Advice on trimming a hat brim

[Rule17]

I have an Akubra Fedora from The Hattery (Hats Direct to online buyers). The brim is too wide to suit me and I would like to trim it from 2.5" to about 2".

I apologise because I'm sure this would have been covered elsewhere in the Lounge but I haven't been able to find it using the search feature or Google.

If anyone could point me to some advice on how to go about this (I don't even know what the best tool for cutting would be), I'd be most appreciative. It's a hat I can't really wear if I don't trim it so I'm game to experiment

 

[billyspew]

I've had success using a Strap Cutter, easy to set the amount you want to cut off. You do have to be careful when coming around the start point (otherwise you'll just go around and around cutting more off). You can then just sand off the edge to how you'd like it.

I know there are threads covering it... that's how I discovered the strap cutter tool, but I can't seem to track them down at the moment.

Hope that helps,

Bill

 

[daizawaguy]

No way! I did exactly the same thing on a fedora from Akubra. The felt is quite thin, and after marking it with tailors chalk, or anything else will do, the scissors did the dirty job. Sandpaper finished it off, but as the felt is thin, its quite difficult to finish the edge very fine at all (it flops around). Have to say it did not make it a more wearable hat unfortunately...not sure why...maybe I remember it as a wider brim, and felt it never suited me...Whilst I did shorten a few Akubra brims in the past, they never really replace a hat that has the correct size brim in the first place...You may be better off just leaving it, and get a Hampton instead....or the Whippet

 

[daizawaguy]

Here is a pic, post at 2". one thing to be careful, the brim becomes very flat, and loses its natural curl...that it something to consider...

 

[warmentrout]

I have had very good results using a compass, like you draw circles with. You can either set it at the width away from the crown you want or set it the width you want to cut off. I always set it a small fraction wider than I want it because in the cutting stage the cuts are never perfect and you need to do some sanding to even things out. I use an exacto knife for the cutting. Go slow and cut to the inside of your line, the less you have to sand the better. If you cut out the curl in the brim you can put it back in with a steam iron. Start by putting a hat stretcher in the hat just to hold the size. You don't want the hat to change size during this process and it will if you aren't careful. Cover the felt with an old t-shirt so you don't burn the felt or leave marks on the nap. I set the iron on the brim and then pull the hat out , lifting the hat as I pull so that I am "curling" the brim much like you would do curling ribbon with the edge of a knife. Once you have the amount of curl you want iron around the edges to even things out. If you get too much curl you can just iron it flat and start again. It is important to get the stretcher just right because you can stretch the hat very quickly this way if you are not careful. Good luck

 

[tonyb]

Something like the Boston Brim Cutter shown on page 41 here ...

http://www.mfwestern.com/Online-Catalog.aspx

.. would be just the ticket. These gizmos are commonly found in the Western wear shops over on this side of the world. The ones I've seen take off an eighth or a quarter of an inch, depending on the model, with each go 'round.

I'd imagine that the hat retailers over your way might have them as well, or something quite similar. If you're looking to trim down the brim on a raw-edged hat, it's probably a better tool than a rounding jack, even, seeing how you don't have to remove the ribbon and bow to get an even cut. This is provided that the edge you're starting with is even. As it turns out, not all of them are. I've come across some quite uneven ones (and no, I'm not talking about dimensional brims).