Ask a question, get an answer

[Redfokker]

they are going fast folks ... hit me up

Glad they are coming. I won't bug Mike Miller tomorrow about them.

 

[DanO]

So here is a question, I have a cheaper straw hat (Bailey) it has a snap brim 2.5. I am not fond of the way it looks down or up or up in the back and down in the front. How can I take some of the "snap" out of the brim? A good mod would be a little flatter on the sides and not as much downturn on the front. Would steam and ironing work? Thanks for any insight.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

they are going fast folks ... hit me up

I'm curious. I know they are form fitting to a degree ( I have a few) but is the chemistry of the plastic any different than plastic stretch wrap you buy in a roll?

 

[moontheloon]

I'm curious. I know they are form fitting to a degree ( I have a few) but is the chemistry of the plastic any different than plastic stretch wrap you buy in a roll?

yes

it is not clingy like stretch wrap ... and wrapping your hat in cling wrap is amazingly awkward and frustrating because it is only wide enough to cover half of your hat so you need two lengths which constantly separates and bunches up and never covers the brim properly

these have a slightly thicker plastic that goes over the brim and a very thin layer that goes over the crown which flexes to fit any size crown

there really is no comparison to wrestling with cling wrap .... believe me I've done it

 

[FedOregon]

I like both the small plastic bags and the cellophane covers, and use both. If I'm putting the hat away for awhile I'll use the plastic bag for an extra measure of protection from wayward moths. Otherwise I just pop a cover on the hat, put it in the box and stack the boxes in the corner.

One exception I have is for a hat I bought that had seriously strong moth ball odors. If i put that hat in a plastic bag, the odors come back big time, so much so that I find it obnoxious to my sense of smell. I don't put that one in plastic bags anymore... just a cover and a box.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

yes

it is not clingy like stretch wrap ... and wrapping your hat in cling wrap is amazingly awkward and frustrating because it is only wide enough to cover half of your hat so you need two lengths which constantly separates and bunches up and never covers the brim properly

these have a slightly thicker plastic that goes over the brim and a very thin layer that goes over the crown which flexes to fit any size crown

there really is no comparison to wrestling with cling wrap .... believe me I've done it

I should have described what I have better. It is not clingy or stretchy. It is a wide roll of food grade PE plastic used in commercial food preparation. Being food grade it doesn't off gas any harmful byproducts.

 

[BobHufford]

Is there a good tutorial for adding a cloth sweat to and shaping a beat-up straw hat?

 

[blueAZNmonkey]

So here is a question, I have a cheaper straw hat (Bailey) it has a snap brim 2.5. I am not fond of the way it looks down or up or up in the back and down in the front. How can I take some of the "snap" out of the brim? A good mod would be a little flatter on the sides and not as much downturn on the front. Would steam and ironing work? Thanks for any insight.

I have had this same issue with many of my straw hats (including three of my Baileys). Fortunately, you can use steam to shape the straw very similarly to how you would use steam to shape your felts. However, when I have to de-exaggerate the flange of my straw brims, I don't use a kettle-style steamer. Instead, I use a steam iron and kind of "shoot" steam at the brim through a light protective cloth (like a bandana). Simply place the hat on a flat surface (your ironing board will do), then cover the hat with your bandana, then gingerly shoot steam at the brim in the various areas you want flattened. The brim won't go completely flat unless you keep the steam on it too long.

 

[moontheloon]

dust covers are shipping today

let me know if anyone else needs them

filling 10 orders as we speak

 

[moontheloon]

covers heading your way gentlemen

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TMM]

Question from a new guy, not sure where else to ask.

I bought a wool felt 18th tricorner hat reproduction for reenactment purposes. The one i got was made in the same way they did way back when, which means the stiffening agent they use is water soluble and will wash away if it gets wet. It will also shrink significantly.

So I'd like to waterproof it but I'm not aware of any waterproofing products that can be applied to wool, since wool is naturally water resistant anyway. I will be wearing the hat itself fairly often and I suspect i'll get caught in the rain with it at least once.

