Stretching a Stetson Stratoliner

[Justin57]

I have an opportunity to buy a Stetson Stratoliner in a color I like for a ridiculously good price...bnut it has been (mysteriously) reblocked as a porkpie. It happens I also like porkpies, but I'm a 7 3/8 and the hat is 7 1/4. Could I have it resized to a 7 3/8 without serious damage? And should I buy a hat stretcher to do it?

 

[Frunobulax]

I have an opportunity to buy a Stetson Stratoliner in a color I like for a ridiculously good price...bnut it has been (mysteriously) reblocked as a porkpie. It happens I also like porkpies, but I'm a 7 3/8 and the hat is 7 1/4. Could I have it resized to a 7 3/8 without serious damage?

You can always recrease the hat. Is this a modern or vintage Strat?

 

[Rmccamey]

I have an opportunity to buy a Stetson Stratoliner in a color I like for a ridiculously good price...bnut it has been (mysteriously) reblocked as a porkpie. It happens I also like porkpies, but I'm a 7 3/8 and the hat is 7 1/4. Could I have it resized to a 7 3/8 without serious damage?

As the current discussion in the Ask a Question thread suggests, stretching a hat is a bit of a **** shoot. I have had limited success myself, but many here have had success going up 1/2 to 1 full size. Be patient and stretch a little at a time.

 

[Rmccamey]

FYI, here is an interesting derby in a 3/8 if you've a mind to stretch your horizons.

I have an opportunity to buy a Stetson Stratoliner in a color I like for a ridiculously good price...bnut it has been (mysteriously) reblocked as a porkpie. It happens I also like porkpies, but I'm a 7 3/8 and the hat is 7 1/4. Could I have it resized to a 7 3/8 without serious damage?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1173334966...156ff878&osub=-1~1&crd=20260810083248&segname

 

[Justin57]

You can always recrease the hat. Is this a modern or vintage Strat?

It is not described as vintage. And since it has been repurposed into a pork pie hat, it doesn’t have a crease.

 

[Justin57]

You can always recrease the hat. Is this a modern or vintage Strat?

Modern, I think. And it’s now a pork pie.

 

[Justin57]

As the current discussion in the Ask a Question thread suggests, stretching a hat is a bit of a **** shoot. I have had limited success myself, but many here have had success going up 1/2 to 1 full size. Be patient and stretch a little at a time.

If I try should I buy a hat stretcher ?

 

[Rmccamey]

If I try should I buy a hat stretcher ?

Yes, that is the usual method. You will need a source of steam as well, but an old fashioned tea kettle can work. Small, handheld garment steamers can be purchased online or from most big box stores for just a few dollars.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I have an opportunity to buy a Stetson Stratoliner in a color I like for a ridiculously good price...bnut it has been (mysteriously) reblocked as a porkpie. It happens I also like porkpies, but I'm a 7 3/8 and the hat is 7 1/4. Could I have it resized to a 7 3/8 without serious damage? And should I buy a hat stretcher to do it?

This hat has not been reblocked as a porkpie. Porkpie’s have brim widths of 2” or less. The brim appears to be the original 2.5” width with binding for a Stratoliner. Also most porkpies are creased with a sunken telescope crease. If the original hat size is 7.25 you will have little luck in sizing up to 7.375 without losing the 90 degree brim break, pushing up the ribbon causing it to be under strain & ride high, & losing the brim width of a Stratoliner. Your money will be better spent just buying a hat that fits.

 

[Frunobulax]

It is not described as vintage. And since it has been repurposed into a pork pie hat, it doesn’t have a crease.

Relooking at the pics, it's modern. Also, a little tutorial. Blocking is what's done to a hat during the build. The felt is stretched over a block, giving the hat a certain profile and taper. Creasing (or bashing) is what is done to the hat to give it a center dent, C-crown, diamond bash, etc. The telescope type design of this one is its "crease." It can theoretically be steamed out and recreased to your liking; however, you might wind up with ghosting from the previous crease. The modern Premiers are pretty good hats and were served open crown.

