Hat Stretchers

[CKC]

Great job in every aspect. I envy your skills and appreciate the craftsmanship.

I’ve visited Quartzsite a few times…close to 30 years ago. It’s an experience.

Thank you very much for such a nice compliment, Brent.

I figured anyone who's experienced Quartzsite would probably understand why I thought it was worth mentioning. It's quite a unique place.

 

[wsmontana]

Greetings everyone,

I'm guessing I'm not totally alone when I say my head shape doesn't easily fit into the standard oval hat block shape used for most hats.

I have a few of those relatively inexpensive hat stretchers (Hat-jacks) that they sell at just about every good hat store. The first time I used one I was really happy to have found a tool that could help me relieve the front-to-back pressure I get with nearly all hats.

I initially shaped my hat-jacks in a way that I thought was more closely aligned with the actual shape of my head. After using them on multiple hats for more than a year, I was seeing some shortcomings with the design.

I considered buying some of those nice looking antique professional hat stretchers I've seen. They address most of the shortcomings I've experienced with the cheaper versions. But, I had a hard time justifying the price knowing they too would not be exactly the right shape for my oddball head.

Then, reading posts around here I learned about using a woodworkers curve guide for tracing my head shape. Hallelujah! What a great thing to learn about!! I had been wanting a simple way to replicate the shape of my head for quite a while already.

I ordered a set of 2 (24" & 36") and they arrived the next day. Using them to find my head shape was illuminating. Until tracing my own head, I had thought my head was more long oval but turns out to be an egg. The front to back pressure I always experience was not just from length, but from width in the back taking up more volume than I realized as well. The narrower than normal forehead is also causing gaps at the temples that effectively take up volume, causing me to need to typically wear 1 size larger than I would otherwise need.

With my new head-tracing tools and my newfound understanding of my own weird egg-head, I set out to make my own hat stretcher that addresses all of my concerns about the cheap store-bought versions AND is shaped exactly like my head.

Here's my first one...I plan to make myself at least 2 more.

Here it is next to the version I have been using until now..

Here it is doing it's job.

So far I've had time to steam and shape 2 of my hats using my new stretcher and I can't believe what a difference it makes. Getting all of the dimensions right for the first time feels amazing! It was definitely worth the 2 days I spent working out the design and building it. The only other thing I plan to do is add some inlay "pointers" that indicate the center top and bottom (for quickly aligning it in the hat).

Wonderful job!

I’m curious, was it necessary/difficult to fix up brim distortion when stretching your off-the-shelf hat to your head shape?

Bill

 

[CKC]

Wonderful job!

I’m curious, was it necessary/difficult to fix up brim distortion when stretching your off-the-shelf hat to your head shape?

Bill

Thank you Bill.

I've never owned a custom hat, so every hat I've ever worn has had to conform to my head shape one way or the other. Using the hat stretcher isn't too much different than wearing the hat. Yes, my hats do change shape, but I've come to see the way my brims get distorted as simply my hat shape and I don't usually do much to fix it. Some hats are more accepting of my shape than others. Having tried a lot of hats I tend to gravitate to hats that are shaped in a way that will naturally conform to my specific form of distortion.

I wish I could just stretch and wear a hat like Clint's hat here, but the distortion would make it look like a totally different hat on me.
.

On my head brims inevitably roll up on the sides and arc down in the front and back. My Akubra Angler is a good example of a hat that comes shaped in a way that conforms to me more easily and naturally than most. With this hat the hat stretcher doesn't distort it in any way that I would have to fix.

My Open Road is a hat that would prefer to stay flat and is a lot more resistant to my head shape. No matter what I do the sides are going to curl up when I wear it. So, rather than try to stop it from distorting, I just go with it. With this hat the hat stretcher distorts the brim quite a bit, but I don't really mind the rolled up sides so I don't do much about it.

If a brim goes too far I'll hit it with steam while the stretcher is in it and work the brim a bit, but pinched-front down-brim hats that I mostly wear usually don't need anything.

 

[wsmontana]

Thank you Bill.

