Can a fedora be streched????

[bennyboyca]

Hey guys, my friend has a vintage fedora which I love, he has offered to sell it to me, the only thing is, it is a size 7 3/8 (59cm) and I take a size 7 1/2 (60). What I want to know is, in any of your experience, can vintage fedoras be stretched? I was just wondering with it only being 1cm difference.... :eusa_doh:

Benny.

 

[buler]

benny, have you tried using the search function yet? I don't want to be rude, but this topic has been covered many, many times. Plus, as someone pointed out in another thread, you can post questions like this in the sticky thread "Ask a question, Get an answer". Everything doesn't require starting a new thread.

Just trying to be helpful.

B

 

[Yeps]

Short answer yes. Long answer, yes, but it might distort the shape a little, but it out to work. One size is pretty easy, but be careful of the sweatband.

 

[bennyboyca]

Sorry, I wont post any more questions.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Benny really post questions. Hat stretching is just a real common question here. Everyone has had to do it at sometime or another.
Unless you are real lucky and get a vintage hat that is the correct size they all need to be tweeked a little.

 

[scotrace]

Sorry, I wont post any more questions.

We want your questions. But after 7 years and millions of posts, you will always find the search function very helpful. Look for what you want to know, and if that doesn't answer your question, add yours to one of the threads you find.

 

[fmw]

I disagree. I think the search function is useless. It brings up nearly every thread in the database. If you don't want to answer the question simply walk on by. But the search advice isn't very helpful in my opinion.

Yes, fedoras can be stretched. The downside is that it can cause an uneven look because the joint where the crown and brim meet get larger but the top of the crown does not. It causes the crown to taper toward the top. I think if you are talking about one size or a fraction of a size, stretching is OK. If you need to go further than that, you are better off selling what you have and getting a hat that fits better.

As a matter of recommendation, getting a hat that is a little too large is better than getting one that is a little too small. Padding the sweatband on a large hat is not as severe as stretching a small one.

If you have a very valuable hat that is worth spending some money to fix, you can send a small hat to a professional hatter and have it reblocked to a larger size. There is no downside to that other than the cost. The reblocking makes the whole crown larger. I did that to hat that was one size too small and the result was excellent. Good luck.

 

[Lefty]

Here's one way to search. Others go to the Advanced Search to do the same thing.
click

As was said, there's the Ask a Question Get an Answer thread for simple questions like this.

 

[buler]

I disagree. I think the search function is useless. It brings up nearly every thread in the database. If you don't want to answer the question simply walk on by. But the search advice isn't very helpful in my opinion.

So telling people that the search function is useless is helpful?

I disagree with you. I find most of the things I need thru using the search or advanced search here. Very rarely do I resort to using the google search method.

B

 

[Dreispitz]

Stretching in order to achieve a plastic deformation implies a point of no return, as far, as a particular fit of a hat is concerned. The danger of disintegration must also be born in mind when applying extrusion force! :bathbaby:

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Compared to other forums I have used the search function on this forum is not as good. Don't know ther reason for this but that's the way it is.

 

[scottyrocks]

When you use the search, use Advanced Search and put a check in the 'Posts' box. This will limit the results and get you closer to what you are looking for.

 

[fmw]

So telling people that the search function is useless is helpful?

B

No, I said telling people to use the search function is not helpful. I was helpful by answering his question. I use VBulletin 4 in my forum as well. It is just as bad. Version 3 had a good search function. Version 4 does not. Sorry. It's the truth.

 

[fmw]

Stretching in order to achieve a plastic deformation implies a point of no return, as far, as a particular fit of a hat is concerned. The danger of disintegration must also be born in mind when applying extrusion force! :bathbaby:

Yes, I should have mentioned that. There is certainly a risk of splitting the hat band when you strech a hat. I've done that when trying to stretch a hat one full size.

 

[Engrishman]

No, I said telling people to use the search function is not helpful. I was helpful by answering his question. I use VBulletin 4 in my forum as well. It is just as bad. Version 3 had a good search function. Version 4 does not. Sorry. It's the truth.

I second this. One of my biggest problems encountered when I first joined the forums was the combination of former links completely broken during the forum reshuffle plus the lack of search function effectiveness.

(I still can't find a good super-thread on monocles.)

That being said, I try as much as possible to search threads by title, but that only gets you so far.

 

[azshawn]

I disagree. I think the search function is useless. If you have a very valuable hat that is worth spending some money to fix, you can send a small hat to a professional hatter and have it reblocked to a larger size. There is no downside to that other than the cost. The reblocking makes the whole crown larger. I did that to hat that was one size too small and the result was excellent. Good luck.

I have found the opposite. I am a hat novice like the OP, and have all the usual questions. I have been able to answer every question I've had with the advanced search feature, but I also choose titles only so I find an entire thread if one exists. Maybe we have different things we are searching for.

 

[handlebar bart]

Search works. Choose "Advanced search", type in 'hat stretching' and choose to searching titles only. Pretty simple and the first thread that pops up will answer the OPs question.

 

[Rick Blaine]

I ALWAYS use Google

to search TFL

But to stretch a hat up a size I use an aerosol "shoe stretch" spray on both sides of the sweatband. If the sweat is at all dry damaged brittle or none of the above, it never hurts to prepare the leather by giving a goodly amount of Lexol and letting that soak in overnight.

Use liberal amounts of steam on the exterior felt & ribbon while stretching. leave it on the stretcher as long as you're able, give it an extra quarter turn once in a while as it sits...I have never had a problem.

dropinhatstretcherman on ebay makes nice, inexpensive ceder stretchers, in a range of widths, that are superior to more slender 'hat jacks' IMO.
The olde antique ones made from wood & brass with high sides and such are nice too.

 

[bowlerman]

No, I said telling people to use the search function is not helpful. I was helpful by answering his question. I use VBulletin 4 in my forum as well. It is just as bad. Version 3 had a good search function. Version 4 does not. Sorry. It's the truth.

fmw-- I have to say I'm with you 100%. I find what I'm looking for more successfully on this lounge with a google search than I do with the search function, even advanced. Not to say that the advanced search hasn't been helpful on occasion, but it's awfully labor intensive and requires one to sift through thousands of generally unrelated posts.

 

[Torpedo]

I must say I think the Search function, if used in its Advanced mode, does work. If you put the key words, it does narrow the results pretty well on my experience, specially if applied to thread titles.
Regarding the original question, stretching a hat one size is no problem most of the time.