I need to see a shrink

[dr greg]

I see lots of tips here about stretching hats to larger sizes, what about the reverse?
The Bogart I just scored (you can see in the other thread) is just too big even with foam inside the lining; it just don't sit right.
I'm going to just wet it and put it in the sun for want of a better idea, but that might not do the job evenly.
Any advice from experts on this?

 

[EricH]

There have been a few threads on this in the past. You are on the right track. Wet the sweat and then allow it to dry. Old school would say to put it over a lamp. Mine sit on an old radiator though I have been known to pull out the hairdryer. You need 1/2 inch of shrink to lose a size so that's a lot. If the hat is worth it, send it to a pro to have them resize and reblock it.

Eric
Wishing he could find more hats to shrink than stretch.

 

[PeeWee]

You need 1/2 inch of shrink to lose a size so that's a lot. If the hat is worth it, send it to a pro to have them resize and reblock it.

That's very good advice just to be on the safe side. I tried shrinking a Stetson Temple once by wetting and drying in a very warm place. The finished product wouldn't even fit my pug

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I go to a fair amount of trouble to reduce a hat size, but I get a perfect fit.

1. Using a sharp knife, remove the sweatband and ribbon.
2. Soak the hat body, well, in cold water, allow to drip dry.
3. While the body is still damp, take a leather belt (or similar band) that
you have previously fashioned to be the outer diameter you desire for
the finished hat. Carefully slide this belt in place (where the ribbon was).
4. Allow to dry fo three days.
5. Take the sweatband (which you previously removed). Slit the back
seam, and remove the stitches.
6. While looking in a mirror, fit the sweatband to your forehead (with the
ends in front, so you can see them, and overlapping.)
7. Take a ballpoint pen and mark a straight line, top to bottom, at the
edge of the sweatband which is on top, in the middle of your
forehead. This mark should be on the rough side of the sweatband.
8. Sew the loose ends of the sweatband together, making sure that the
edge lines up with the mark. (That's right, I "overlap" the ends. If you
want to trim , butt, and seam feel free. I don't.)
9. Position the sweatband in the dry hat body (belt removed), and using
existing holes in the band, stitch the sweatband back in. Be sure to pull
each stitch tight.
10. Tack the ribbon back in place.
11. Soak the entire hat in cold water. Allow to drip for about 20 minutes.
12. Shape crown and brim the way you want them. and put the hat in a
place to dry that will allow it to hold the shape while drying (3 days).
13. Be sure to try the hat on, every few hours, while it is drying. This will
help insure the proper "oval" shape!
14. Wear it in good health.

 

[bolthead]

I go to a fair amount of trouble to reduce a hat size, but I get a perfect fit.

1. Using a sharp knife, remove the sweatband and ribbon.
2. Soak the hat body, well, in cold water, allow to drip dry.
3. While the body is still damp, take a leather belt (or similar band) that
you have previously fashioned to be the outer diameter you desire for
the finished hat. Carefully slide this belt in place (where the ribbon was).
4. Allow to dry fo three days.
5. Take the sweatband (which you previously removed). Slit the back
seam, and remove the stitches.
6. While looking in a mirror, fit the sweatband to your forehead (with the
ends in front, so you can see them, and overlapping.)
7. Take a ballpoint pen and mark a straight line, top to bottom, at the
edge of the sweatband which is on top, in the middle of your
forehead. This mark should be on the rough side of the sweatband.
8. Sew the loose ends of the sweatband together, making sure that the
edge lines up with the mark. (That's right, I "overlap" the ends. If you
want to trim , butt, and seam feel free. I don't.)
9. Position the sweatband in the dry hat body (belt removed), and using
existing holes in the band, stitch the sweatband back in. Be sure to pull
each stitch tight.
10. Tack the ribbon back in place.
11. Soak the entire hat in cold water. Allow to drip for about 20 minutes.
12. Shape crown and brim the way you want them. and put the hat in a
place to dry that will allow it to hold the shape while drying (3 days).
13. Be sure to try the hat on, every few hours, while it is drying. This will
help insure the proper "oval" shape!
14. Wear it in good health.

Nice little Tutorial there JT.

 

[tonyb]

I'd advise caution. I know through bitter experience that heat and water can do quite undesirable things to your hat.
What things? Let's count ...

The crown may taper
The sweatband may turn brittle
The sweatband's dye may transfer to the felt
The whole works may shrink too much (WAY too much, maybe)

There's gotta be more, but that's a start. I'm not saying that all or any of these things will necessarily happen, but know that they might.
JT's method oughta work well, but it's certainly not the quick-and-easy way. It seems like a block and flange of one's own would be the next logical step, seeing how he takes the hat apart anyway.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

It seems like a block and flange of one's own would be the next logical step, seeing how he takes the hat apart anyway.

Yup. I do that, too. I was, however keeping it simple. You CAN achieve beautiful results without block and flange. Of course, you don't have to do your own hats. You can always pay somebody else...

 

[dr greg]

testify

That is an in-depth piece of advice JT, although it might be beyond my skills, I have resewn sweatbands before, but only with the rest of the structure such as wire still there, I'll let y'all know how it goes