Regarding the crown of the hat not touching your hair...

[MattJH]

I've seen this mentioned many, many times before, that a proper fit for a hat (among other things) assures that the top of the crown is not touching the top of your head. Does anybody else ignore this entirely? I actually prefer it when the top of the crown touches the top of my head, and I crease my hats accordingly to make it so. It makes it so that the hat feels more secure on my head, and it lowers the crown's profile while wearing the hat so as to avoid what I feel gives me, personally, a stovepipe / Pez dispenser effect.

Is there a reason behind this rule? Is it to keep the hat from messing up your hair if you put styling gel / pomade / etc. in it? Perhaps this is another reason I ignore the rule; I don't use any hair styling products.

 

[jdbenson]

For me, that's impossible.

I've gotta really high domed head.

No matter how I bash my hats, they ALWAYS touch the top of my head. Enen my new Campdraft, which has the highest unbashed crown (5.5 - 6.0 inches) out of all my hats, still touches my head when I put any sort of bash in it.

 

[skyvue]

No matter how I bash my hats, they ALWAYS touch the top of my head.

I'm in the same boat.

 

[Sefton]

Short of a 7" crown, I can't imagine a hat NOT touching the top of my head. I really don't see why a hat shouldn't aside from the pomade, fancy hair style issue already mentioned in the original post. Who writes these "rules" anyway. Silliness...

 

[avedwards]

With a teardrop crown the idea is that it goes up because your head touches the top, so in that case the rule cannot apply. I personally like my head to touch the crown.

If I wanted a hat where my head doesn't touch the top of the crown I'd get a topper. But as this is the twenty-first century, not the Victorian times, I'll stick with a fedora.

 

[Delthayre]

Impertinent skulls

The Sesquipedalian, which has a 6" crown when open, never touched my head until I deepened the center crease slightly last fall, which made it 1 1/2" deep and the crown 5 1/8" high, and even now it only brushes the top of my head when I pull it down. The Selcouth, which has a 5 3/4" crown when open, is too short with its present diamond crease, which is roughly 3/4" deep and makes for a roughly 4 5/8" high crown, not to touch my head; indeed, with repeated wear, a dome has formed inside of the diamond from the impression of my head. None of this, however, worries me as I never use dye, pomade or anything else like that on my hair. I doubt that a diamond crease could fit me without touching my head unless the crown were 6 1/2" to 7" tall when open... hmmm, there's an idea...

 

[BigHairyFinn]

I had a one of those faux leather 1970's trilby style lids that had the most annoying centre "knot" in the middle where all the seams met. And it was actually poking a hole into my scalp - being plastic and all - so I glued a piece of foam rubber there... hate newsboy caps for the same reason, the button hurts. So definitely "off my cupola".

 

[Slim Portly]

This is a "rule" that in practice I completely disregard. If a crown is tall enough then it doesn't touch the top of my head, and if it's got a shorter crown then it does. None of my shorter crowned hats are uncomfortable when they do touch, and as Dumbjaw said some hats look better and feel more secure when they are low enough to touch.

 

[Goose.]

My noggin touching the crown is why I am thinking of another Akubra...kept reading on hat sizing guides that there should be space above, in addition to what's already "in", my head. My Sydney is right at the top and I can't really bash it center dent...head pushes it up.

I was wondering why the space above the head and lid were important too. Wondered if it was to improve insulation or to keep hair gunk away from it (as previously posted)? Then I was thinking maybe it's like when I used to go camping in scouts...if you put gear or your finger on the tent sidewall when it rained, the water woud seep through at that point of contact.

A BIG Thanks DJ for starting this thread...and to the others that replied. So glad to know that I am not the only member of the Brotherhood of High Noggins

 

[nickn5]

What seems to be one of my favourite creases, the diamond, almost always seems to result in head contacting with hat, even in the tallest crowns. Not a problem I think.

The only hat I really have trouble with is a modern Stetson Wilton wool felt with a C-crease, every time I wear it my head pushes one side of the crease up

N.

 

[avedwards]

The only hat I really have trouble with is a modern Stetson Wilton wool felt with a C-crease, every time I wear it my head pushes one side of the crease up

Sounds like the crown of that hat is just too low for your head. Other than trying to re-bash it completely I don't think there's anything you can do.[huh]

 

[nickn5]

Nope, I guess that's the price I pay for buying cheap and buying wool felt... before I came here and learnt about fur felt... and paying proper money for proper hats... lol

N.

