter of your own preference, but it looks well suited for your happy face, IMO. Enjoy!
 
Last edited:

bowlerman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,294
Location
South Dakota
Another question: does anyone know a good way to access TFL from an iPhone 6? The old tapatalk works great in my kindle but the one I just tried on the phone is absolutely awful.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2
 

indylion

New in Town
Messages
22
Location
Naptown
Trying to get a replacement bow ribbon? My original Borsalino bow ribbon was destroyed doing cleaning many years ago. I need a black grosgrain bow ribbon (w/ Borsalino name on the bow) to fit a 7 3/8 fedora.

Thanks,
 

bluesmandan

A-List Customer
Messages
303
Location
United States
Here's a question: What makes a hat soft and flexible? I used to have a fedora that was very supple... the hats I have now are not nearly as flexible... my Bailey fedora is so-so, my Stetson gun club is very stiff... what's the difference? And if ordering online, how can you know that you're getting a supple hat instead of a stiff one? (And I'm not talking about the crushable felt hats, which are usually very scratchy feeling in my experience)
 

Joao Encarnado

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,776
Location
Portugal
What makes it stiff is the amount of shellac/stiffner applied to the hat body. There are ways to remove it a bit, there are ways to reactivate it. Someone will give you better details.
 

bluesmandan

A-List Customer
Messages
303
Location
United States
I tend to notice that more expensive hats are thinner and more flexible, while cheaper hats tend to be thicker and stiffer, and flexibility (with price) tends to follow the 'X's (500X should be fairly flexible, 4X will not be). But the 'X' has meant different things over the years, right? and not every company means the same thing by them, and not every hat comes with an 'X', so how can you know what you're getting?
 
Messages
15,083
Location
Buffalo, NY
...But the 'X' has meant different things over the years, right? and not every company means the same thing by them, and not every hat comes with an 'X', so how can you know what you're getting?

To the first questions, yes and to the last question, reading around this place will give you more information and first hand experience with hats than you will find anywhere else.

Many years ago there were many hat manufacturers and many of them made their own felt bodies. X's were used along with price points to indicate hats of varying quality and cost within a line of products. X's had some meaning within a brand but virtually no meaning when comparing hats across brands. Price was probably as reliable an indicator of quality as anything else. Of course in those days, most cities had retailers that sold hats so you could visit and handle the wares and make a decision on price/quality based on look and feel.

Today there are only a handful of manufacturers of felt hat bodies and most (American) brands come from the same factory. I think what you can expect in a higher priced hat is that more time has been spent pouncing the body to get the finish smooth. Others here will have better advice for what you can expect from a modern hat with many Xs.
 

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