 

[RJR]

Question from a new guy, not sure where else to ask.

I bought a wool felt 18th tricorner hat reproduction for reenactment purposes. The one i got was made in the same way they did way back when, which means the stiffening agent they use is water soluble and will wash away if it gets wet. It will also shrink significantly.

So I'd like to waterproof it but I'm not aware of any waterproofing products that can be applied to wool, since wool is naturally water resistant anyway. I will be wearing the hat itself fairly often and I suspect i'll get caught in the rain with it at least once.

Welcome,I'm sure several members will chime in.My first thought is several light coats of Scotchguard.

 

[robrinay]

I've never tried them on a hat but there are products for waterproofing tents that last for years but I'd avoid the water based ones to prevent shrinkage and I'd experiment with an old hat first.

 

[Windsock8e]

Hello all

I've realised that I have a whole bunch of hats - some acquired years ago when I knew nothing and 5 in the last 6 weeks because I started really using the Fedora Lounge's depth of knowledge.

As I learn more, I realise how much I don't really know (this is a general realisation about life in general, not just hats!), so to make sure I am starting with the right basics, here are a few questions:

- When measuring the brim, do you measure from on top or underneath (i.e. Hook the tape measure over the sweatband)? I figure it is on top but as I am also trying to establish the optimal brim width for my size head/body and may eventually give in and splurge on a Gannon or other custom, I figure it is worth knowing.

- Same question about measuring open crown height; do I measure from the inside or the outside?

- one two of the old hats I have picked up, there are moth bites or dimples. Is it possible to sand these out or should I send to a specialist?

- I may trim a Fed IV, not sure the brim works for me. If I do, I would presumably need to sand the edges. Leaving aside the question of whether this is a good idea or not, when I see references to different sand paper weight, e.g. 220, 400, are we talking just "normal" sandpaper you can get in a hardware store or some sort of magical hat sandpaper (and does it need to be vintage sandpaper - sorry, lame joke)?

- I want to clean some of the hats I found and have a cheap old one I can test it on. I live in the UK and gather that car panel degreaser (panel wipe) is the closest to the stuff they sell in the US - any U.K. Based people who can confirm?

I have other questions but this is a great start if I can get your knowledge!

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Damon B]

Yes they are, I got a 58 but I think next time ill go down a size as ive had to use an insert, this is possibly whats making it a little uncomfortable.
Another question, anyone know the difference between the Maciejowka and the Polish Legions cap, obv the strap is different and you get the badge but is that it? Im curious because the Legions is twice the price so im thinking there must be more to it.

 

[Frunobulax]

Hey, Windsock. First, most of the answers to your questions are somewhere on the lounge and have been tackled. If you haven't already, dive into the Links to Important Hat forum Threads area and immerse yourself. I think I spent my first few months on here just reading, reading, reading. There is a wealth of historical and current knowledge on this forum, and before you know it, you'll be an expert!

Second, I gently suggest you put general questions in the Ask a Question, Get an Answer thread. This way, we have our information more concisely located and have fewer stray threads.

- When measuring the brim, do you measure from on top or underneath (i.e. Hook the tape measure over the sweatband)? I figure it is on top but as I am also trying to establish the optimal brim width for my size head/body and may eventually give in and splurge on a Gannon or other custom, I figure it is worth knowing.

I usually measure on the outside, from the crown to the edge.

- Same question about measuring open crown height; do I measure from the inside or the outside?

Again, I usually measure on the outside, as that is what you are normally looking for, e.g., how high does the crown sit above my head when somebody else is looking at it?

- one two of the old hats I have picked up, there are moth bites or dimples. Is it possible to sand these out or should I send to a specialist?

Moth Damage Repair

- I may trim a Fed IV, not sure the brim works for me. If I do, I would presumably need to sand the edges. Leaving aside the question of whether this is a good idea or not, when I see references to different sand paper weight, e.g. 220, 400, are we talking just "normal" sandpaper you can get in a hardware store or some sort of magical hat sandpaper (and does it need to be vintage sandpaper - sorry, lame joke)?