 

[ScottF]

I bought a hat yesterday that I couldn't resist - a 1940's JC Penney Marathon, silver belly bound brim with a navy ribbon. Softest Marathon I've come across. Wearable, but it's a smidgeon small.

As a hat stretcher example, here's the one I just purchased, needing only to expand the hat by less than half a size.

I'll add that in the twenty years that I've been buying vintage hats, I have learned through experience to be AGAINST hat-stretching. I almost always got a line in the felt where the top of the stretcher was situated. I never had any luck getting good results of more than half a size;i.e-going from 7 1/4 to 7 3/8 I found to be pretty much impossible (I'm inbetween the two). As a result I sold all of my hat stretchers and blocks long ago. But I think going up 1/4 to 1/2 a size is doable. As others have said, you have to steam the felt, soften the leather band, and go very slow. I have snapped a sweatband or two. My particular hat has a fantastic sweatband, so I'm hopeful.

Good luck with yours.

 

[RickP]

I bought a hat yesterday that I couldn't resist - a 1940's JC Penney Marathon, silver belly bound brim with a navy ribbon. Softest Marathon I've come across. Wearable, but it's a smidgeon small.

As a hat stretcher example, here's the one I just purchased, needing only to expand the hat by less than half a size.

I'll add that in the twenty years that I've been buying vintage hats, I have learned through experience to be AGAINST hat-stretching. I almost always got a line in the felt where the top of the stretcher was situated. I never had any luck getting good results of more than half a size;i.e-going from 7 1/4 to 7 3/8 I found to be pretty much impossible (I'm inbetween the two). As a result I sold all of my hat stretchers and blocks long ago. But I think going up 1/4 to 1/2 a size is doable. As others have said, you have to steam the felt, soften the leather band, and go very slow. I have snapped a sweatband or two. My particular hat has a fantastic sweatband, so I'm hopeful.

Good luck with yours.

If Im going to be doing serious stretching (more than one size), I usually remove the sweatband. Im my mind if the sweat is out, I might as well find the proper block and resize it correctly... not just stretch the bottom out with a hand stretcher. Im fortunate to own a nice hand crank vintage hat stretcher... works way better then the $20 Jungle website units.

My hand stretchers are only used for gentle slow maintenance coaxing such as a hat thats drawn up a bit from sitting in Grandpas attic. If Im going that far I usually remove the ribbons well so I can do a decent cleaning and pouncing on the crown if needed. Bit more work, but end result is minimal stains and funky lines. IF there is any discoloration around the ribbon line, a slightly wider new grosgrain hides a lot of sins and you end up with a spiffy nice looking hat. From my experience, lots of shrunken hats are actually from the ribbon shrinking with age.. not necessarily the leather sweatband. Ive turned several decent "lesser" hats into a nice looking freshened lids. But your mileage may vary..... I do this as a hobby with MY hats ... Im not trying to clean a hat for resale

 

[ScottF]

I had one like yours, but the block was wood. Loved it. I wish I had kept it.

If I remove the sweats on any of my hats, they can't be put back on without looking really bad. I've tried sewing sweatbands back on, and unless they were re-sewn horribly by someone before me, I won't do it. I applaud those of you who can re-sew bands to look original.

 

[Frunobulax]

I bought a hat yesterday that I couldn't resist - a 1940's JC Penney Marathon, silver belly bound brim with a navy ribbon. Softest Marathon I've come across. Wearable, but it's a smidgeon small.

As a hat stretcher example, here's the one I just purchased, needing only to expand the hat by less than half a size.

I'll add that in the twenty years that I've been buying vintage hats, I have learned through experience to be AGAINST hat-stretching. I almost always got a line in the felt where the top of the stretcher was situated. I never had any luck getting good results of more than half a size;i.e-going from 7 1/4 to 7 3/8 I found to be pretty much impossible (I'm inbetween the two). As a result I sold all of my hat stretchers and blocks long ago. But I think going up 1/4 to 1/2 a size is doable. As others have said, you have to steam the felt, soften the leather band, and go very slow. I have snapped a sweatband or two. My particular hat has a fantastic sweatband, so I'm hopeful.

Good luck with yours.

I want to see the Marathon.

