Reducing hat size

[colinlyne]

As a newcomer to the "lounge" and the world of hat wearing, can any of you informed people advise me as to the best way to make a hat a little smaller please?

Thanks in advance.

 

[gtdean48]

How much smaller are you talking? 1 size like 7 3/8 to 7 1/4? Brand new hat or vintage?

 

[colinlyne]

How much smaller are you talking? 1 size like 7 3/8 to 7 1/4? Brand new hat or vintage?

New hat, one size down. Thanks.

 

[gtdean48]

New felt will shrink some & so will a new leather sweatband. I'm assuming it has a true leather sweatband. If so, turn the sweatband inside out & wet the backside of it very well. I use a spray bottle & distilled water, reduces risks of water treatment effecting anything. I'd also spray the crown of the hat, too.
Some folks will dry it with a hair dryer to speed it up, but I usually put it on my head & wear it. If it is too loose, fold up a white paper towel & put behind the sweatband for tighter fit. I go to craft section at Wal-mart & buy felt squares for 34 cents that I cut in strips to do the same thing. Your body heat will warm up the sweat & as it dries, leather will tighten up. Both my Campdrafts from Akubra were slightly large but just my sweat & wearing have caused them to draw down to the right size but they weren't a full size too big. HTH

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

The easiest way to resize a hat is to get some hat sizing foam to put under the sweatband. This method usually works for size differences 1/4" or less. If you need to take the hat down a full size or more, you may want to try something else.

Here is an example of sizing foam and here is a nice product that I like to use: the CAP-BAN-NU
.
/Disclaimer: These links are for example. I have not used the merchants linked here, so can not give an opinion of their service.

 

[Randal]

I used to use the felt squares from Walmart as mentioned above, but now I use a "Foamies" 2mm thick foam sheet (also from the Walmart crafts dept.) I think it was 50-60 cents each for a 9inX12in sheet. They seem to work better, for me anyways. [huh] I think they are easier to cut to the size you want without streching.

 

[zetwal]

Buy a piece of felt where fabric is sold and cut it in small strips. Place a couple of these strips behind the sweatband as and where needed. If the sweatband should tighten with use you can remove the strips -

 

[pauljmuk]

I dont like the foam approach - too warm...

I took Akubra advice. Mine was too big and was getting panicky that the method wasnt working (even posted panic on here!). But patience is the key, and it did work, beautifully.

Akubra advice - use some folded tissues (folded to hat sweat width) and tuck inside the sweat. mine were required all the way around, but use common sense and pack where needed. the tissue also acts to soak up excess sweat and not let it get direct to the felt.

two weeks of wearing on evenings, and one afternoon of exertion and a proper sweat, and the hat was feeling much tighter. At that point, remove the tissue and it now seems to have settled down perfectly.

Loads more threads on here on difficulties with odd shaped heads - i guess I got lucky

Also lots of posts here regarding rushing the process with water, steam and hairdryers. Cant really comment - my patient natural approach worked for me, but took three weeks.

I reckon I've got my hat down a full 3/4 size

 

[colinlyne]

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[warmentrout]

New felt will shrink some & so will a new leather sweatband. I'm assuming it has a true leather sweatband. If so, turn the sweatband inside out & wet the backside of it very well. I use a spray bottle & distilled water, reduces risks of water treatment effecting anything. I'd also spray the crown of the hat, too.
Some folks will dry it with a hair dryer to speed it up, but I usually put it on my head & wear it. If it is too loose, fold up a white paper towel & put behind the sweatband for tighter fit. I go to craft section at Wal-mart & buy felt squares for 34 cents that I cut in strips to do the same thing. Your body heat will warm up the sweat & as it dries, leather will tighten up. Both my Campdrafts from Akubra were slightly large but just my sweat & wearing have caused them to draw down to the right size but they weren't a full size too big. HTH

I'm having good luck wetting the whole hat, sweatband , crown and brim and using a light bulb to provide the heat. You have to really watch it close and check it often or it will shrink and deform real fast I got a Resistol to come down from a 7 1/2 to a 7 3/8.

 

[The Elizans]

For extreme downsizing jobs, carefully unpick the sweatband at the back (where it meets and joins) and re-sew overlapping the sweatband drawing in the circumference of the hat. Tightening of the grosgrain band may also be necessary if it appears loose. I myself have never done this, but have spent many hours reversing this process on vintage hats that have had this done by previous owners!

 

[Lefty]

I myself have never done this,

the preceding line to the kind of advice I always follow

 

[jonbuilder]

re-block down in size?

Can a hat be relocked down one size by reshaping the crown and not pulling any of the crown into the brim where the old break at the crown would be visible on the brim? I know lot of us have had hats re-block up in size but I have not read where a hat was down sized by re-blocking. Any thoughts on re-blocking a hat down is size when the hat is in excellent condition, just to get a customized fit, which in my case is 7 3/8 to 7 1/4 long oval. There are advances to a properly fitting hat such as being able to wear the hat in strong winds but on the other side when it’s windy just go to one of the well fitting hats and leave the padded hat at home for fair weather days.

 

[Walter Neff1940]

Hat Size

Hello
Received my 7 3/8 Stetson Whippet (new) and it s a little too big. I measured and my head size is 22 3/4 (just a tad more maybe) I looked at size charts and videos and they all say order the larger size if your measurement falls between sizes. I was goign to order the 7 1/4 but thought it might be too small( which might be worse than too big!)
My question after that long winded story is, what should I do, return the hat for a smaller size , use the size reducers (that they suggested). I hate to pay return psotage when they suggested and recommended the 7 3/8 size. Thanks

 

[jlee562]

Pad the sweat, it should shrink/conform over time.

 

[Walter Neff1940]

I folded a couple of sheets of paper towels and put under the band and it puckers the sweatband. Will the true size reducers do the same?

 

[jlee562]

yes

 

[G MAN]

Use the size reducers, this way when the sweat shrinks a little you can adjust for a better fit.

 

[Walter Neff1940]

Since it is new, I think I will just return. I hate to buy something new and then have to modify it. Frustraing that I bought the size they recommended and no I have to pay to send it back.

 

[Asmo]

Just for fun, look under the sweatband for other size markings. My Stratoliner was mislabeled. The visible size tag read 7 1/2 while the tag under the sweatband read 7 3/4.


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