setting a hat down: brim up or brim down?

[Blackthorn]

When I first got into fedoras 2 years ago I surfed the net learning all I could, finding FL in the process. Everything I read, everything, said you should always set a fedora down on its crown, brim up. I took that as gospel and have been following that idea all along. But the more classic movies I see the more I realize that in every single instance whoever sets a hat down, does so with the crown up with the brim touching the table, or chair, not the way conventional wisdom says to do. Yes, I know they're only movies, but they also reflect the culture of that day to a large degree.

So, is the "set a hat on its crown" idea just an urban myth?

 

[scottyrocks]

Setting it on its crown can flatten the shape of the top somewhat over time. Setting it down on its brim can change the shape of the brim, as well. However, it is easier to reshape the brim when donning a hat than poking and rounding the crown from the inside.

Both of these options are, for me, very short-term. When I put a hat down for any longer than to scratch my head, it rests in a rack for the purpose, or, at the very least, with the front of the brim resting off the edge of a surface. If the hat has an up-all-around brim, then it can go right side up on any surface.

 

[Tomasso]

with the front of the brim resting off the edge of a surface.

This is my first choice; then on the crown.

 

[Benzadmiral]

At work I keep mine atop a couple of ancient phone books on a file cabinet, sitting crown up, with the brim off the edge, so it doesn't get distorted. It also looks cool.

At home the ones in my regular rotation rest the same way on the wide arms of my mission chair or on a stack of books on a low bookcase, and the battered old Resistol sits on top of the back cushion of the chair as though crowning it. Fortunately my cat has no interest in the chair or anything on it!

 

[T Rick]

I've taken to snapping the brim up, and resting them crown up on a flat surface (or letting the brim overhang the flat surface if turned down). On the crown just seemed a bit odd to me. plus it is less stable that way.

 

[gtdean48]

...So, is the "set a hat on its crown" idea just an urban myth?

With westerns, this is the given advice because of how most brims are shaped & don't move like a fedora brim. The crowns of westerns aren't as soft as fedoras either & so putting a western on the crown doesn't mishape either the brim or the crown. I snap my brim up & set it down on the brim or set it in a chair or table edge.

 

[Sam Craig]

Deans on the right track

If you have a stiff and heavy hat, either set it down crown first or set it on the edge of a table so the "dip" in the brim is over the edge.

I usually snap the brim on a soft hat if I am going to set it on a flat surface.

On the other hand, I really don't recommend doing that unless you are somewhere your hat is going to be safe. Otherwise, it's a great way to get something spilled on it, set on it or just get it tossed under a pile of coats on someone's bed.

Better to just leave it on ...

Sam

 

[Tatude]

I have a small collection just 5 so I keep them all in the boxes. The one advantage to storing them with the crown done is that they might stay cleaner as any dust would get on the underside of the brim instead of the top of the hat.

 

[gtdean48]

I have a small collection just 5 so I keep them all in the boxes. The one advantage to storing them with the crown done is that they might stay cleaner as any dust would get on the underside of the brim instead of the top of the hat.

Setting it down & storing it are 2 different issues. As you stated, the box is the best way to store a hat for any length of time. My hats that aren't in boxes are on hat racks & hooks. A quick brushing gets the dust off because I'd rather have it on the outside so I can brush it off than the inside that is going against my head, JMHO....

 

[monbla256]

When I first got into fedoras 2 years ago I surfed the net learning all I could, finding FL in the process. Everything I read, everything, said you should always set a fedora down on its crown, brim up. I took that as gospel and have been following that idea all along. But the more classic movies I see the more I realize that in every single instance whoever sets a hat down, does so with the crown up with the brim touching the table, or chair, not the way conventional wisdom says to do. Yes, I know they're only movies, but they also reflect the culture of that day to a large degree.

