Brim forming: Up or down when done?

[bobkeenan]

I just got a used Borsalino Alessandria. My first Borsalino. It arrived tight. Too tight. So using posts here, I used some leather conditioner on the sweatband. After it dried I steamed the hat and then used a hat stretcher. I was amazed how easily it stretched. In fact it was a bit on the loose size when I was done so I backed off on the stretcher and steamed it again and it seem to fall back to a perfect size. But with all the fiddling with the size the brim was a little out of shape here and there. I steamed that and used the techniques I have seen on youtube and pretty much brought them back into shape (after freakin out for a little while).

Here is the question. I wear my fedoras brim down. But when I shape it and leave it to dry do I do all of that with the brim down or all with the brim up. I am thinking that you do it all with it up but I have seen videos of both ways.

I will post some pics tomorrow when its all dry and nice looking.

 

[Michael R.]

Up , I would say , because it's flanged , I think . There's a vid on youtube on it , actually several . Kevin from Pork-Pie Hatters (quadrogong1111)(J&J Hat Center) , and one you might consider is Matt Deckard's vid on how to sit your Hat when its not on your head . Its short . Here's Matt's

Here's Kevin

But don't do anything drastic , there are info Threads on this kind of thing here . You could go to Ask a Question , Get an Answer Thread for advice .

 

[LuvMyMan]

Up , I would say , because it's flanged , I think . There's a vid on youtube on it , actually several . Kevin from Pork-Pie Hatters (quadrogong1111)(J&J Hat Center) , and one you might consider is Matt Deckard's vid on how to sit your Hat when its not on your head . Its short . Here's Matt's

Here's Kevin

But don't do anything drastic , there are info Threads on this kind of thing here . You could go to Ask a Question , Get an Answer Thread for advice .

Great advice all the way around...however...Mr. Deckard is forgetting one main NO NO in his own video of handling his own hat...you NEVER pick up a hat by the front tip of the crown where you hat is "pinched"! Aside from that he is 100% correct and of course, I am sure he does know about the leaving your crown alone when you take a hat off! Least I hope he does! haha!

 

[Michael R.]

Great advice all the way around...however...Mr. Deckard is forgetting one main NO NO in his own video of handling his own hat...you NEVER pick up a hat by the front tip of the crown where you hat is "pinched"! Aside from that he is 100% correct and of course, I am sure he does know about the leaving your crown alone when you take a hat off! Least I hope he does! haha!

Haha ! You're so Right Cindy ! You ought to leave a reminder on the comments to Matt ! He used to be on here . Thanks for pointing that one out .

 

[moontheloon]

Great advice all the way around...however...Mr. Deckard is forgetting one main NO NO in his own video of handling his own hat...you NEVER pick up a hat by the front tip of the crown where you hat is "pinched"! Aside from that he is 100% correct and of course, I am sure he does know about the leaving your crown alone when you take a hat off! Least I hope he does! haha!

I handle all my hats by the pinch... always have ... this is another hat myth

over time it could result in the dreaded hole in the peak we have all seen ... but if you are somewhat gentle with the hat when holding as Matt is in this video you won't have any more problems than you would handling it in any other fashion such as constantly handling the brim which leads to its own issues

I find handling a hat this way also leads to a very nice natural looking shape

if you are not grabbing the hat vigorously or massaging the peak regularly which will definitely over time weaken the felt in that one spot you will not run into any problems

I've handled a couple particular hats this way ... one new and one vintage ... a bit more aggressively than others for a number of years in an attempt to bust this myth .... needless to say these hats are no worse for the wear than they were the day I started this experiment

 

[LuvMyMan]

I handle all my hats by the pinch... always have ... this is another hat myth

over time it could result in the dreaded hole in the peak we have all seen ... but if you are somewhat gentle with the hat when holding as Matt is in this video you won't have any more problems than you would handling it in any other fashion such as constantly handling the brim which leads to its own issues

I find handling a hat this way also leads to a very nice natural looking shape

if you are not grabbing the hat vigorously or massaging the peak regularly which will definitely over time weaken the felt in that one spot you will not run into any problems

I've handled a couple particular hats this way ... one new and one vintage ... a bit more aggressively than others for a number of years in an attempt to bust this myth .... needless to say these hats are no worse for the wear than they were the day I started this experiment

We know most of us cherish out hats so much and keep hands clean. I can say a while back, one straw hat Daniel purchase had a weak spot right on the top tip of the pinch, and it was ready to give out, the same with one Stratoliner you could see grime from the use of picking the hat up from that same area. I never touch any hat in that area, as both Daniel and I will gently lift hats from the sides near the ribbon of the hat band.

