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[belfastboy]

Just ordered a couple of sponges. Thanks.

I had some success with sponges on a wear/bare spot on a vintage Borsa, right where the pinch meets the crown. Sponge and some steam made it better but I think if I want to completely repair (if that is possible) I need to send it to a hatter.

 

[blueAZNmonkey]

I've been a cowboy hat enthusiast most of my life. Closet is full of Stetsons as a result. This past weekend my wife bought me my first Stetson fedora (Frederick). I'm now hooked on fedoras!

Problem is that this will be a bit warm to wear in summer months. What is a good fedora for warmer weather, preferably something with at least a 2" brim?

I'm a fan of panama hats for the summer. As @hatsRme said, the rain can be a bit of a challenge with certain panamas. The challenge is that panamas can become malleable when moistened and, as a result, would require a block to maintain the crisp shape. However, panama hats are very durable, so for the most part, a panama that has lost its shape can be re-shaped without weakening the straw integrity.

My personal preference is to stay away from the typical paper straw hat -- which is the easiest type of summer hat to find at your local brick and mortar clothing stores. Just about every straw hat you see at Banana Republic and J Crew are paper straw hats. In general, they are much weaker, coarser, and inconsistently sized than a panama, and their brim sizes are usually around 1" to 1.5".

A good compromise between the two types is a toyo paper hat. Toyo is a treated paper that is totally waterproof. Depending on the producer, a toyo hat can be very nicely shaped and fairly inexpensive. I currently have two toyo hats from Baileys in my golf attire rotation.

 

[Redfokker]

I'm a fan of panama hats for the summer. As @hatsRme said, the rain can be a bit of a challenge with certain panamas. The challenge is that panamas can become malleable when moistened and, as a result, would require a block to maintain the crisp shape. However, panama hats are very durable, so for the most part, a panama that has lost its shape can be re-shaped without weakening the straw integrity.

My personal preference is to stay away from the typical paper straw hat -- which is the easiest type of summer hat to find at your local brick and mortar clothing stores. Just about every straw hat you see at Banana Republic and J Crew are paper straw hats. In general, they are much weaker, coarser, and inconsistently sized than a panama, and their brim sizes are usually around 1" to 1.5".

A good compromise between the two types is a toyo paper hat. Toyo is a treated paper that is totally waterproof. Depending on the producer, a toyo hat can be very nicely shaped and fairly inexpensive. I currently have two toyo hats from Baileys in my golf attire rotation.

+1 You put more miles on your straws than the rest of us...scurvy dog

 

[blueAZNmonkey]

+1 You put more miles on your straws than the rest of us...scurvy dog

Indeed! Looks like Japan is on my travel list for next summer -- t'would be proper to bring some toyo with me =)

 

[Block Maker]

Does anyone here have any suggestions for getting rid of some spots left from singeing a light colored hat body. I did a silverbelly and usually the scorch brushes away but right around the brim break I have some discoloration.
Thanks!

 

[M Hatman]

Does anyone here have any suggestions for getting rid of some spots left from singeing a light colored hat body. I did a silverbelly and usually the scorch brushes away but right around the brim break I have some discoloration.
Thanks!

You probably will have to pounce (sand) that one. Get one of the hat sponges and start with that. Hopefully the scorch does not go too deep.....
M

 

[RJR]

You probably will have to pounce (sand) that one. Get one of the hat sponges and start with that. Hopefully the scorch does not go too deep.....
M

+1

 

[blueAZNmonkey]

While we're on the subject of pouncing... It's fairly easy to notice the difference in weights and finish when comparing a nice antique piece to a modern felt. With the blank capelines I've purchased so far, I've noticed that while they are finished nicely, they are still rather thick and feel much coarser in the hand than vintage felt.

So my questions are... Will sanding down the felt to reduce the thickness of the cap somehow compromise the integrity of the material? Will it make the material too flimsy to block as a man's fedora? If it get's flimsier, will stiffener remedy that problem?

Thanks!

 

[Block Maker]

You probably will have to pounce (sand) that one. Get one of the hat sponges and start with that. Hopefully the scorch does not go too deep.....
M

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. Where might I find one of these hat sponges?

 

[RJR]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. Where might I find one of these hat sponges?

Google "{hat sponge"

 

[cadillacactor]

Hey all.

(Greetings! Long time lurker, first time poster.)

My mother in law, knowing my love for hats, came home home from Australia with an authentic Didgeridoonas buffalo hide Bush Hat. I LOVE IT! (And look like a boss)

I've had a problem come up with the inner elastic hatband. It is... Crimping. Every few inches it looks like Grandma's pinched pie crust. Most of these don't bother me but there's one crimp square in the middle of my forehead that digs in and by the end of the day feels like a pressure sore... Like a nail getting pushed slowly into my face...

So solutions? My wife thinks some craft store, starch spray could take the elastic. I'm of the opinion that trimming the crimp out would work, while she says then I'd have a triangle cut out where the elastic is missing. What do you all think?

Thanks!!

 

[rogerstg]

Pictures would help, but it sounds like your sweatband is elastic used in "one size fits many" type hats. If that's the case, it may simply be too small for you.

 

[hatsRme]

Picture would be very helpful, but from your description, and pie crust analogy, I might suggest a rolling pin...

If that fails to fully flatten the folds, perhaps a band block, or Hat Jack?

 

[Moviehats]

I'd have a hat maker put in a leather sweatband.

 

[FedOregon]

I think I got my sponges from Shepplers or Boot Barn. Boot Barn, I think, and it was a wooden box with sponges, a hat brush, a little plastic hat stand and some water proofing spray.

 

[Redfokker]

Amazon has them for cheap.

 

[Redfokker]

I'd have a hat maker put in a leather sweatband.

+1

 

[cadillacactor]

Awesome ideas so far. Didn't even think of a leather hatband.

Does this pic help?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzsyDlb10n5DY0lfWDlhaFM1ZjQ/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[Block Maker]

Found them! Thanks! I will give them a try. This is the first really lite felt I have scorched and noticed the marked left even though it was very quickly done. I may refrain from doing that in the future.

 

[cadillacactor]

Kind of new to the site and not finding such a resource: is there a list of haberdashers or milliner's sorted by region of the country?