Replacing sweatband?

[scotrace]

I just finished the derby.


It it well worth the dough to let a pro handle this stuff.

 

[Viper Man]

I just finished the derby.


It it well worth the dough to let a pro handle this stuff.

lol Yeah, but I bet it was fun.

 

[Spellflower]

I just finished the derby.


It it well worth the dough to let a pro handle this stuff.

Having just committed my Borsalino to Optimo for sweat replacement and resizing, I'm glad to hear it!

But good for you for trying!

 

[Brad Bowers]

Way to go! Tell us, how did it turn out. Better yet, show us!

Brad

 

[Stoney]

Yes Scott,

Lets see the results.

BTW. I did not notice from the picture that those replacements were reeded.
I gave you directions for how I sew in an un-reeded sweatband. lol

 

[scotrace]

I'll try and get some 20 footer pics this weekend. I'm not letting anyone see my stitching. My needlework sucks scissors. The felt is heavy enough that I ended up using pliers to grasp the needle to get it all the way through leather and felt.

I turned the ribbon inside out, so it looks fresher. The hat's even a little big on me now. But it's serviceable again, should the chance to wear a bowler come up!
But the other two will likely get shipped away someplace. They should both be long-ovalized before getting a fresh sweat anyway.

 

[AlanC]

Aww, c'mon Scott--I was about to ship some hats to you for some work. Well, I figure you've got another two hats to practice on.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

B) If the fit is too tight then stretch the felt at the base with a hat stretcher until it fits. Never sew a sweat into a hat that is too tight for it, the sweatband will pucker.

That may explain a few hats that have shown up on the lounge lately. I had noticed the pucker of the sweat in these new hats and wondered what caused this problem.

 

[Stoney]

Bud,

The pucker can also be caused when the felt shrinks too much, again making the hat body too small for the sweatband. I've been able to correct this without disassembling the hat by re-blocking it wet with the sweat in on a block one size smaller than I wear. The installed sweatband will make up for the difference in size. I usually have to shrink the sweatband after the operation. Sometimes just wearing the hat will do it, other times a little water and heat are required. That depends on the shrinkability (sp) of the sweatband.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

Stoney, I make no claims to being a hatter. I have replaced some sweats and never had the pucker problem, don't ask me why. Your assertions seem very plausible.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

VERY HELPFUL THREAD

Thanks folks. This is just the sort of stuff I like to learn when I drop by here. I recently received a grey Stetson Whippet in which the sweatband is shot. Soft and flakey. Rips 'at the drop of a hat'. On the one hand, I want to repace it to make the hat more serviceable - on the other I always lament tossing out the one with the logos imprinted on it.[huh]

 

[Tomt]

The Amazing Internet....

I never cease to be amazed by the internet. I have a hat that I purchased some 40 years ago and (for whatever reason) have held on to it all these year.

I recently decided to pull it out and take a look with an eye toward putting it into service again.

Well, the sweatband is in about as poor a shape as possible while still being attached (shrunken, cracked, flakey).

I did a lot of google searching and found this site and this particular thread....
Like I said, Amazing!

The thread was very helpful with the replacing techiques, but the question I have is "Where do you go to get quality replacement sweatbands?"

Thanks for the site. It looks like a place I will visit often.

Regards,

 

[scotrace]

Welcome to The Lounge!

Dang, I need to get those pictures!

 

[Matt Deckard]

Well it's quite a task... I got frustrated a while back with a certain local hatter that could never get anything right inside or out left me upset with some really messed up hats. I tried doing my own work though decided after a while that I really just want a great hatter to do it. Anywho a few years of messing with my own hats and skipping said hatter occurred, then met some of the Indygear guys that were charter members of the Fedora Lounge, and they introduced me to Optimo hats... I've been sending all my repairs to Graham since.

But if you do a good job, expect to find a few boxes in the mail...

 

[Wil Tam]

Thanks for this thread!

I have 3 hats in queue for DIY projects & this is very instructive .. I probably will still try Worth & Worth if I fail at my attempt to repair them, but I'm itching to work on one anyway since I already ordered some sweats from Aaron, and ribbon from a place that has a great selection that sell at a minimum of 5 yard lengths.

Here's the link if you are interested Ribbon Retreat

But I'm still looking for a place that sells liners or do we DIYers need to fabricate them ourselves ... if anyone knows of a site that sells them, please post it here.

Thanks

 

[Tomt]

Sweatband Source...Aaron?

Wil,
I noticed in your post that you mentioned that you had ordered 5 sweatbands from Aaron. Who is Aaron and how do I get in touch?

Thanks

 

[AEH]

Hat liners

But I'm still looking for a place that sells liners or do we DIYers need to fabricate them ourselves ... if anyone knows of a site that sells them, please post it here.

Thanks

Found these at Hats by Leko:
http://www.hatsupply.com/hatlinings.htm

Have no experience with hat lining myself

 

[scotrace]

Somehow I sense that there is a "rest of the story" here.

-- Lent hat to friend

-- Returned with belt glued inside

How long did you lend it for? How long did he have it? Did he mention that he was going to replace the sweatband, and how? When you got the hat back, what happened? Did he think you wouldn't notice?

He wore it for a summer parade, and it was a hot day. He had it for a week or so after, and returned it with the belt leather inside, apologetically, showing me what he'd done. This was not a hat that I had really ever worn, as I stumbled on it ages ago and kept it as a novelty. The friend is a close one, so I wasn't too upset. Stuff happens.
It's only been since I learned more here that I understood that it's a keeper due to it's large size. I'm glad it's wearable now - if a little big, even.

 

[bendingoak]

I'll try and get some 20 footer pics this weekend. I'm not letting anyone see my stitching. My needlework sucks scissors. The felt is heavy enough that I ended up using pliers to grasp the needle to get it all the way through leather and felt.

I turned the ribbon inside out, so it looks fresher. The hat's even a little big on me now. But it's serviceable again, should the chance to wear a bowler come up!
But the other two will likely get shipped away someplace. They should both be long-ovalized before getting a fresh sweat anyway.

Are you sewing though the sweatband? How did you cut the sweatband? Did you cut it to a hat size of your measurements? I would like to help you though this if I may.

 

[Aaron Hats]

Wil,
I noticed in your post that you mentioned that you had ordered 5 sweatbands from Aaron. Who is Aaron and how do I get in touch?

Thanks

Replacement leather sweatbands.

Aaron