I am certain we here in our home, are really super gentle on all the fedora hats we have. Many will wear a hat in bad weather, but for us if the weather is bad, we have commercial head wear or umbrella use. Daniel will wear his US Navy Issue Ball Cap (yipes...yes a Ball Cap) and I have a well worn flat cap that was a gift from one of our English friends.

To some degree, if a person does only touch a hat on that pinch and they have anything on their hands, I would think over time it would start to show a bit. Of course I guess that could be true if you have something on your hands it could show up anywhere else as well!

 

[moontheloon]

I am a hat collector ... but I am a hat wearer first

to me babying your hat is like babying your shoes ... most of the time quite impractical

that being said ... I do have some pieces that are very old and in wonderful condition that I treat with more kid gloves .. but I don't wear those as much

the hats I wear... I wear and do not treat as museum pieces ... for me that takes every bit of enjoyment out of being a hat wearer

 

[tropicalbob]

Same here. The only felt hat that I'm a little careful with is my Akubra SBCD because I don't want to get any smudges on the light-colored felt. Just common sense. One of the images that has remained in my head from when I was a kid is that of my dad's Uncle Jim coming in our front door, grabbing a handful of his hat, and throwing it on the couch. I don't know why, but I always thought it was a cool gesture. His brother, Harry, though, was the opposite and would carefully rest his hat on his lap. To each his own.

 

[RJR]

I am a hat collector ... but I am a hat wearer first

to me babying your hat is like babying your shoes ... most of the time quite impractical

that being said ... I do have some pieces that are very old and in wonderful condition that I treat with more kid gloves .. but I don't wear those as much

the hats I wear... I wear and do not treat as museum pieces ... for me that takes every bit of enjoyment out of being a hat wearer

+1

 

[Bob Roberts]

Sometimes my creased bashes need a good pinch exactly where it belongs so those particular hats get their pinches pinched accordingly. So as part of their training, I'll often take the hat on and off by the crown pinches untill I got em where I want em. Stubborn little buggers.

 

[alanfgag]

I believe the advice to not grasp the hat by the pinch dates to a time when men had a handful of hats and in wearing, lifted them off often as a gesture of respect and took them off frequently when moving from outdoors to indoors. Some in our group have a hat for every day of the month (or year) and never take them off during the course of the day. I expect we wear far fewer holes in the pinch than in the olden days.

 

[Michael R.]

Same here. The only felt hat that I'm a little careful with is my Akubra SBCD because I don't want to get any smudges on the light-colored felt. Just common sense. One of the images that has remained in my head from when I was a kid is that of my dad's Uncle Jim coming in our front door, grabbing a handful of his hat, and throwing it on the couch. I don't know why, but I always thought it was a cool gesture. His brother, Harry, though, was the opposite and would carefully rest his hat on his lap. To each his own.

Care Free , and Careful , two types of Uncles ... , Personalities .

I believe the advice to not grasp the hat by the pinch dates to a time when men had a handful of hats and in wearing, lifted them off often as a gesture of respect and took them off frequently when moving from outdoors to indoors. Some in our group have a hat for every day of the month (or year) and never take them off during the course of the day. I expect we wear far fewer holes in the pinch than in the olden days.

I take my Hat off going in doors , not necessarily my indoors , but Church , Dinning Out , others Homes , but large Businesses , I don't worry about it . If we tipped (or lifted) our Hats to every woman me saw , it could be a problem , but only ladies , and little girls , ... it was a curtesy and sign of respect . Different Times , different people , then . Rules of Etiquette are pretty much out the window . Though its changed down through time , Cowboys didn't see ladies , or women much , in the Victorian Era being a "Gentleman" whether of means , or not , required polite respectful gestures , just normal , everyone knew . Hoodlums didn't follow the rules (much) , etiquette , or law , then or now .

 

[emigran]

I abide by the Pinch Paranoia... dunno really why... sounds good to me is all...