My new Stetson Firenze is stiff as a board

[jbucklin]

It's also a little on the snug side, which makes it even worse. I asked the folks at the Garland Outlet if they had the next size up (60) and they don't. I have tried steaming the sweatband and pushing it down to my ears to stretch it out some, but the problem is the crown itself. Any suggestions?

 

[Mr E Train]

It'll soften up with wear, but you're going to have to take care that the sweatband doesn't shrink up since it's already snug. You probably should buy a hatjack to keep it from shrinking when you're not wearing it.

When you say you steamed the sweatband, did you steam the inside or the outside? Steam the outside around the sweatband area, then jam the hat down on your head to your ears and leave it there for a while. You might have to do it a few times to really get it to take

 

[jbucklin]

Thanks Mr. E. I steamed the outside of it and then jammed it down to my ears and wore it like that for awhile. I've done that 3 times so far today. Its weird because it fits----it's just so stiff that it doesn't hug and conform to my head like my other hats. I have already been checking out the Hat Jack and will probably buy one soon. So you think there's hope?

 

[Spats McGee]

As far as being too snug, you can also send it to a hatter to have it stretched. I also wear a 60 and had to have Mike Moore stretch my one vintage hat so that it would fit.

 

[jbucklin]

Wait, do you mean I should steam on the outside of the crown, like more on the brim right next to the sweatband? Or directly on the surface of the sweatband?

 

[Rick Blaine]

I have always found this fellas' stuff to do the trick as good as any & better than many. I wish he used a more robust turnbuckle, 'cuz I have to turn mine w/ a wrench. But it is a good product, IMO.

 

[Mr E Train]

I meant the outside of the hat right around the hatband.

 

[jbucklin]

Thanks Rick. Would you say that that stretcher is better than the Hat Jack?

 

[jbucklin]

You mean right here?

Or right here?

 

[Mr E Train]

The first one, all the way around.

 

[jbucklin]

Cool. I'm gonna go do it right now. Thanks for all your help!

No chance of that damaging the ribbon is there?

 

[Ande1964]

Dunk?

A dunk in cool water helps loosen up Akubras. Not sure about modern Stetsons. It would certainly give you a chance to conform it to your head as it dries.

Anj

 

[Mr E Train]

Cool. I'm gonna go do it right now. Thanks for all you help!

No chance of that damaging the ribbon is there?

Pretty unlikely. Probably the main thing to worry about would be pulling the sweatband stitching loose when you jam it down on your head, but I don't think there's too much danger of that with a brand new hat that's only a little snug.

 

[gtdean48]

Definitely don't steam the sweatband! Even on a new one, heat is not good to the leather = robs it of the oils it needs to stay supple. An old hatter told me that once the sweatband goes in, the heat stays away from the inside, stretcher or steamer. Steam to a vintage sweatband is very destructive...

 

[jbucklin]

Thanks Deputy. I did steam the sweatband right at the beginning of all this, but have have followed Mr. E Train's expert instructions ever since.

I'm getting a little frustrated with this hat, wishing I had not bought it. :eusa_doh: When I steam around the hatband and jam it down to my ears per Mr. E's advice, it seems to work for a little while. Then, when after a couple of hours I put it back on, it's right back to where it was. This felt is extremely stubborn. I think I've steamed and jammed it down to my ears about 15 times. It really has more to do with the shape being more round than my head is, which is more oval-shaped than I had thought. But it's so stiff and it just won't budge (unless it has been recently steamed). The pressure on my forehead eases up when I push on both sides of the hat while wearing it. I keep hoping that the steam treatment will cause it to conform to the more oval shape of my head, but alas, it has yet to conform.

I did buy a HatJack off of Ebay which will be here in a few days. Any tips on how to use one of those?

 

[Lefty]

Steam the outside of the hat again. While it's still steamy, put it in the stretcher and crank it open right up to the point that it's pretty tight in there. If you hear a pop, that's a ribbon stitch breaking, and you've gone too far. Leave it in overnight. The next day, don't take the stretcher out. Steam the hat again, crank the stretcher open just a bit more, and let it sit for the night.

Warning: This may end up giving your brim a bit of waviness or otherwise messing with its current look.

If this doesn't work, sell the hat, because it's not worth having it professionally resized.

 

[jbucklin]

Thanks Lefty, for the detailed instructions. It's looking like the HatJack will be a constant companion of the Firenze----like every single night!!?

It's interesting how I went through something similar with my first fur felt hat (Stetson Saxon). I never even steamed it---just shoved it way down on my head and it stretched out and has never gone back to it's original size. Of course the felt on that hat is kind of floppy---not stiff at all. I certainly am learning a lot through my experience. Kind of an expensive learning process though, eh?

 

[Lefty]

You'll find that your hats all behave differently. As to stretching, that will be up to the hat. It might "take the stretch" and only need to be stretched periodically - vague, I know. It also might need the stretcher in it every time you take it off; this is the reason that some guys have multiple stretchers.

I don't mind bigger hats, as I can always stuff something behind the sweat. Smaller hats, they just kill me. To me, a guy should enjoy his hat, which is hard to do when it's giving you a headache.

It's looking like the HatJack will be a constant companion of the Firenze----like every single night!!?

 

[Al Niente]

I have an Akubra that I bought and it was one size too small. 56 instead of 57. Loved the hat and they did not have a size larger. Years later, and not wearing it much because it was alway just "a little too tight," I used a hat jack to stretch it..a lot. Unfortunately, it had a leather hat band which came apart...owing to the fact that it was for a 56 hat. I took it over to Henry the Hatter. Joe worked a little magic on the hat. In this case, it was the outside leather ribbon that would not give. He adjusted it to the larger size and streched out the sweatband. Presto...a 57! Now I love the hat AND it fits perfectly!

Don't give up. Get ye to a hatter.

Al

P.S. I have a Firenza and I love it.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Aureliano tells me of a process that Worth & Worth Hatters of New York does. They remove the stitching at the back of the sweat, and slowly stretch the hat for one week. The result is a hat up to 1 1/2 sizes larger (e.g. 7 to a loose 1/8), with no distortion of the shape or wavy-ness of the brim. Best of all, you can keep the original sweat, liner, and ribbon. He had it done to the Flagship I bought recently, and the process costs $25, from what I hear.

This could have been a special case because he goes in the shop a fair amount, but it never hurts to call them.

Cheers,