Stretching a hat - advice please....

[belfastboy]

Yes, I agree with all that Mike posted above. It all depends on the 'how much'. I have never had any real success with stretching a hat anything more than nudging it out slightly. AND I have experienced much failure. ....such as distorting the band area so the stretch shows, popping the sweat stitches. The only success I have really had in resizing a hat is sending it to my hatter for a reblock and resize. With the ones I have just eased out I need to leave the hat jack in the hat as a band block or the sweat just reverts to its original sizing.

 

[Andrew friedhofen]

Thanks for the reply. Yes the leather sweat bands are intact. I am trying to stretch that area about 1/8 th inch or so.
I will try much more steam in the future. I did crack a leather band on a habig, still getting over that.

 

[belfastboy]

Thanks for the reply. Yes the leather sweat bands are intact. I am trying to stretch that area about 1/8 th inch or so.
I will try much more steam in the future. I did crack a leather band on a habig, still getting over that.

Be cautious with the steam directly on the leather sweat.

 

[Andrew friedhofen]

Ok thanks I will. When I started collecting about a year ago I bought too many smallish hats. I need to stick with 7&1/2.

 

[Cornshucker77]

Just a word of warning. The first thing I did, and I am no pro, when I tried was I popped the sweatband stitches. There are a lot of good people on here who can help you do it right.

 

[Andrew friedhofen]

Thanks. Yes I popped the stitches once also.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

Be cautious with the steam directly on the leather sweat.

Great point! I was thinking only about the felt body and I never even considered mentioning it, but do keep away steam away from that sweatband. Again, if it's only resizing, the steam should be primarily focused around the break between the crown and brim from the outside of the hat. Steam applied to the sweatband will not do that leather any favors, especially if the hat has any age to it. Some of our folks here have had success conditioning the sweatband prior, to help preserve it. They can add their thoughts to that idea.

To Cornshucker's point, too much stretch, too quickly can do some damage to the sweatband stitching as well. Depending on who the manufacturer was, and what thread they used, is important. I've had some hatbands sewn on with a nylon thread having been used and that stuff is not very flexible. Stretching in small increments is the key.

(Glad you guys are out there! - You fill in all the important blanks!!)

 

[belfastboy]

Ok thanks I will. When I started collecting about a year ago I bought too many smallish hats. I need to stick with 7&1/2.

Yes, I learned my lesson and now only go one size up never down. Shims are waaay easier than stretches

 

[scottyrocks]

I've had good results stretching whole hats up one size by using a Hat-Jack, shea butter on the sweat, and steam on the outer felt at the base of the crown, steaming and screwing out until it won't go anymore without ripping stitches. I then leave the Jack in for a couple of days. Sometimes I have to repeat the process.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I’ve “ruined” more hats than I care to admit. At most, I can size up a completed hat 1/2 size. Usually I limit myself to taking them from standard to long oval. If you are going to strip a hat that’s a whole different story. A couple days ago I resized a Borsalino from 56cm to 61cm without much issue (the brim didn’t quite remain even).

I’ve hit what looked to be perfectly good sweatbands with steam and ruined them. Steam/heat and leather do not mix.

I’ve sent a couple of 7 1/2 hats to VS and had them successfully resized (including the sweatbands) to 7 5/8. Even though I have a block, a hat jack, a heated hat stretcher, etc., I leave the important work to the professionals... at least when it’s a hat I really care about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Cornshucker77]

Yes, I learned my lesson and now only go one size up never down. Shims are waaay easier than stretches

Same here.

 

[Cornshucker77]

I’ve “ruined” more hats than I care to admit. At most, I can size up a completed hat 1/2 size. Usually I limit myself to taking them from standard to long oval. If you are going to strip a hat that’s a whole different story. A couple days ago I resized a Borsalino from 56cm to 61cm without much issue (the brim didn’t quite remain even).

I’ve hit what looked to be perfectly good sweatbands with steam and ruined them. Steam/heat and leather do not mix.

I’ve sent a couple of 7 1/2 hats to VS and had them successfully resized (including the sweatbands) to 7 5/8. Even though I have a block, a hat jack, a heated hat stretcher, etc., I leave the important work to the professionals... at least when it’s a hat I really care about.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I toasted a SB also. I hit the steam with it and it curled faster than I could get the cuss words out.

 

[Scooterz]

Google "YouTube How to Stretch a Hat" look for the video by JJ Hat Center. I had good success with a couple of hats, but maybe rushed it a bit or the sweat was more brittle on the third and popped the threads where the ends of sweat are sewn together. No other damage visible and the hat is still wearable. Don't rush and figure on doing it in two or three stages. The shea butter is probably a really good idea.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

I hit the steam with it and it curled faster than I could get the cuss words out.

