Hat Jack Use & Turning Up the Sweatband

[Genuine Classic Gangster]

A hatter has taught me that when one gets home and takes off his fedora, it should be set on its crown, and then the sweatband should be turned up so that the sweatband can dry out properly after sweat has accumulated on it.

I am about to start using a Hat Jack.

My questions are: should I still be turning up the sweatband after I use the hat, if I am going to be using a Hat Jack? Or should I should just stop turning up the sweatband, and stick the Hat Jack in the hat as soon as I stop using the hat?

Supplementary questions: after turning up the sweatband of my new Borsalino hat last night, in the morning I found that the act of turning up the sweatband was starting to pull the brim out of shape. The hat was upside down, on its crown, and the sweatband being turned up caused the brim to become deformed: the brim starts to fold at certain points, and curve sharply in ways that appears very unhealthy for the hat. For these reasons, should I stop turning up the sweatband in this particular hat anyway? Is there a way to turn up the sweatband of this hat without having it cause the brim to shape into deforming curves?

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I would think turning up the sweatband each time the hat is worn would result in rapid, or at least premature, wear of the leather and the stitching. The only time I turn up the sweatband is when the hat has been soaked. I don't sit hats on the crown.

I wipe down the sweatband, let it dry naturally, and then put in a hat jack if desired or needed.

 

[Genuine Classic Gangster]

I don't sit hats on the crown.

Why not?

Do you sit them on the brim?

My local hatters have always told me that sitting hats on their brim will quickly ruin the brim by making it lose its shape.

Do you disagree with that?

Is there a reason not to sit hats on their crown?

 

[splintercellsz]

The crown can develop flat spots.

 

[Dinerman]

Unless the hat is soaked, do not flip the sweatband out. And do not flip the sweatband out unnecessarily on vintage hats, it will ruin the leather.
And don't set the hat on the crown- that "rule" really only applies to westerns. On fedoras, just flip the brim up and set it down, brim side down- it's much better for the hat.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Why not?

Do you sit them on the brim?

My local hatters have always told me that sitting hats on their brim will quickly ruin the brim by making it lose its shape.

Do you disagree with that?

Is there a reason not to sit hats on their crown?

+1 to what Dinerman added! I flip up the brim on fedoras, and set them with the brim down. As to western hats, I try to park mine so as to avoid flat surfaces, by allowing the front of the brim to hang over the edge of a table or chair cushion, so as to not flatten the brim. Placing any wet hat on the crown may produce a flat spot, as will leaving any hat on it's crown for an extended period of time.

 

[carldelo]

Agreed with Dinerman and Grizzly, I've only flipped out a sweatband once or twice on a hat, when it was truly drenched. Years ago I bought a bunch of el-cheapo plastic hat stands --- they seem expensive for what they are, but if you have a collection of valuable hats, they're a minor investment to guard the flock...

e.g.: http://www.wardrobesupplies.com/products/hat-rest-plastic

FYI, the maximum size these things can deal with is about 7-5/8. My size 7-3/4 hats are borderline too big and tend to fall over the ledge at the bottom. I have some adhesive felt to put on them to accommodate a larger hat size, but haven't applied it yet.

 

[Brian Niebuhr]

I do not like resting my westerns on their crowns. Only when there is no other option. I like to hang my hats or place them on hat stands resting the weight inside the crown on telescope type crowns. I never turn out the sweat. Not sure why this is suggested so often by hatters.

 

[Woodfluter]

I can't believe that turning out the sweatband routinely is good for the hat, and especially not the sweatband. On vintage hats, when checking the interior for labels, I am very gentle with the sweatband and bend it as little as possible. With newer hats and ones that have leather in good condition, plus a little leather conditioner now and then, you can do more but sheesh, I've seen sweats that would be very usable for years to come start to crack when bent sharply.

As for the rest, Dinerman knows his stuff.

The only thing I use a hat jack for is stretching hats that are too small when I got them. Mine haven't required repeated stretching and I don't think, myself, that routine use really does much if the hat is of high quality.

