Have any of you ever trimmed the brim...

[bolthead]

I wouldn't think of such a thing!!

Ri i i i i i i i i i ight.

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

I know of a local Tack and Western store that trims brims, but I'm not sure if it would end up being a dimensional brim when done. Anyone familiar with the brim trimming process at a Western type store?

 

[gtdean48]

...In one post about trimming, someone mentioned the risk you run that you may lose whatever brim curl there was to the brim. Not that the Feds have much to start with. But is this a real worry? Will I need to steam and iron the rear brim into a curl after I do the trimming?

You are pretty much removing that last part of the rear brim that is part of the curl. I'd say you're going to need to steam or wet the rear brim to get it back, at least to adjust it to your taste. When I have cut down brims, I have ironed out the brim after sanding & re-set the curl in the back but I do a quasi-pencil curl on the back since I want just a subtle curl back there. HTH

 

[Benzadmiral]

I know of a local Tack and Western store that trims brims, but I'm not sure if it would end up being a dimensional brim when done. Anyone familiar with the brim trimming process at a Western type store?

I have exactly one such store in my metro area, and the owner flatly refused to trim a brim when I showed him my Moonstone Fed IV as a sample. "It'll be too short, out of proportion. I won't do it." I wasn't suggesting going to a 2", but still he wouldn't do it.

Oh, we have Meyer the Hatter -- but they no longer do anything like that, including ribbons or hatbands. Their guy retired.

 

[Benzadmiral]

You are pretty much removing that last part of the rear brim that is part of the curl. I'd say you're going to need to steam or wet the rear brim to get it back, at least to adjust it to your taste. When I have cut down brims, I have ironed out the brim after sanding & re-set the curl in the back but I do a quasi-pencil curl on the back since I want just a subtle curl back there. HTH

What I've been doing to adjust the back curl, at least a little, is to wet it, then set the hat on a flat counter with D-cell batteries wedged underneath at even intervals to curve the brim upward. If necessary I put a light weight on the crown to press down on the hat and force the brim upward. Again, this isn't for a serious snap-brim curl, but just enhancing what's already there, so maybe that wouldn't work after a trimming.

 

[Woodfluter]

Yep, I do believe the tack shop will just cut a uniform amount of material all around. IIRC, the jig they use for that cuts in from the existing edge by a set amount rather than indexing on the crown. So dimensional in, dimensional out. You'd need to mark distance from the crown base and remove excess in front and rear for a uniform brim - which is what I did with three of my Feds.

About the curl: yes, you'd cut some of that off. I can't quite visualize the battery thing, but what I've used is sprayed moisture, steam, a hard counter and curved glasses (e.g. stemless wine glasses). Pressed edge together by hand around the rear leaving a sort of wrinkled result, then worked it to a uniform curve with the glass or other curved ironing tool against the counter. A proper flange would be better, but this does suffice for a moderate amount of curl - up to something a bit shy of a real serious snap brim.

 

[HamletJSD]

Back to the sacrilegious ...

I've cut my Fed Deluxe brim down multiple times (slowly).

I know it's wrong and I'm ashamed to say it, but I've yet to get it quite where I want it. The dimensions of the Fed (at least mine, a Fed 3, III I think?) just don't seem work for me. I have an OR with an even larger brim that looks just fine, but this Fed has just always worn odd on me.

It's a little better now that I've cut it down, but I've noticed that the thick felt creates an effect on the look. I've trimmed mine all the way down to 2 3/8" when measured on top, but measured underneath the crown it's 2 1/2"+. It still looks a little large to me, as I'm viewing it in the mirror and always looking at my face and the underside of the brim.

The Akubra "Fedora" is really my go to hat most of the time. I have several of them and they're just right. When I finally go custom, it's basically that hat I'm going to want...

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

I did cut a brim, once. It was a 4 inch brim that I cut down to 2-1/2 inches. It was a 7X Stetson western with a rancher crease. I cut it down to 2-1/2 and re-creased it to a fedora front pinch. It was a pretty thick stiff felt and it took a trim well. I used sandpaper to even out the cut and it ended up looking great. I sold this one, though.

 

[daizawaguy]

Sure have...but the flange (upturn) gets messed up...be careful. Could be a dissapointment

 

[danofarlington]

I did cut a brim, once. It was a 4 inch brim that I cut down to 2-1/2 inches. It was a 7X Stetson western with a rancher crease. I cut it down to 2-1/2 and re-creased it to a fedora front pinch. It was a pretty thick stiff felt and it took a trim well. I used sandpaper to even out the cut and it ended up looking great. I sold this one, though.

In retrospect, would you have trimmed the brim again to 2 1/2 or to something longer, such as 2 5/8 or 2 3/4? And after trimming, how did you find the balance between the crown height (I assume it was high for a Western hat) and brim? I am going to have one converted myself in the future, but am a little leery of the crown height/brim size ratio that results.

 

[Rodkins]

I trimmed a brim last night...

 

[scottyrocks]

In retrospect, would you have trimmed the brim again to 2 1/2 or to something longer, such as 2 5/8 or 2 3/4? And after trimming, how did you find the balance between the crown height (I assume it was high for a Western hat) and brim? I am going to have one converted myself in the future, but am a little leery of the crown height/brim size ratio that results.

I had done a cowboy conversion. After I reblocked and recreased it to a known height and shape that I liked, I made a template from another hat and, with chalk marking the new 'edge' I cut it with a very sharp scissor, then sanded.

So I would say get the crown where you want it, then do the brim. For me, it was a 'by-eye' proposition.

 

[zetwal]

I trimmed a brim last night...

Tell us how you went about it. What sort of implement did you use?

 

[scottyrocks]

I trimmed a brim last night...

Thats really round.

 

[Neophyte]

Is that section of brim from your Cattleman, Rodkins? I can omly think you'd do that to an Akubra or other modern production hat.

 

[Rodkins]

Is that section of brim from your Cattleman, Rodkins? I can omly think you'd do that to an Akubra or other modern production hat.

It's off of a Resistol cowboy hat. I used a mechanical pencil and a cloth measuring tape. I pinched the cloth at 5/8" (what I wanted to remove) and used the same hand as a brim buide and created a pencil mark 5/8" from the edge all the way around. I then used heavy duty scissors to cut my pencil line. The picture is right after the scissor cut. I then sanded down the brim edge with a sponge sanding block.

 

[zetwal]

I used a mechanical pencil and a cloth measuring tape. I pinched the cloth at 5/8" (what I wanted to remove) and used the same hand as a brim buide and created a pencil mark 5/8" from the edge all the way around. I then used heavy duty scissors to cut my pencil line.

Understood. Thanks for sharing the method and results.

 

[Fletch]

Both of my Fed IIIs are scissor trimmed to 2 3/8" all around. Results: mixed. Even doing a nice sharp compass line that doesn't waver is difficult, and the cuts reflect that.

Before attempting this, experiment on an old lid you don't care about and find out whether your eye sees finer detail than your hand can execute. This was definitely the case with me.

 

[zetwal]

Both of my Fed IIIs are scissor trimmed to 2 3/8" all around. Results: mixed. Even doing a nice sharp compass line that doesn't waver is difficult, and the cuts reflect that.

Before attempting this, experiment on an old lid you don't care about and find out whether your eye sees finer detail than your hand can execute. This was definitely the case with me.

That's exactly what I would expect. I mean, I think that I too would see it.

 

[gtdean48]

I always cut to the high side of the marking then use sand paper to get to the actual marking all around. I use very sharp scissors & when done, can't tell one that I have cut from a raw edge from a hat maker....