Regular fine grit sandpaper works fine. However, I will suggest that you wear your Fed IV for a while before trimming. Most of us over time have become much more comfortable with larger brims as we wear our hats daily. I use to think 2 1/4" was about right for me, but now I regularly wear 2 7/8" brims without blinking.

- I want to clean some of the hats I found and have a cheap old one I can test it on. I live in the UK and gather that car panel degreaser (panel wipe) is the closest to the stuff they sell in the US - any U.K. Based people who can confirm?

Not familiar with car panel degreaser, but it doesn't sound like something I would want near my hat.

Look over this thread for more information.

Enjoy your hats and let us know how everything goes!

 

[RJR]

Hey, Windsock. First, most of the answers to your questions are somewhere on the lounge and have been tackled. If you haven't already, dive into the Links to Important Hat forum Threads area and immerse yourself. I think I spent my first few months on here just reading, reading, reading. There is a wealth of historical and current knowledge on this forum, and before you know it, you'll be an expert!

Second, I gently suggest you put general questions in the Ask a Question, Get an Answer thread. This way, we have our information more concisely located and have fewer stray threads.

- When measuring the brim, do you measure from on top or underneath (i.e. Hook the tape measure over the sweatband)? I figure it is on top but as I am also trying to establish the optimal brim width for my size head/body and may eventually give in and splurge on a Gannon or other custom, I figure it is worth knowing.

I usually measure on the outside, from the crown to the edge.

- Same question about measuring open crown height; do I measure from the inside or the outside?

Again, I usually measure on the outside, as that is what you are normally looking for, e.g., how high does the crown sit above my head when somebody else is looking at it?

- one two of the old hats I have picked up, there are moth bites or dimples. Is it possible to sand these out or should I send to a specialist?

Moth Damage Repair

- I may trim a Fed IV, not sure the brim works for me. If I do, I would presumably need to sand the edges. Leaving aside the question of whether this is a good idea or not, when I see references to different sand paper weight, e.g. 220, 400, are we talking just "normal" sandpaper you can get in a hardware store or some sort of magical hat sandpaper (and does it need to be vintage sandpaper - sorry, lame joke)?

Regular fine grit sandpaper works fine. However, I will suggest that you wear your Fed IV for a while before trimming. Most of us over time have become much more comfortable with larger brims as we wear our hats daily. I use to think 2 1/4" was about right for me, but now I regularly wear 2 7/8" brims without blinking.

- I want to clean some of the hats I found and have a cheap old one I can test it on. I live in the UK and gather that car panel degreaser (panel wipe) is the closest to the stuff they sell in the US - any U.K. Based people who can confirm?

Not familiar with car panel degreaser, but it doesn't sound like something I would want near my hat.

Look over this thread for more information.

Enjoy your hats and let us know how everything goes!

Good information,imo.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

So I'd like to waterproof it but I'm not aware of any waterproofing products that can be applied to wool, since wool is naturally water resistant anyway.

Wool on a sheep's back & some knitted woollen garments may have some water repellent qualities thanks to lanolin (naturally occuring & added respectively) but wool felt hats have little if any water repellent capacities though it does take quite a while for water to seep all the way through under 'normal rain.'
I have heard of people using 'Scotchguard' on their wool felt hats with some success (I have never used it ) but if you're caught in a downpour I don't think anything will be effective.

 

[johnnycanuck]

You can use Scotchguard but keep in mind you have to soak the hat and re apply every three months or so if you want it properly protected. Outside of that if you look on some Tricorn hat webpages waxing it is also an option. Same stuff you use to turn canvas into waxed canvas.
My two cents worth.
Johnny
Any pictures?

 

[NoSkinnyJeans]

Any thoughts on the most versatile color for an Akubra Campdraft? I like Both the moonstone and silverbelly, but which looks the beat with a suit or jeans or khakis?