Taking them down a size.

[John in Covina]

Hi All!
Here are some questions about working with a hat that is a little big. I have seen notes in a couple of places that a hat that is too big can be snugged up a bit by using some type of (?!) weatherstripping inside the hat.

What kind of weather stripping are they talking about? How much do you use? I am sure it is a as much as you need thing but... Where exactly does it go? Does it go under the sweat band?
If you only need a bit do you put a section in the front only, back only, front and back, sides, all over? Say a section six inches long would do it, do you take that six inches in one section, cut into two, three, four sections and divide equally around the hat sweat band?

Also then this type of an adjustment is good for how much of a size jump: 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, more?

(From Scrooged, "Sir, we can't get the antlers to stay on the mice heads!" " Have you tried staples?")

 

[photobyalan]

Depending on how much snugging up you need, you may be able to do the job with a couple dollar bills folded lengthwise and placed under the sweatband. Most hat shops sell (or provide free) foam tape specifically for hat sizing. Either way you do it, you place the material under the sweatband. Put it where the hat feels loosest. If it's too wide, put it on the sides. Too long? Put the foam front and back. You can tinker with it until the hat fits perfectly. I would say you could probably go up to a full size smaller (from 7 1/2 to 7 3/8 for instance) before it would start to look funny.

 

[Andykev]

Depends how much

There are "felt" strips you can obtain to place in the sweatband to snug the hat. I don't like this, as I can tell that there is paper or something between me and my head. "Princess and the Pea" story. I also don't like my socks twisted either.:rage:

If you need to only go down a small bit, I have used the spray water gently (Misting) the inside of the sweat. It will shrink the leather when it dries. This is only for SMALL changes. If you need to go down full sizes or more, then sent it for a reblock. You will get the hat back, with a new sweat and a spiffy neat hat.

 

[Michael Mallory]

Hat stores -- if you're lucky enough to have one near you -- and the Village Hat Shop online sell a product call "CapBanNu," which is an adhesive-backed cotton strip that can be attached to the sweatband, either a leather one or a fabric one. These are good for sizing down, or just making a hat more comfortable. I don't put things inside the sweatband since that invariably makes them lumpy.

 

[Rigby Reardon]

Just how loose is it? Sometimes just wearing it snugs up a hat, as the sweatband gets wet and dries a bit tighter. Might be worth a shot to just - LIGHTLY - wet the sweatband (ONLY the sweatband) and see if it dries a bit snugger.

I'd give this idea a couple hours to sit before trying it, so the guys who know more can shoot it down if it's a bad idea...

J

 

[feltfan]

I have received vintage hats with various shims, including
a product made for the purpose (had a logo) that seemed
to be dense litmus or blotter paper. I have also used a couple
of dollar bills folded lengthwise (no, I'm not taking my hat off).
I have also found a couple of napkins behind sweat bands in
vintage Panamas.

I think someone (maybe Powers?) posted photos of a shim or two
he got got in a hat. One was cork.

If they are significantly too big, you should send them to
me and I'll send you one of the small hats
I have ended up with thanks to ignorant eBay sellers who
can't read size tags.

 

[tonyb]

The local hat shop sells, for something like five bucks, these little absorbent paper thingies with adhesive on one side. They're for use in straw hats to soak up sweat and to shim a slightly too-large lid. Well, we have a drawer in our bathroom with a bunch of essentially the same thing, except for the size. They're called panty liners, I believe. I just cut 'em in half lengthwise and stick 'em to the sweatbands of my straws. Works great and costs maybe a dime. They last through a few weeks of heavy summertime sweating before they start delaminating. Then I just pull 'em out and replace them.

 

[Snrbfshn]

Whatever is at hand...

I've gotten vintage hats with shims made of felt, cork, cardboard, cardboard strip with felt layer, rags and paper. I think fellas just used what was handy.

 

[jeboat]

Shimming your loose hat

Some of the vintage hats I have bought had folded tissue(Kleenex) under the sweat. I didn't like the feel so I substituted some foam strips I got from Noggintops.

In some cases I have used the water spray on the sweat and used a hair dryer to dry the leather. It will shrink some but depends on how loose the sweat is as to whether it's enough. If it's a really good hat bite the bullet and have it cleaned and blocked and reduce the size.

jeboat:cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

 

[Rigby Reardon]

I've gotten vintage hats with shims made of felt, cork, cardboard, cardboard strip with felt layer, rags and paper. I think fellas just used what was handy.

Good point. I cut some thin leather strips from an old belt...because it was what I had on hand.