I felt bad for ya, but I have to admit, your recollection made made me laugh out loud! Thanks for the overt chuckle!

The BAD news is, I'M AT WORK, in a cubicle. They gotta think I'm wacked!!

 

[Cornshucker77]

I felt bad for ya, but I have to admit, your recollection made made me laugh out loud! Thanks for the overt chuckle!

The BAD news is, I'M AT WORK, in a cubicle. They gotta think I'm wacked!!

Ha, glad you laughed Mike. Many of us here at the Lounge are wacked ain't we? The good news for me is it was the only SB I ruined with steam. So I guess I learned from it.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

jd, the hat stretching topic is an ongoing topic around here. Many tell you that you can't go up more than 1 size. That is bunk. I use a vintage stretcher purchased off of ebay like the one pictured. I have SUCCESSFULLY stretched a size 7 Stetson, a size 7 1/8 Borsalino and a size 7 1/4 Adams up to my 23 1/8th noggin. Time, water, Lexol and patience are required. My stretcher is a size 7 if that helps.

I agree with a lot of that, with a caveat. I've also found hats that simply refused to stretch and stay stretched.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

Yes, I learned my lesson and now only go one size up never down. Shims are waaay easier than stretches

Have you drummed any sweats? I've been thinking about trying that because so far have not cared for the feeling of foam or felt I used to shim.

 

[Hat and Rehat]

I'm currently seeking out a quality hat stretcher. I've been following a few on ebay, but most of what I see are sized 6 3/4. I wear a 7 3/8 long oval, or a 7 1/2. Will a hat stretcher that small do me any good?

I measured accrosse the opening of my hats (front to back) at 8 1/2". Will at 6 3/4 hat stretcher expand that far?

Thanks for all your good advice.

I'm waiting to see what other loungers have to say. I've actually been buying more hat stretchers, in multiple sizes. I started with an inexpensive Cowboy stretcher designed forthe front and back, really. Even screwed all the way in there are no sides to meet. Then I purchased a vintage 6 3/4, which matches my wife's size in men's hats. I really like the fact it has sides, so creates a full oval. I have used it as a band block. It's also thick, and has a front to back bow, like felt tends to get over time, and this helps me see what I'm doing to the shape of the hat as I stretch it. I don't pull it straighter than the bow.
If I go as big as my size, 7 1/8, with the 6 3/4 I feel that I'm losing the benefit of the sides, re: a true oval, so have been shopping for bigger one's. I'm blessed with a regular oval head, so the idea of a stretcher made to that sounds good. It might not matter to people with less regular noggins. The 7s I found were priced high, with high shipping, so I now have a 6 7/8 which I use on my own hats. I also picked up a 6 5/8 before an auction ended with it unsold. I hope to work on hats as more than a hobby, so still keep an eye out for additional sizes.

 

[Art Hat1]

So I just got a brand new hat in my correct size, 7 3/8 and found it to fit….but very snuggly. Usually a 7 3/8 will feel a little loose then snug up a bit to feel right. This one is pretty snug right out of the box which was very surprising. Now it doesn’t hurt or leave a red line across my head, and I can successfully nudge my pinky finger into the hat at my temple. I can also rotate the hat back and forth on my head so I don’t feel as if it’s too small, it’s just very snug. I wouldn’t worry except it’s brand new so it may shrink a little over time and then actually become too tiny. I put my four-way stretcher in to just loosen it very slightly, no need to take it up even half size just relax it a little. Any reason to suppose this wouldn’t work? Reading through this thread I get the impression the stretcher was made for just this type of tiny adjustment.

 

[hatsRme]

So I just got a brand new hat in my correct size, 7 3/8 and found it to fit….but very snuggly. Usually a 7 3/8 will feel a little loose then snug up a bit to feel right. This one is pretty snug right out of the box which was very surprising. Now it doesn’t hurt or leave a red line across my head, and I can successfully nudge my pinky finger into the hat at my temple. I can also rotate the hat back and forth on my head so I don’t feel as if it’s too small, it’s just very snug. I wouldn’t worry except it’s brand new so it may shrink a little over time and then actually become too tiny. I put my four-way stretcher in to just loosen it very slightly, no need to take it up even half size just relax it a little. Any reason to suppose this wouldn’t work? Reading through this thread I get the impression the stretcher was made for just this type of tiny adjustment.

Exactly. More of a maintenance device, and handy to have.