So, is the "set a hat on its crown" idea just an urban myth?

gtdean48's two responses have said it VERY WELL, They fall in line with the reality of daily wearing a hat. I grew up with a man who wore hats till the last 5 years of his life ( over 40 of mine) and he ALWAYS set his hat down crown up and would give the brim a sort of "swipe" with his hand to reset the brim snap when he put it on his head. I have done the same and have not found my hats to suffer in any way from this practice. The main thing you need to watch out for is WHERE you set the hat. On the seat part of a sofa is a NO NO ! It WILL get sat on for sure !! One thing you DO NOT want to do though is THROW a hat on a bed! SEVEN YEARS of bad mojo will descend upon you

 

[Benzadmiral]

. . . One thing you DO NOT want to do though is THROW a hat on a bed! SEVEN YEARS of bad mojo will descend upon you

I thought I'd read someplace about a superstition to that effect. How old is that notion?

 

[Engrishman]

I thought I'd read someplace about a superstition to that effect. How old is that notion?

I was under the impression that was a cowboy superstition, dating back to the Old West (or at the very least, Westerns).

 

[in/y]

25+ years ago I was in the cafeteria of the factory I was working at the time. I had just come in for work, hadn't changed into my work uniform, and was wearing my fedora.

I went up to a table of co-workers to chat for a moment and took off my hat (as they were mostly ladies in their late 50's & 60's at the table) and set my hat on the table brim down/crown up.

Immediately, one woman (who always seemed to be a bit cranky) yelled at me, "Pick up that hat right now and put it down properly!". I had no idea what she meant but I did pick up the hat.

Perhaps sensing my confused look she told me to turn the hat over and then place it on the table. I asked her why and she told me that I had put the "dirty" side of my hat on the table and that I should never do that.

Perhaps she had a point. With the greater use of hair oils & creams at one time, maybe some would wind up coming off the hat and on to the table/upholstery... or maybe ever worse head lice. I don't know.

However I still follow Ethel's demand that I put my hat down with the brim up though as others have said, it's only occasionally and for short periods of time.

 

[Richard Warren]

You put the bottom down. That's why its the bottom.

 

[Pompidou]

When I'm home, my VS hat returns from my head to its box. When I'm out, I usually sit it crown up. Once I got my VS, I gave my Bailey's porkpie away and relegated my Stetson Whippet to a bedpost decoration, but I used to sit them crown up as well. I don't have much of a reason except that I would rather the underside of my hats get a stain than the outside that everyone sees. Now it's just habit. Ideally, I just don't take the hat off till I get home and the problem is solved, but that's not always possible.

 

[danofarlington]

You put the bottom down. That's why its the bottom.

I agree. I don't think most hats or their shapes are so fragile.

 

[monbla256]

You put the bottom down. That's why its the bottom.

Short and sweet and to the point !! I like it

 

[Blackthorn]

Short and sweet and to the point !! I like it

All in favor say "Aye." The Ayes have it.

 

[ILB Frank]

An old-ish thread in need of a bump...
It seems to me that the current majority opinion on this forum is to set a hat down on its crown. This thread from 2011, seems to be mostly brim-down.

I set my hat down on its brim 90% of the time. Admittedly, my western style hat has a flat brim with slight rolls upward so I'm not concerned with ruining any downward curve in my brim. Either way, let's clear things up - When you set your hat down (not storage/overnight), does it go brim down or crown down?

 

[belfastboy]

An old-ish thread in need of a bump...
It seems to me that the current majority opinion on this forum is to set a hat down on its crown. This thread from 2011, seems to be mostly brim-down.

I set my hat down on its brim 90% of the time. Admittedly, my western style hat has a flat brim with slight rolls upward so I'm not concerned with ruining any downward curve in my brim. Either way, let's clear things up - When you set your hat down (not storage/overnight), does it go brim down or crown down?

The answer for me is a very clear, very strong......."Well, it depends!" Like you if it is a snap brim or flat brimmed hat I just toss it where ever...brim down. If it has a packer style brim then brim down does not work and for those I have a hat stand or I place it back in the box crown down.