 

[ScottF]

Crackly liner, unusually soft (for a Marathon) felt. I put it as late 1940's/early 1950's. It's a 7 1/8 long oval that is large for its tagged size.

 

[Frunobulax]

Crackly liner, unusually soft (for a Marathon) felt. I put it as late 1940's/early 1950's. It's a 7 1/8 long oval that is large for its tagged size.

That's a good looking hat.

 

[RickP]

I had one like yours, but the block was wood. Loved it. I wish I had kept it.

If I remove the sweats on any of my hats, they can't be put back on without looking really bad. I've tried sewing sweatbands back on, and unless they were re-sewn horribly by someone before me, I won't do it. I applaud those of you who can re-sew bands to look original.

I encourage folks that might need to possess the sweat sewing skillset, to pick up some cheap beater hats and practice. The first couple can be ugly, and you will stab your fingers a few times, but after a few hats it really isnt that hard to get decent at it. Id recommend black hats to start so the blood doesnt show lol... Get decent John James Millnery needles. Several folks on etsy selling decent ready to sew sweatbands. Pick up a few to have on hand and give it a try. FYI if youre kind of in between sizes, do an accurate measurement of your head and drop the sweat sellers a note.... most will make you a sweatband in your exact size. Im particularly fond of the soft sheepskin sweatbands over the cowhide.... My first sweatbands took 4-5 hrs, had wavy stitch lines and did involve stuck fingers. Now I can do one in a bit over an hour including a rough basting stitch to hold things in place for sewing. ( use a different color thread for a basting stitch so you dont cut the wrong thread when you go to pull it out later lol... ask me how I know) Have fun and go for it..... worst case scenario you make have to rip the seams out and start again. Practice makes perfect.

 

[ScottF]

I encourage folks that might need to possess the sweat sewing skillset, to pick up some cheap beater hats and practice. The first couple can be ugly, and you will stab your fingers a few times, but after a few hats it really isnt that hard to get decent at it. Id recommend black hats to start so the blood doesnt show lol... Get decent John James Millnery needles. Several folks on etsy selling decent ready to sew sweatbands. Pick up a few to have on hand and give it a try. FYI if youre kind of in between sizes, do an accurate measurement of your head and drop the sweat sellers a note.... most will make you a sweatband in your exact size. Im particularly fond of the soft sheepskin sweatbands over the cowhide.... My first sweatbands took 4-5 hrs, had wavy stitch lines and did involve *****ed fingers. Now I can do one in a bit over an hour including a rough basting stitch to hold things in place for sewing. ( use a different color thread for a basting stitch so you dont cut the wrong thread when you go to pull it out later lol... ask me how I know) Have fun and go for it..... worst case scenario you make have to rip the seams out and start again. Practice makes perfect.

It's always fun to try and restore old objects, but I gave up on repairing sweatbands around 2012 when I moved and got rid of all my hat repair stuff (including a lot of great leather for making sweatbands). I get that it can be done, and would enjoy looking at a 'thread' where you show us 'before and after' pictures.

I can imagine finding an amazing hat that needed a small repair, and not being able to resist acquiring it, but that hasn't happened in over a decade. This particular hat is an anomaly for me in that it' doesn't quite fit - nowadays a hat has to look great, fit well, have no mothing and have a strong well-attached sweatband. You guys can have the others.

 

[RickP]

Crackly liner, unusually soft (for a Marathon) felt. I put it as late 1940's/early 1950's. It's a 7 1/8 long oval that is large for its tagged size.

I have removed crunchy liner tops on many dingy modest hats and am usually rewarded with near pristine logos ... gives a whole new look and feel underneath. Certain higher qualities of hats Id never to that to, but modest hats are fair game in my book. I can reinforce and live with rips/cracks in the sweatband, but I dislike noisy, crunchy hats

 

[ScottF]

Agreed. I think the hats usually look better WITHOUT the crunchy covering, but it's part of the original hat, so I leave it as-is unless it's a total disaster. If I had to remove that crunchy covering, I generally left a few bits attached to the stitching, just to let the next owner know (if they look hard enough) that it once was there.