hat streching

[hey galloway 21316]

when streching a hat to long ovei do you start 1 size under to get what you want

[Tyrel Cody]

Thats the way I've always done it. I can wear a 7 1/4 or a 7 1/8 long oval; 7 1/4 long oval is WAY too loose.

[Chuck Steak]

hm... how do you "stretch" a hat without ruining it ??

I have a 3x fur felt hat that is too small by about a half size and would LOVE to stretch that thing over my head without making my scalp go numb............

[Marshal Hangtree]

2 minutes ago, Chuck Steak said:

hm... how do you "stretch" a hat without ruining it ??

I have a 3x fur felt hat that is too small by about a half size and would LOVE to stretch that thing over my head without making my scalp go numb............

 

Get a hat jack, Chuck.  You can get them at Amazon, or at your local western wear outlet:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Heavy-Stretcher-Medium-7-Through/dp/B001XON4BY/ref=asc_df_B001XON4BY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242012619115&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4697781497736873160&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1012993&hvtargid=pla-585813774382&psc=1

[Marshal Hangtree]

Another point:  Air conditioning, and sometimes central heat, will cause a hat to slightly shrink when not in use.  I use two of these hat jacks and insert them in my felt hat and in my straw hat to keep them properly expanded when not wearing them.  Keeps them at just the right size.

[Dutch Wheeler]

If you are going stretch a fur hat with a hat jack, be sure to apply plenty of steam.

Also, be aware that the leather sweat band WILL NOT stretch much along with the fut hat, so expect the the sweat band to get boogered up.

 

 

 

 

[Dogmeat Dad, SASS #48563L]

Didn't you ever watch Tom Selleck in Monte Walsh?  You have to soak it in a rain barrel, then wear it until it dries.  It will fit like a glove, eventually.  Might look like hell by the time it fits right, but hey, it's Cowboy! 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

take a rasp and contour the hat jack to the shape you want the hat to be.  Long oval, short oval, round. ext. IIRC they will make a hat round unless you modify them.

[Chuck Steak]

I'm new to the cowboy hat game - I only wear one at matches - just pulling out the sweatband might even be enough to make it fit comfortably...  and if pulling the sweatband makes it look old and dirty - so be it.

It was given to me as a "found this in my closet" present - so there is no lost investment if the "resizing effort" goes awry

[Sedalia Dave]

2 hours ago, Chuck Steak said:

I'm new to the cowboy hat game - I only wear one at matches - just pulling out the sweatband might even be enough to make it fit comfortably...  and if pulling the sweatband makes it look old and dirty - so be it.

It was given to me as a "found this in my closet" present - so there is no lost investment if the "resizing effort" goes awry

 

Don't pull out the sweatband. What's underneath it will not be comfortable against your head.

[Marshal Hangtree]

1 minute ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Don't pull out the sweatband. What's underneath it will not be comfortable against your head.

+1

[Cholla Bob]

just wet it and stick it on your head, it ain't rocket science

[Roscoe Regulator]

If it is a style with a flat brim, stretching or forcing it onto your head will distort the brim into dipping front and back. Pretty normal look but not what you could get by ordering an actual long oval.

[watab kid]

all good info - im not going to pretend i ordered mine - i bought it at a thrift store but it was a good hat and ive done the above as well as wear it in the rain , i agree on the band - dont want to go without that 

[Blackwater 53393]

If it’s a good quality hat and not too old or too abused, you can wet the sweat band thoroughly and then stretch the hat gently to the desired fit. Use steam on the hat body and leave the hat on the stretching device unti completely dry.  Use a hat jack to maintain the finished resize!

 

You can get this as a service at most quality western stores for a few bucks.

[Johnson County Mike]

  Hi, Wow, what a idiot I am ! I bought a hat in my size. When it gets too small I get a haircut, LOL, regards, Mike

[Rube Burrows]

20 hours ago, Dogmeat Dad, SASS #48563L said:

Didn't you ever watch Tom Selleck in Monte Walsh?  You have to soak it in a rain barrel, then wear it until it dries.  It will fit like a glove, eventually.  Might look like hell by the time it fits right, but hey, it's Cowboy! 

 

Now that is a great looking hat. 

[Ozark Okie]

Never had a "really expensive" hat, but I've done the wet it and wear it a few times. In fact, a friend once recommended wearing it into the shower to wet it (did get a few comments from my wife about how silly I looked with the circular waterfall off the brim).....works well for fitting to your head and shaping as you like. 

Related topic - has anyone ever replaced a sweat band. One of my favorite hats that looks a little like the above picture has a badly cracked sweat band that I would like to replace.  Thanks

[Whiskey Hicks]

I’ve got a good local haberdashery someone turned me onto. He won’t charge me for stretching unless it has to be left overnight, but I do try to sneak him a tip.

[Blackwater 53393]

5 hours ago, Ozark Okie said:

Never had a "really expensive" hat, but I've done the wet it and wear it a few times. In fact, a friend once recommended wearing it into the shower to wet it (did get a few comments from my wife about how silly I looked with the circular waterfall off the brim).....works well for fitting to your head and shaping as you like. 

Related topic - has anyone ever replaced a sweat band. One of my favorite hats that looks a little like the above picture has a badly cracked sweat band that I would like to replace.  Thanks

 

If you can sew, even just rough stitching, you can buy a new sweat band, carefully remove the old one and stitch in a new one. Overlap the seam at the back. It’s not quite that simple, but someone crafty can do it. 

 

Otherwise, look up a custom hat builder/shaper and let him do it. When I was in the business, I generally charged $25.00 to $35.00.

[Ozark Okie]

Blackwater, thanks. I believe I can do that. Will start looking for the replacement sweatband. 

Hey Galloway, sorry to jump in on your thread, hope the information about sweat bands may be of some use. 

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

If you are trying to stretch a hat, there is sometimes a monofilament line inside the hatband that needs to be snipped.

[hey galloway 21316]

don.t worry about jumping on thread just glad of all the information

[Blackwater 53393]

On 6/18/2020 at 7:55 PM, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

If you are trying to stretch a hat, there is sometimes a monofilament line inside the hatband that needs to be snipped.

 

The monofilament strand, otherwise known as the quill, will often just slide since both ends are free.  It will also stretch easily if steamed well and remain stretched.  I once demonstrated this to a skeptical customer who wanted his hat stretched and had been misinformed about it. I took a new sweatband and pulled out the quill and put it in front of the steamer for a couple of seconds and then stretched it about 2 inches.

 

One of my hats was a blemished hat body that was finished and banded at 7 3/8. I couldn’t sell it so I stretched it to 7 7/8 and shaped it to suit me.  It’s a beautiful, pure beaver, granite Gus and would retail for nearly $1,000.00 in many hat stores. I was able to disguise the worst of the blems and most folks can’t even tell.