To pinch or not to pinch?¢‚Ǩ‚Äùthat is the question.

[Oscar Tong]

To pinch or not to pinch—that is the question.

The owner of my favorite local hat shop believes that hat wearers should not pick up or otherwise lift their hats by pinching the crown, the reason being that repeated pinching will eventually break the hat. I don't know whether pinching the crown was a common practice in the past, but some people tell me that it's done in many old movies. What do you think? Is it alright to pick up a hat by the crown?

Me? I thought it sounded like sensible advice, so I try to avoid lifting my fedoras by their crowns.

 

[nicolasb]

I've heard this from several different sources - the point at the front of the fedora crown is especially weak and prone to breaking or wearing. You can't avoid touch the crown altogether, of course, or it's hard to position the hat properly (let alone raise/tip/doff it to anyone).

 

[Feraud]

I have heard more than once that excessive handling at the pinch should not be done. The repeated pressure can weaken and eventually destroy the felt. I try to hold my hat by the brim when it is not on my head.

 

[riccardo]

Take a look...

...take a look here...
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=3316&highlight=casablanca

best regards.

Riccardo.

 

[thefish]

I lost a Royal Stetson to excessive pinching. The Federation that replaced it is holding up well. I try not to grab it by the pinch, but I often do anyway.

Oscar--
Vintage felt hats are generally able to take a lot more pinching then modern ones. Still, it is hard on any hat, and handling it by the brim is better. I wince every time I hand my hat by the brim to a coat checker, and see them grab it by the pinch.

THAT is why I don't hand my hat to any hat/coat check person. I've ended up getting it back looking like they sat on it, or I WATCH them dig it from beneath a pile of jackets. No thanks. If ANYONE is going to fold, spindle, and mutilate my hat, it's going to be me, thank you very much!

If asked, "Can I take your hat?" I respond "No." and dare them to argue with me.

 

[dopey]

It is true, but . . .

It is true that you should not pinch the front of the crown when you take the hat on and off as you can damage the felt. I have seen this in my own hats that I have worn for years and years, and also in a vintage Cavanagh. In that case, the hat was in pristine condition and appeared unworn otherwise - much better than my new hats that have gotten frequent wear - so I assume the damage was not worn felt so much felt that was just compressed from years of being stuck in a pinch.

Although the rule is don’t grab your hat by the crown when you take it on and off, that is sometimes a hard rule to live by. If you find it tough to follow the rule, train yourself to grab further back from the front pinch. That will keep you from putting too much pressure on the pinch in front and will be better for the hat. Also, pop the pinch out and brush the felt every so often.

 

[Oscar Tong]

Thanks, everybody, for your input. This is really good information.

Fish, I'll take a cue from you and henceforth be more wary of coat-check men. It never would have occurred to me that there could be sloppy coat-check men out there. I guess I give people more credit than I mean to sometimes.

 

[FedoraGent]

Stark raving lunatics could not pay me to check my hat. I've come across this question quite a bit and here are my two cents. I have a Royal Stetson that I had used only up until regularly since I bought it in 1992. It's seen better days and it's semi reitred. It's been with me around the world and the crown took some beating through extensive pinching over the years. The result boys and girls is that it just isn't the same now. Even after blocking and such, it still is not the same hat.

As far as my Panama, my theory is that it would DEFINITELY be a bad thing for the straw. My new Borsalino...I was visiting some colleagues recently and the resident New Yorker pinched it. As a result I'm very protective of my Borsalino now. Commoners just don't know how to handle our kind of style, and furthermore how we handle our hats...

I know that sounded bad, but it had to be said...

Jon