 

[ScionPI2005]

No matter how I bash my hats, they ALWAYS touch the top of my head.

I've NEVER had a hat where the crown doesn't touch the top of my head. I don't think I could wear one any differently, and if I did, it probably wouldn't look right. I'd never heard of that being a specific rule.

 

[bolthead]

I'm with you DJ....

Most of my lids touch the top of my head, and it doesn't bother me one bit. [huh]

 

[gtdean48]

I was wondering why the space above the head and lid were important too. Wondered if it was to improve insulation or to keep hair gunk away from it (as previously posted)? Then I was thinking maybe it's like when I used to go camping in scouts...if you put gear or your finger on the tent sidewall when it rained, the water woud seep through at that point of contact.

Pretty close, that gap does create dead air space, both allowing insulation & letting your head breathe. Like touching the tent, your head directly against the felt would cause wicking to occurr, therefore liners serve a purpose & some have layers that again try to create some air pockets. Most of my hats only touch my head at the sweatband. Some lightly press down my hair on top...

 

[Goose.]

I've NEVER had a hat where the crown doesn't touch the top of my head. I don't think I could wear one any differently, and if I did, it probably wouldn't look right. I'd never heard of that being a specific rule.

10-4 ScionPI2005...same here until I read the below from DM. Then I recalled hearing someone else say the same moons ago in a conversation.

My lid touches my noggin in my diamond bash. Didn't bother me until I read the note at the DM site...then I felt I was a bad hat afficiando, a loser, not worthy to be here at this watering hole. Then I read DJ's OP and the other posts here...now I can look at myself in the mirror and be proud.

Here's the part of the page that references the crown/head gig:

3. The top of the crown should not be so low that it touches the top of your head and prevents the hat from coming down far enough to seat properly. If it does, with a leather or cloth hat you may need a smaller size. With an Akubra fur felt hat the top can be adjusted. Check the information sheet supplied with the hat, or check our Hat Frequently Asked Questions page.
Source: http://www.davidmorgan.com/hatsizing.html?cPath=2&

 

[ScionPI2005]

Another thought:
I've always thought I have somewhat larger ears for my head. Considering they say the brims of your hats aren't supposed to touch the tops of your ears, one would think I would need to wear my hats a little bit higher to prevent that. Still, when I do this and my brims don't touch my ears, the top of my head still touches the crown of the hat.

In that case, I just don't think its anything to be concerned about. Still, I'd like to hear from the folks here who's crowns NEVER touch their noggin-tops!

 

[jec]

10-4 ScionPI2005...same here until I read the below from DM. Then I recalled hearing someone else say the same moons ago in a conversation.

My lid touches my noggin in my diamond bash. Didn't bother me until I read the note at the DM site...then I felt I was a bad hat afficiando, a loser, not worthy to be here at this watering hole. Then I read DJ's OP and the other posts here...now I can look at myself in the mirror and be proud.

Here's the part of the page that references the crown/head gig:

3. The top of the crown should not be so low that it touches the top of your head and prevents the hat from coming down far enough to seat properly. If it does, with a leather or cloth hat you may need a smaller size. With an Akubra fur felt hat the top can be adjusted. Check the information sheet supplied with the hat, or check our Hat Frequently Asked Questions page.
Source: http://www.davidmorgan.com/hatsizing.html?cPath=2&

Goose - I remember reading that same passage on the DM website, but my experience is in line with everyone else here: on nearly all of my hats the crown rest lightly on the top of my head when I have them on.

Go figure.

 

[Sefton]

One thing that I haven't seen pointed out is this: whether or not the crown of the hat touches the top of your head makes little or no difference in regards to the way that the hat looks on you. If it feels comfortable touching and it looks right then you've nothing to worry about. No one will notice unless you tell them. And it wont grow hair on your palms either.

 

[carter]

It's an [open] crown question.

Like any other rule of thumb/head, the crown-never-touching-the-top-of-the-head guideline may be one that is followed as often in the breach as in the observance. Else the oilskin/fishskin/plastic shield twixt the head and the crown of the liner would prove unnecessary. The shield dates, at least, to the early 20th Century. Ergo, the crown and top of the head have probably come in contact since the advent of anything short of a tophat. Certainly since the since the introduction of the fedora.
IMHO, this is another arcane rule that is best followed as suits one's personal preference.