As a slight aside, I like storing hats that aren't in frequent use in cardboard file boxes or a proper hatbox. Keeps them away from dust and bugs (if you're careful). I make cardboard rings by cutting strips and stapling the ends together. A tall ring in the bottom to keep the crown off the box, then slimmer rings that allow me to stack two or three (sometimes four) hats with nested crowns. The rings assure that contact is between the base of one brim and the top of the next, close to the crowns -which are not touching. That preserves brim curl (where an issue) and prevents marking the felt.

 

[gtdean48]

... Not sure why this is suggested so often by hatters.

Like Jiffy Lube telling you to change oil every 3000 miles = quicker return business for sweatband replacement????

 

[ideaguy]

Who's the hatter giving these suggestions? If he's reputable, I'm sure he will come forward and correct us for our wayward habits...

 

[Brian Niebuhr]

I just remember reading these suggestions on loads of custom hat websites. Seems like it was more of a hat care copy-paste thing. A lot of them were word for word. The Cowboy Hat Book suggests these methods as well as I recall. Could have all come from the same source??

 

[splintercellsz]

I wouldn't doubt it. Especially in this day and age.

 

[fedoralover]

This would really be a bad idea if the sweatband were top stitched in as many vintage ones were.

fedoralover

 

[Genuine Classic Gangster]

Who's the hatter giving these suggestions? If he's reputable, I'm sure he will come forward and correct us for our wayward habits...

He used to work in a local hat shop about 15 years ago, but he has long since retired and that shop has long since closed. I'm so glad I found this site that my own bad habits may now finally be corrected. I'm pretty shocked that he gave me so much bad advice. That hatter said that he sold hats for all of his life, and so did his father before him.

I can see the consensus is that sitting the hat on its crown is a bad idea. Even so, I ask,

Is there zero truth to the idea that putting the brim up and then sitting the hat on the brim might cause the brim to become misshapen?

Are both options bad for the hat, with the sitting-on-brim option being less-bad? Or is the sitting-on-brim option not bad in any way?

 

[Dinerman]

Only on cowboy hats.

 

[Mystic]

Agreed with Dinerman and Grizzly, I've only flipped out a sweatband once or twice on a hat, when it was truly drenched. Years ago I bought a bunch of el-cheapo plastic hat stands --- they seem expensive for what they are, but if you have a collection of valuable hats, they're a minor investment to guard the flock...

e.g.: http://www.wardrobesupplies.com/products/hat-rest-plastic

FYI, the maximum size these things can deal with is about 7-5/8. My size 7-3/4 hats are borderline too big and tend to fall over the ledge at the bottom. I have some adhesive felt to put on them to accommodate a larger hat size, but haven't applied it yet.

This may be a stupid question....But, it won't be the first stupid thing I ever asked....so....

These hat stands look to be very long oval. Could be just the photo angle, however if they are this oblong in shape would not that effect a hat's shape that is being stored on the stand. Sort of conforming to the stand.
Maybe the hats weight would not be enough to alter the shape of the sweatband as a hat sitting on it's crown would somewhat flatten from it's weight.

Ok...input please....about the hat question not about the stupidness of the question. :smile:

 

[tonyb]

It's certainly not the first time that received wisdom on hat matters turned out to be bunk.

I can think of at least one thing that is still held to be a truth, even among people of considerable experience, but which I think is just plain wrong, wrong, wrong. But I don't bring up that subject because I fear it would result only in people (me included) digging in their heels.

 

[danofarlington]

Trying hard to do the right thing a couple of years ago, after I bought my Hat Jack, I soaked in a rainstorm a nice Borsalino beaver hat, then brought it inside, put the Hat Jack inside the crown, and set the hat on its crown to dry.

The next day the crown was squished. That was the last time I tried to dry a hat on its crown. Your mileage may vary.

 

[scottyrocks]

I have two preferred methods of hat 'sittage', and neither of them invloves any undue stress on the hats' brim or crown.

The first is a rack. I like this one in particular, and have one hanging in my closet for my three favorite hats:

Another method I use for hat storage is to sit them on top of half shell motorcycle helmets, which I happen to have a number of. Of course, if you don't have any, purchasing them can get expensive, and if you don't ride, it's almost pointless.

Also, I buy hats in my size that fit me, so the use of a hat jack is generally unnecessary. If I need to use a jack, though, I would use it sparingly. In the past, I have sold or reblocked hats that I had to keep stretching out.

I have also never needed to fold out a sweat and would also recommend against doing so unless it got soaked.