I've never owned a custom hat, so every hat I've ever worn has had to conform to my head shape one way or the other. Using the hat stretcher isn't too much different than wearing the hat. Yes, my hats do change shape, but I've come to see the way my brims get distorted as simply my hat shape and I don't usually do much to fix it. Some hats are more accepting of my shape than others. Having tried a lot of hats I tend to gravitate to hats that are shaped in a way that will naturally conform to my specific form of distortion.

I wish I could just stretch and wear a hat like Clint's hat here, but the distortion would make it look like a totally different hat on me.
.

On my head brims inevitably roll up on the sides and arc down in the front and back. My Akubra Angler is a good example of a hat that comes shaped in a way that conforms to me more easily and naturally than most. With this hat the hat stretcher doesn't distort it in any way that I would have to fix.

My Open Road is a hat that would prefer to stay flat and is a lot more resistant to my head shape. No matter what I do the sides are going to curl up when I wear it. So, rather than try to stop it from distorting, I just go with it. With this hat the hat stretcher distorts the brim quite a bit, but I don't really mind the rolled up sides so I don't do much about it.

If a brim goes too far I'll hit it with steam while the stretcher is in it and work the brim a bit, but pinched-front down-brim hats that I mostly wear usually don't need anything.

Thank you for the detailed and educational reply!

You wear those hats well and I tip my hat to you that you have made them comfortable with your custom hat stretcher.

In the discussion here I certainly have gained a greater appreciation of the difficulties a hatter faces in making a hat that fits a customer and conforms to some outward appearance. I have to wonder if a custom hatter would even be willing and able to build that Clint hat for you?

Bill

 

[CKC]

Thank you for the detailed and educational reply!

You wear those hats well and I tip my hat to you that you have made them comfortable with your custom hat stretcher.

In the discussion here I certainly have gained a greater appreciation of the difficulties a hatter faces in making a hat that fits a customer and conforms to some outward appearance. I have to wonder if a custom hatter would even be willing and able to build that Clint hat for you?

Bill

Thank you for the kind words.

I wonder the same thing. One day I might just find out. After hearing about the experience Belfastboy had making a hat with a shape similar to mine I am concerned that if I find a maker who is nice enough to take on that challenge he/she might regret it half way through.

As a maker of handmade products myself, I have deep respect for people who make quality products by hand and I wouldn't want to put any such person in a position where they find themselves regretting taking my order. At a minimum I think I'll keep working on block making so that if I do get any custom hats made in the future I can give the hatter a perfect block for my head.

My guess would be that I will have to generally stick with Aussie style hats, Panama stye down-brim shapes, or western hats whether they are custom or not. Frankly, if those are the only types of hats that will ever fit me, I'm ok with it. But if one day I meet a hatter that can pull off a flat brim (maybe with a pencil roll) on my head, I'll be loudly telling everyone about the miracle worker I found!

 

[belfastboy]

Thank you Bill.

I've never owned a custom hat, so every hat I've ever worn has had to conform to my head shape one way or the other. Using the hat stretcher isn't too much different than wearing the hat. Yes, my hats do change shape, but I've come to see the way my brims get distorted as simply my hat shape and I don't usually do much to fix it. Some hats are more accepting of my shape than others. Having tried a lot of hats I tend to gravitate to hats that are shaped in a way that will naturally conform to my specific form of distortion.

I wish I could just stretch and wear a hat like Clint's hat here, but the distortion would make it look like a totally different hat on me.
.

On my head brims inevitably roll up on the sides and arc down in the front and back. My Akubra Angler is a good example of a hat that comes shaped in a way that conforms to me more easily and naturally than most. With this hat the hat stretcher doesn't distort it in any way that I would have to fix.

My Open Road is a hat that would prefer to stay flat and is a lot more resistant to my head shape. No matter what I do the sides are going to curl up when I wear it. So, rather than try to stop it from distorting, I just go with it. With this hat the hat stretcher distorts the brim quite a bit, but I don't really mind the rolled up sides so I don't do much about it.

If a brim goes too far I'll hit it with steam while the stretcher is in it and work the brim a bit, but pinched-front down-brim hats that I mostly wear usually don't need anything.

