PINCHERS UNITE!

[GentlemanFarmer]

Guilty. I'm a pincher, ask my wife..... oh!, that kind of pincher... yes I pinch the crown, but since I wear an Alpine/Cattlman's crease it's more of a kinder, gentler "grasp".

 

[Snrbfshn]

Yep, but I feel guilty about it...

I tell myself I'm being careful, and I don't pinch hard. Then I look at my Mallory Stowaway

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jtban1/album/576460762329106144/photo/294928803404093052/0
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jtban1/album/576460762329106144/photo/294928803404093232/1

and realize because the previous owner pinched, I've got a hat that's just about worn through at the point of the crown. It may be "character" but I still see it as an almost perfed lid.

 

[RBH]

I pinch. What's the other way called? "Brimming"?

dean

I love it!

I guess Im a pincher on soft brimmed fedoras, and a brimmer on the stiffer brimmed hats.

 

[Chanfan]

Heh, so far, I've been "brimming", although I confess I wondered a bit about it - it seems awkward for actually tipping your hat, and I do recall in movies, they always seem to be pinching.

Of course, I also read that "tipping" is often just touching the brim, so that's easy.

 

[fedoralover]

I'm surprised at how many say they pinch, I never do. I grab it by the brim and put it on. Each to their own, but you will eventually break the felt on the crown by pinching, not to mention the dirt and oils from your hand will start to show on the crown, like the pick of Josh shows. A felt hat will literally last a life time if you do not pinch. You will wear a hole in it or break the felt if you always pinch it. If it's a beater work hat, that's no problem, but for my dress fedora's and collectables, NO way.

fedoralover

 

[scotrace]

Ima

 

[vonwotan]

Try as I might not to I tend to pinch my hats, especially on my commute to and from work when there is less elbow room.

 

[Lancealot]

I also am a pincher.

 

[tonyb]

I'm definitely with fedoralover on this one. Sure, grabbing a hat by the front of its crown seems the more "natural" method, but there's no doubt that doing so is hard on the felt (and straw all the more so, heaven forbid you EVER do that). And I wouldn't doubt for a moment that back when most men wore proper hats the large majority of those gents routinely grabbed their lids by the crown. But they could replace their hats much more easily than we can. Modern production hats are real pieces of #%&* in comparison to what was commonly available back then, at any of several stores in any city of any size.
Vintage lids aren't exactly rare, but they aren't exactly plentiful, either. They're a finite resource, and, from my perspective, one not to be squandered.
But, you know, it's your hat. Send it to an early grave if you want to. If it's your typical modern production hat, that's a good place for it.

 

[DeeDub]

Yeah, I pinch, too.

I can't help it. I'm a product of my environment.

 

[fedoralover]

Well Tonyb, I guess it's just you and me in the non pincher group so far. But in 10 years our fedora's will still be looking great.

fedoralover

 

[tonyb]

Yeah, probably so, fedoralover. I found the habit of handling hats by the crown quite easy to break, once it was pointed out to me why I ought to, all those years ago.
But I fear we'll stay in the minority. Most folks grab a fedora by the crown. I was at the doctor's a couple of days ago. I had to move from one examination room to another. The doc -- in an attempt to be friendly, I suppose -- grabbed my hat by the crown as I was tending to my jacket and my newspaper. Oh well, at least his hands were clean.

 

[The Wingnut]

Well Tonyb, I guess it's just you and me in the non pincher group so far. But in 10 years our fedora's will still be looking great.

fedoralover

I just posted the lobster as a joke. I'd rather not wear holes in my lids.

 

[Stinchcomb]

I tell myself I'm being careful, and I don't pinch hard. Then I look at my Mallory Stowaway

Hey Snrbfshn, that is a sharp looking hat. What's the stats on that? I really haven't found my favorite hat yet, but I like that one. It looks like it may have a slight bit of green in the color.

 

[PeeWee]

My daddy always told me to "have a light and easy touch" I always treat my hats the same by the pinch. I wish my "Bushman" would hold a pinch on one side. Maybe I should get heavy handed with that one

 

[duggap]

OK I will fess up. I am a non pincher, but that is only because I was politely fussed at the first time I visited a hat shop some years ago. He explained what would happen and being poor I wanted my hats to last as long as possible. I still catch myself trying to take it off with the "pinch". Maybe I have been watching too many of the old movies. It seems they always use the pinch there.

 

[Snrbfshn]

Stinchcomb - About the Stowaway...

It's pretty much a straight dark brown, thin felt (thus the stressed crown point), 2 5/8" raw-edge brim, 5 3/8" open crown, no liner. I imagine it's a crushable hat, but I'm not gonna try it.

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

Yep, sorry purists, but I pinch. My daily wear hat (Akubra Flinders) is not quite this bad, but it might reach that point!

I can't really believe that the front pinch style really developed in any other way. It's just the most convenient way to put on your hat.

I pinch, just like my Fraternity Brother, Josh.

 

[RBH]

I pinch, just like my Fraternity Brother, Josh.

fftopic:

So... Josh is a traveling man?

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

fftopic:

Pi Kappa Alpha, Cornell U. and CEO of the Boulder Outdoor Survival School.

I some times have to stop and think about which secret handshake and/or word I need to give.