What's the reed for?

[Nyah]

What's the reed for?

As a LongOval/Extra-LongOval, I haven't had much love for the reed and would prefer that hats didn't have them. What is the reason for this component of hats?

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

The reed holds the oval shape of the hat. Keeping the form of the fedora. An helping keep the size of the hat.

 

[B1ggles]

What's the reed for?

As a LongOval/Extra-LongOval, I haven't had much love for the reed and would prefer that hats didn't have them. What is the reason for this component of hats?

What IS the reed?

 

[alanfgag]

This thread will help you dial it in.

 

[Nyah]

What IS the reed?

It's a rigid plastic band, sandwiched between the sweatband and the hatbody, which resists conforming to various head shapes.

 

[suitedcboy]

All the reeded sweats I have ever handled had only a vinyl tape strip folded over a solid plastic monofilament. The vinyl cloth backed tape ws in turn sewed to the leather sweatband and then the tape was stitched to the felt just at or a little above where the brim was flanged. The monofilament ends were joined by a small tube (ferrule) at the rear where the sweatband ends were sewn together. I bought some unbranded, cut to size sweats where the monofilament and ferrule were packaged loose since the monfilament was cut down to the correct length after you sized the sweat to the hat. To further complicate this issue, I have wondered if the hats with a vinyl or oil cloth layer to reduce oil migration but no monofilment to promote shape would be considered to be reeded?