Not to say it would be easy but a custom hat can be made for you so it will sit like Clint's. Your head shape requires work/finesse but it is possible. It has to be shaped before the leather sweat is sewn in as it requires too much steam & manipulation for the leather sweat to handle.

 

[belfastboy]

Not to say it would be easy but a custom hat can be made for you so it will sit like Clint's. Your head shape requires work/finesse but it is possible. It has to be shaped before the leather sweat is sewn in as it requires too much steam & manipulation for the leather sweat to handle.

That you now have a pattern for your head's shape that you can supply to any on line hatter to use is a huge leg up in getting a hat that truly fits.

 

[CKC]

Not to say it would be easy but a custom hat can be made for you so it will sit like Clint's. Your head shape requires work/finesse but it is possible. It has to be shaped before the leather sweat is sewn in as it requires too much steam & manipulation for the leather sweat to handle.

Once again, you've provided some really helpful information. Thank you!

That's also very encouraging to hear.

Is there a standard hardware set up I need to learn about for blocks to sit together with flanges and crowns or connect to a stand or whatever? Or, do I need to find out what the specific maker uses and adapt my block to work with his/her specific flanges, etc..? I've got the shape part figured out, now I just need to iron out any details that make them functional for a hatter.

 

[belfastboy]

Once again, you've provided some really helpful information. Thank you!

That's also very encouraging to hear.

Is there a standard hardware set up I need to learn about for blocks to sit together with flanges and crowns or connect to a stand or whatever? Or, do I need to find out what the specific maker uses and adapt my block to work with his/her specific flanges, etc..? I've got the shape part figured out, now I just need to iron out any details that make them functional for a hatter.

I work mostly in centimetres. So my blocks are 58, 59, 60cm etc. A knowledgeable flange maker understands that when he makes a flange to mate with a 60cm block he also has to allow about a 5mm extra allowance to accommodate the thickness of the felt. To be on the safe side I would provide him with a tracing of the footprint of your block. That is to say your full long oval block not the Extra Long Oval hat stretcher shape of your head. Again if you get a block shaped to exactly match your Extra Long oval head the crown will look strangely. Block it to Long Oval and then adjust/finesse the area of the sweat band. Flange variety is almost infinite. You have from a flat flange, to an extreme cupped flange as well as widths from a stingy 1 1/2" up to 4" in almost infinite increments. Get clear on what style of flange you want as they are so very specific. I have a basic 4 flanges for each size of block times 2 (Long Oval and Regular Oval) and more for the more popular sized heads.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thank you Bill.

I've never owned a custom hat, so every hat I've ever worn has had to conform to my head shape one way or the other. Using the hat stretcher isn't too much different than wearing the hat. Yes, my hats do change shape, but I've come to see the way my brims get distorted as simply my hat shape and I don't usually do much to fix it. Some hats are more accepting of my shape than others. Having tried a lot of hats I tend to gravitate to hats that are shaped in a way that will naturally conform to my specific form of distortion.

I wish I could just stretch and wear a hat like Clint's hat here, but the distortion would make it look like a totally different hat on me.
.

On my head brims inevitably roll up on the sides and arc down in the front and back. My Akubra Angler is a good example of a hat that comes shaped in a way that conforms to me more easily and naturally than most. With this hat the hat stretcher doesn't distort it in any way that I would have to fix.

My Open Road is a hat that would prefer to stay flat and is a lot more resistant to my head shape. No matter what I do the sides are going to curl up when I wear it. So, rather than try to stop it from distorting, I just go with it. With this hat the hat stretcher distorts the brim quite a bit, but I don't really mind the rolled up sides so I don't do much about it.

If a brim goes too far I'll hit it with steam while the stretcher is in it and work the brim a bit, but pinched-front down-brim hats that I mostly wear usually don't need anything.

My brims do the same thing when I try to wear a standard oval hat on my long oval head. The thinner and more easily shaped the felt is the more the sides flare up and the front and back swoop down. Having hats made in on a long oval block and then using a long oval band block for the final shaping solves it. It’s also helpful to make sure the hats are not at all undersized. I’ve sold some fantastic vintage hats because they just don’t fit right and the oval wasn’t long enough. If the oval is right but the hat is just a bit tight I can still wear it, it’s just a tighter fit better suited for windy days. If the size is tight and the oval isn’t long enough the brim will distort up on the sides. The best solution is to have a well-fitting hat with an oval that matches your head shape.

