Stretching a hat - advice please....

[Art Hat1]

It’s certainty come in handy with my other hats, they never get too tight-except perhaps when in desperate need of a hair cut- but it is nice to loosen them back up on occasion. I just hope it’ll loosen this new one up a little so it doesn’t shrink too far on me. Though it is new and stiff so just wearing it everyday for a few weeks and nudging it with the stretcher at night should hopefully do it.

 

[belfastboy]

It’s certainty come in handy with my other hats, they never get too tight-except perhaps when in desperate need of a hair cut- but it is nice to loosen them back up on occasion. I just hope it’ll loosen this new one up a little so it doesn’t shrink too far on me. Though it is new and stiff so just wearing it everyday for a few weeks and nudging it with the stretcher at night should hopefully do it.

A hat stretcher set to your size is a great tool to keep the hat from shrinking. Hats can't really be 'stretched' but the hat jack works well as a band block to hold the hat's size and shape.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

It’s certainty come in handy with my other hats, they never get too tight-except perhaps when in desperate need of a hair cut- but it is nice to loosen them back up on occasion. I just hope it’ll loosen this new one up a little so it doesn’t shrink too far on me. Though it is new and stiff so just wearing it everyday for a few weeks and nudging it with the stretcher at night should hopefully do it.

I think a band block works even better than a hat stretcher. If you’re handy with a jig saw, you can use one you buy as a template to make as many as you might need. If you can fit a finger between the sweatband and your head at the temple it sounds like you’re a long oval so work out your head shape before you buy a band block.

 

[glider]

If a hat needs to be stretched around half a size you will probably be ok with a hat stretcher. A full size or more and the stretcher isn't going to produce the result you want. You need it re-blocked, in other words completely rebuilt in the size you need. Unless you can do that work yourself it would probably make more sense to just buy a hat that fits. There are a couple guys on the forum that rebuild hats and actually do beautiful work but they don't do work for other people.

 

[Art Hat1]

Thanks for all the advice, it’s very appreciated! The stretcher is in so we’ll see what happens, I don’t need it to really even go up a half size, just relax the fit if that makes sense. Always the danger with factory made hats, the sizing can get a little hit or miss sometimes.

 

[belfastboy]

If a hat needs to be stretched around half a size you will probably be ok with a hat stretcher. A full size or more and the stretcher isn't going to produce the result you want. You need it re-blocked, in other words completely rebuilt in the size you need. Unless you can do that work yourself it would probably make more sense to just buy a hat that fits. There are a couple guys on the forum that rebuild hats and actually do beautiful work but they don't do work for other people.

Yes, I do work for anyone that wants a hat rebuilt. I love to restore vintage hats, or making a favourite hat fit.