Stretching straw?

[tonyb]

I bought this hat ...

.. at a vintage shop last Friday. I happily handed over the $58.95 (plus tax) asking price because, well, I just love it, even though it is, at a size 7, too small to fit me.

It's a sharp-lookin' hat, says I. And it's truly in as-new condition, even though it's gotta be of a distant vintage. Its sweatband is embossed with a retailer's logo reading ...

Scott's Hat Shop
2nd and Seneca
Seattle, Wash.

Not even the folks at Byrnie Utz seem to have heard of Scott's, so I'm guessing they've been defunct for half a century or more.

So, dare I attempt stretching this thing up to a 7 1/4 or so? (It's a fairly generous 7.) I have neither the equipment nor the knowledge to properly reblock straw hats (felt is challenging enough, thank you very much), so should I determine it would be best to go that route, this hat is taking a trip out of town. Whatever I do, averting damage is paramount.

Suggestions, anyone? Bob? Art?

 

[duggap]

I have always heard that you cannot stretch straw hats. If you get beyond the sweat band I believe it would cause the straw to start cracking. I am not an expert, but it does kinda make sense.

 

[tonyb]

Yeah, that seems kinda intuitive. But straw hat bodies are manipulated this way and that in the blocking process. What I've read and seen of it, in photos and such, has me believing that a person could indeed do some real damage in a big hurry.

 

[Art Fawcett]

uh oh..be careful Tony..this will require a complete reblock- even for a small stretch.

 

[Tomasso]

So, dare I attempt stretching this thing up to a 7 1/4 or so? (It's a fairly generous 7.)

Don't do it.


Sell it and keep on looking; 7 1/4 vintage straw in comparable condition are fairly common on eBay.

 

[indycop]

It sure is a beautiful hat tho!

 

[carter]

uh oh..be careful Tony..this will require a complete reblock- even for a small stretch.

So, I guess stretching a 7 1/4 Brooks Bros Boater to 7 1/2 isn't a very good idea? Art, would you even attempt this?

 

[Art Fawcett]

So, I guess stretching a 7 1/4 Brooks Bros Boater to 7 1/2 isn't a very good idea? Art, would you even attempt this?

Only with a written disclaimer that I'm NOT repsonsible for the end result Carter..lol lol Honestly, with vintage you never know what's been applied to the hat and so you never really know how it will react. Sometimes it's fine, others times it's..oh gosh...now what?

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Be careful

As Duggap said, if you can get past the sweatband. My daughters in West Texas bought me a new Resistol mexican palm cowboy hat and shipped it to me in PA. It was off by a size. It was a 7 1/8, I wear 7 1/4. Using a lot of steam and a Hat-Jack I managed to get up to a 7 1/4. It did not damage the sweatband or crack the straw. Of course mexican palm can be fairly forgiving and what worked for me might not work on your vintage straw. This was just an example. I still store the hat with a Hat-Jack in it over the winter. It's a work hat on the farm so heat and sweat have managed to keep it stretched.

 

[dhermann1]

If you're thinking of selling it, I might be interested. PM me.