 

[frankmissing]

Greetings everyone,

I'm guessing I'm not totally alone when I say my head shape doesn't easily fit into the standard oval hat block shape used for most hats.

I have a few of those relatively inexpensive hat stretchers (Hat-jacks) that they sell at just about every good hat store. The first time I used one I was really happy to have found a tool that could help me relieve the front-to-back pressure I get with nearly all hats.

I initially shaped my hat-jacks in a way that I thought was more closely aligned with the actual shape of my head. After using them on multiple hats for more than a year, I was seeing some shortcomings with the design.

I considered buying some of those nice looking antique professional hat stretchers I've seen. They address most of the shortcomings I've experienced with the cheaper versions. But, I had a hard time justifying the price knowing they too would not be exactly the right shape for my oddball head.

Then, reading posts around here I learned about using a woodworkers curve guide for tracing my head shape. Hallelujah! What a great thing to learn about!! I had been wanting a simple way to replicate the shape of my head for quite a while already.

I ordered a set of 2 (24" & 36") and they arrived the next day. Using them to find my head shape was illuminating. Until tracing my own head, I had thought my head was more long oval but turns out to be an egg. The front to back pressure I always experience was not just from length, but from width in the back taking up more volume than I realized as well. The narrower than normal forehead is also causing gaps at the temples that effectively take up volume, causing me to need to typically wear 1 size larger than I would otherwise need.

With my new head-tracing tools and my newfound understanding of my own weird egg-head, I set out to make my own hat stretcher that addresses all of my concerns about the cheap store-bought versions AND is shaped exactly like my head.

Here's my first one...I plan to make myself at least 2 more.

Here it is next to the version I have been using until now..

Here it is doing it's job.

So far I've had time to steam and shape 2 of my hats using my new stretcher and I can't believe what a difference it makes. Getting all of the dimensions right for the first time feels amazing! It was definitely worth the 2 days I spent working out the design and building it. The only other thing I plan to do is add some inlay "pointers" that indicate the center top and bottom (for quickly aligning it in the hat).

Best-
CK

Great job, I'm planning on doing something similar! Only now I suppose where to start))))

 

[CKC]

I work mostly in centimetres. So my blocks are 58, 59, 60cm etc. A knowledgeable flange maker understands that when he makes a flange to mate with a 60cm block he also has to allow about a 5mm extra allowance to accommodate the thickness of the felt. To be on the safe side I would provide him with a tracing of the footprint of your block. That is to say your full long oval block not the Extra Long Oval hat stretcher shape of your head. Again if you get a block shaped to exactly match your Extra Long oval head the crown will look strangely. Block it to Long Oval and then adjust/finesse the area of the sweat band. Flange variety is almost infinite. You have from a flat flange, to an extreme cupped flange as well as widths from a stingy 1 1/2" up to 4" in almost infinite increments. Get clear on what style of flange you want as they are so very specific. I have a basic 4 flanges for each size of block times 2 (Long Oval and Regular Oval) and more for the more popular sized heads.

Thank you! The details about which oval shape and how it will affect the crown are things I could only learn from someone who understands the challenges a hatter faces during the process.

Very soon I will make my block and probably more than one version. Meanwhile, I'm going to learn more about flanges and figure out if I want to make my own flanges or not. By the time I get through makng my blocks and making or sourcing flanges I expect I'll know enough to be able to have the sort of talk I want to have with a hatter about making me a great custom piece of wearable art.

Once again, I greatly appreciate your advice!

 

[CKC]

My brims do the same thing when I try to wear a standard oval hat on my long oval head. The thinner and more easily shaped the felt is the more the sides flare up and the front and back swoop down. Having hats made in on a long oval block and then using a long oval band block for the final shaping solves it. It’s also helpful to make sure the hats are not at all undersized. I’ve sold some fantastic vintage hats because they just don’t fit right and the oval wasn’t long enough. If the oval is right but the hat is just a bit tight I can still wear it, it’s just a tighter fit better suited for windy days. If the size is tight and the oval isn’t long enough the brim will distort up on the sides. The best solution is to have a well-fitting hat with an oval that matches your head shape.

