Re-blocking Hats - Newbie Q

[PhilS]

I am new to the forum, and I am trying to speed my learning curve to avoid making stupid purchases (as I have done with pens, razors, and watches) to find out what I like. I find that I look terrible in some hats -- especially if the crown is too high, and if the pinch is too tight. The old-guy hats one finds at Lord & Taylor, for example, make me look like a pinhead. I have found that taking away dents in some hats makes them much better for me. I assume that decreasing the center crease and/or increasing the front/back downward slope will also help. So, here is the question -- am I right that I can get hats modified to fit my personal preferences? I live in NYC, which I assume is still hat-central USA, so maybe there are good sources for getting this done here?

 

[carldelo]

DIY bashing

There's plenty of info here on the forum about re-bashing your own hat - it's good reading, all the different methods that people employ. If it's simply a matter of trying out new bashes, I think you can do it yourself.

In the old days in NYC, if you went hat shopping, the guys in the shop could be persuaded to tune up your hat - with the expectation of a gratuity, of course. I don't think this happens any more. I asked at JJ Hats about 10 years ago, and the response was not too accommodating. If I had been buying a hat, it would have been a different story - for a customer I believe they will still do it. << my experience is out of date - see response from Feraud below >>

I've never been to Bencraft hats in Brooklyn, so don't know their policy but Besdor is a member here so maybe he will chime in. There are also hatters that will reblock your hat for a fee via mail order - Optimo in Chicago is mentioned here a good deal. But I think this is normally done for a hat that needs cleaning, stretching or other serious work, not just changing the bash.

Happy bashing...

 

[Feraud]

Yes you can reshape a hat to suit your needs. You can do it yourself with a bit of steam from a kettle. The steam will soften the felt for shaping. Shape and let dry.

Have you visited JJ Hat Center?
They have a nice selection of hats. You can try on the different styles to see what suits your face. JJ provides hat care service too.

 

[PhilS]

JJ Hat Center

I did go to JJ Hat Center at lunchtime today. I got the same sort of vibe I sometimes get at high-end electronics stores, but maybe it was clear I wasn't buying today. (I've been there before and had more helpful service, so please don't think I am trashing the store). At any rate, the hats I liked the best were also the most expensive -- so expensive, in fact, that I think I would be better off trying to find what I want in a vintage model.

 

[Spellflower]

New York certainly still has a good number of hat stores, and some of them offer excellent customer service (I had a great experience at Arnold Hatters). The problem is that they can only sell the hats they are supplied with, and since the overall quality of hats produced today has fallen dramatically from what it was in "the good old days," few of them have anything that approaches the quality of a vintage hat.

The most popular modern fedoras on this site are custom options such as Vintage Silhouettes and Optimo for around $300 to $500, and hats by an Australian company called Akubra, which are more affordable at $100 to $200.

As far as reshaping is concerned, be aware that there is a difference between blocking and simply shaping a hat. Blocking is a process by which a hatter puts the hat on a wood block and conforms the hat to the shape of the block. However, many hats can be reshaped by the owner with little to no equipment, unless they are really in bad shape, or have a lot of stiffener keeping them in one particular shape.

For information on shaping the hat yourself, variously referred to as creasing, bashing, and shaping, do some searches here for "hat creases" and the word "bash". Though many use steam from a tea kettle, I suspect that the heat may cause the hat to taper prematurely, and recommend using room temperature distilled water. Simply wet the hat and the fibers will loosen up. When it dries, it will hold the shape it was in. Also, some hats don't even require moisture- you just shape them and they stay that way.

 

[Feraud]

-- so expensive, in fact, that I think I would be better off trying to find what I want in a vintage model.

Money is certainly a consideration when buying hats.
If you know what you are looking for a vintage fedora can be purchased at a fraction of the price of a new hat.
Custom is a available for the ultimate experience in fit and personal specs..

 

[Spellflower]

A hat's price tag is not always an indication of its quality. If you want, you can pay over $500 for an off the rack hat that won't hold a candle to one of Art Fawcett's creations.

 

[Spatterdash]

Well said, Spellflower.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, you could pay just under $100 for an Akubra at Hatsdirect.com, a hat that will be holding onto your head well after Gozer the Traveler has come, the form of the Destructor has been chosen, the zombies have risen and the stars are right!


Akubra. A Good Hat for a Really Bad Day.



How's that for high praise? Ya think Akubra might wanna use that for a slogan and make me a little wealthier?
Yeah, I'm startin' a new thread.

 

[Jfala]

Well said, Spellflower.

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, you could pay just under $100 for an Akubra at Hatsdirect.com, a hat that will be holding onto your head well after Gozer the Traveler has come, the form of the Destructor has been chosen, the zombies have risen and the stars are right!


Akubra. A Good Hat for a Really Bad Day.



How's that for high praise? Ya think Akubra might wanna use that for a slogan and make me a little wealthier?
Yeah, I'm startin' a new thread.

All I have to say is wow! Using Gozer and Akubra in the same train of thought - well done.

Back to reshaping - I just added some front pinches to a vintage Stetson fedora after applying some water, pinching and then letting it air dry. Appears to have worked really well. The felt on this hat is really supple, and I don't think that I could have done this with my more modern Stetson Temple.

- Jeff

 

[Spellflower]

All my vintage hats can be shaped without any moisture at all. Whether it's the higher beaver content, age, or just higher quality processing, I don't know, but they stay where I put em.

 

[NY_Confidential]

I'm also curious if bencraft provides any hat-care services?

As Arnold Hatters is out of business, and JJ is just-- i hate going to Manhattan for anything..

 

[carldelo]

I'm also curious if bencraft provides any hat-care services?

As Arnold Hatters is out of business, and JJ is just-- i hate going to Manhattan for anything..

I don't know what Bencraft offers (maybe Besdor will weigh in), but Worth & Worth advertises all the hat-care services on their website with prices - seems reasonable and there is good feedback on the lounge about their work. They're on West 57th St - it is Manhattan, but easy enough to get to.

http://www.hatshop.com/site/hat-repair.php

Whatever you do, don't use Peter & Irving - JJ referred me to them for a cleaning and sweatband replacement - the work was so poor my vintage lid was essentially destroyed. I don't see them in the yellow pages, so hopefully they're out of business.
EDIT - actually they're still listed, but beware....