Thank you Brent.

I appreciate learning from your experience. I can see by the way you wear your hats that our heads bend hats in a very similar way. I don't yet own a hat that's been blocked on a long oval. Using the hat stretcher I posted here was the first time I've ever felt what a hat feels like when it's shaped in a way that genuinely works for me. Until then, I would get hats wet and wear them all day until they dried so that they would conform better (which helps a ton). But, I realize now that buying hats made on a long oval, or having a hatter re-block my hats on a long oval are both things that make a huge difference in the overall comfort and styling of my hats.

Unfortunately for my head shape, my two favorite hat manufacturers are Stetson and Akubra. Stetson makes very few hats on a long oval (almost all of the long ovals that come from the Garland, TX factory are Resistol hats). Although I can't say I've dug deeply into the question yet, I am not aware of any Akubras made on a long oval either.

Do you have any suggestions for non-custom hats you like that are made on long ovals?

 

[belfastboy]

Thank you! The details about which oval shape and how it will affect the crown are things I could only learn from someone who understands the challenges a hatter faces during the process.

Very soon I will make my block and probably more than one version. Meanwhile, I'm going to learn more about flanges and figure out if I want to make my own flanges or not. By the time I get through makng my blocks and making or sourcing flanges I expect I'll know enough to be able to have the sort of talk I want to have with a hatter about making me a great custom piece of wearable art.

Once again, I greatly appreciate your advice!

You are welcome. Any further questions pop up.....ask away.

 

[belfastboy]

Thank you Brent.

I appreciate learning from your experience. I can see by the way you wear your hats that our heads bend hats in a very similar way. I don't yet own a hat that's been blocked on a long oval. Using the hat stretcher I posted here was the first time I've ever felt what a hat feels like when it's shaped in a way that genuinely works for me. Until then, I would get hats wet and wear them all day until they dried so that they would conform better (which helps a ton). But, I realize now that buying hats made on a long oval, or having a hatter re-block my hats on a long oval are both things that make a huge difference in the overall comfort and styling of my hats.

Unfortunately for my head shape, my two favorite hat manufacturers are Stetson and Akubra. Stetson makes very few hats on a long oval (almost all of the long ovals that come from the Garland, TX factory are Resistol hats). Although I can't say I've dug deeply into the question yet, I am not aware of any Akubras made on a long oval either.

Do you have any suggestions for non-custom hats you like that are made on long ovals?

My head is an egg shape but long oval hats fit me better than regular ovals. But there is no firm standard it seems inthe industry. I have Reg Oval hats that just don't fit me and give me headaches as they are tight front and back. I can however wear off the rack Akubras with no issues so I think they might be a hybrid shape. I have new blocks and vintage in both long and regular oval and even within the regular oval ones there are variances in the shape.

 

[CKC]

Here's a little progress report on the stretching and shaping of my O.R.

I basically made my hat stretcher for this hat. It's the only 60 (7 1/2) I own (all my other hats are 61 or 7 5/8). It's been adapting to the new shape fairly well but the brim was rolling up a lot on the sides. Yesterday, I took the liner out, folded the sweatband down and steamed the brim and the sweatband inside and out. I was careful to use steam high in the stream so that it wouldn't be too hot and cause any immediate shrinkage. Leather will shrink with heat and/or water if allowed, but it will also stretch and take a shaped set if it's molded and held until it dries. As soon as the hat was softened evenly I quickly folded the sweat band back in and put the hat stretcher in the hat. I then spent 15 or 20 minutes gently encouraging the brim to flatten out a bit. Once I was satisfied that I had made some progress, I put the hat in it's box and left it to dry (with the hat stretcher in place) until the next day.

This morning it's looking better than ever. The shape of the sweatband/crown base is about as good as I could ask for at this point.

The brim isn't too wildly curved up (although I think over time I can continue to make incremental progress here).

Most importantly, I have NEVER had a gap at my temples this small on any hat before.

The hat is now sitting gently and comfortably on my head with no pressure on my forehead whatsoever and it's also touching more of my head than any hat I've ever worn. I'm very pleased! (and..yes this me is me looking very pleased , what can I say..I suffer from R.B.F. if you know what I mean)

One thing I think I'm seeing through all of this is there are two separate and competing factors to think about when stretching a hat for a head shaped like mine. Brims and crown ovals are not very cooperative with one another.

The point that Brent made about smaller (tighter) hats being more difficult to stretch because they will have more brim distortion is clearly true. The brim is going to have to move more on a tighter hat because a tighter hat will have to be stretched further. The original shape and size of the brim are probably important factors here as well. With some hats this might mean the brim is unacceptably distorted.
On the other hand, in order to get the front of my hat to fully take on my shape, it has to be stretched into that shape. I can't stretch a 61 as far as I can stretch a 60 because the 61 would become too large overall. For me, a 61 can be made to be very comfortable more easily but it will also have a larger gap at the temples and the front won't be as perfectly shaped to my forehead.

At the moment I think I'm inclined to prefer to stretch a 60 into my shape if the brim is a down-brim or larger than 2 7/8" (the OR has been a little more challenging than I would prefer). Up brims, and anything smaller than 2 7/8" I would probably choose the larger 61 and have less brim distortion to deal with. But, I'm still in the steep, early portion of this learning curve and I expect my understanding of these things to continue to evolve.

 

[belfastboy]

Here's a little progress report on the stretching and shaping of my O.R.

I basically made my hat stretcher for this hat. It's the only 60 (7 1/2) I own (all my other hats are 61 or 7 5/8). It's been adapting to the new shape fairly well but the brim was rolling up a lot on the sides. Yesterday, I took the liner out, folded the sweatband down and steamed the brim and the sweatband inside and out. I was careful to use steam high in the stream so that it wouldn't be too hot and cause any immediate shrinkage. Leather will shrink with heat and/or water if allowed, but it will also stretch and take a shaped set if it's molded and held until it dries. As soon as the hat was softened evenly I quickly folded the sweat band back in and put the hat stretcher in the hat. I then spent 15 or 20 minutes gently encouraging the brim to flatten out a bit. Once I was satisfied that I had made some progress, I put the hat in it's box and left it to dry (with the hat stretcher in place) until the next day.

This morning it's looking better than ever. The shape of the sweatband/crown base is about as good as I could ask for at this point.

The brim isn't too wildly curved up (although I think over time I can continue to make incremental progress here).

Most importantly, I have NEVER had a gap at my temples this small on any hat before.

The hat is now sitting gently and comfortably on my head with no pressure on my forehead whatsoever and it's also touching more of my head than any hat I've ever worn. I'm very pleased! (and..yes this me is me looking very pleased , what can I say..I suffer from R.B.F. if you know what I mean)

One thing I think I'm seeing through all of this is there are two separate and competing factors to think about when stretching a hat for a head shaped like mine. Brims and crown ovals are not very cooperative with one another.

The point that Brent made about smaller (tighter) hats being more difficult to stretch because they will have more brim distortion is clearly true. The brim is going to have to move more on a tighter hat because a tighter hat will have to be stretched further. The original shape and size of the brim are probably important factors here as well. With some hats this might mean the brim is unacceptably distorted.
On the other hand, in order to get the front of my hat to fully take on my shape, it has to be stretched into that shape. I can't stretch a 61 as far as I can stretch a 60 because the 61 would become too large overall. For me, a 61 can be made to be very comfortable more easily but it will also have a larger gap at the temples and the front won't be as perfectly shaped to my forehead.

At the moment I think I'm inclined to prefer to stretch a 60 into my shape if the brim is a down-brim or larger than 2 7/8" (the OR has been a little more challenging than I would prefer). Up brims, and anything smaller than 2 7/8" I would probably choose the larger 61 and have less brim distortion to deal with. But, I'm still in the steep, early portion of this learning curve and I expect my understanding of these things to continue to evolve.

A huge thing to realize is that hats exist in multiple planes and all are under a degree of competing tension. It is almost impossible or at least very difficult to adjust one of the planes without affecting one of the others. Some times the only thing to be done is either leave the hat as is or tear it down and rebuild it to fit you.