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[deadlyhandsome]

This was my solution too after dropping 70lbs or so and about a hat size. Worked great to let me keep wearing my old bigger sized hats.

I would suggest the old method... as evidenced in some of my vintage hats that have arrived... of rolling up some newspaper to put behind the sweatband... but today they might say... what’s a newspaper?

I only use newspapers from the 1940s or earlier to put in modern Stetsons. Sometimes I even stamp the reverse side of the sweat with a prewar date.

 

[belfastboy]

Hey Bill,

Thanks for the reply. It's a new Whippet and after looking more closely, I can basically get a finger in each side while I'm wearing it so it's pretty clear long oval is where I need to be. That being said and the fact that Stetson doesn't offer that, I'm trying to decide what to do. I put it back on and gently applied some pressure to the sides to see if there was any relief and there was. However any pressure outward to the front and back caused the brim to buckle up and go into all sort of bad shapes. I was hoping that maybe I could have it steamed and blocked to long oval but I'm a bit worried about the brim.

Also with Stetson saying that 23" is a 7 1/4 and I have the 7 3/8 and it's a bit snug, I'm a little worried about the jump to the 7 1/2. I guess I can always return it again if it's to big.

I am a regular oval 7 3/8 and I have a hat that is still tight front to back. Tried the hat jack to ease it out and it just doesn't feel right. And if I take it too far the brim does start to buckle. I think short of tearing it down to the felt and reblocking it will be unsatisfactory. My experience is it either fits or it don't.

 

[Blare]

I only use newspapers from the 1940s or earlier to put in modern Stetsons. Sometimes I even stamp the reverse side of the sweat with a prewar date.

Bahahaha

 

[JC225]

That was my concern as well. At this point I'm not going to try and make something work. I could try and have work done on it or have a custom whippet in beaver made for me.

 

[belfastboy]

That was my concern as well. At this point I'm not going to try and make something work. I could try and have work done on it or have a custom whippet in beaver made for me.

There is a hatter in Milwaukie I think it is. The Brass Rooster. Not a great geography guy but he might be closest hatter to you. He has no presence here in the Lounge so cannot speak to his work but it looks good online.

 

[1967Cougar390]

I put it back on and gently applied some pressure to the sides to see if there was any relief and there was. However any pressure outward to the front and back caused the brim to buckle up and go into all sort of bad shapes. I was hoping that maybe I could have it steamed and blocked to long oval but I'm a bit worried about the brim.

I understand your concern about the brim but I’m sure it can be steamed and reshaped. I just changed the factory crease on my modern Stratoliner and it was a fairly quick process with a tea kettle. I’m sure a brim would be able to be adjusted with a little steam.

Steven

 

[belfastboy]

I understand your concern about the brim but I’m sure it can be steamed and reshaped. I just changed the factory crease on my modern Stratoliner and it was a fairly quick process with a tea kettle. I’m sure a brim would be able to be adjusted with a little steam.

Steven

The difficulty with brims is that they are put under a degree of torsional strain when the crown is forced out in size. You have the fixed in place leather sweat that does not stretch easily so you have a number of parts to move and getting them to move in sync is not necessarily an easy proposition. Steaming a crown is easy as it is just felt and not under any strain or tension. The strain that the brim is placed in cannot be easily steamed out and while under strain it will revert to its wonky shape.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

The difficulty with brims is that they are put under a degree of torsional strain when the crown is forced out in size. You have the fixed in place leather sweat that does not stretch easily so you have a number of parts to move and getting them to move in sync is not necessarily an easy proposition. Steaming a crown is easy as it is just felt and not under any strain or tension. The strain that the brim is placed in cannot be easily steamed out and while under strain it will revert to its wonky shape.

I agree. I’ve stretched some hats and the brim went wonky and no amount of steam would fix it. The tension was off and even reflanging the brim didn’t completely solve the problem. If a hat needs more than a small bump in size or shape it either needs to be sold to someone else or get a complete rebuild.

 

[Blare]

Any one have any ideas or thoughts on this old Stylepark. No sweatband.. so all I have to go on is the tag.

I wasn’t sure if this was an old dirty wool hat or a black/charcoal grey heather fur. I really do not know for sure.. but I am feeling like it is a heather fur, as I’ve never seen a wool hat take a dry crease with this much ease...

It is very soft and pliable and holds pretty much whatever shape you want... the brim too. The spiral stitching is very cool. Other then missing its sweat which of course I knew going in.. Oh and it is extremely light. Some of that is because there is no sweat or liner. But still. Very light. I am very pleasantly surprised with it. I have no idea of age on this one.... but the tag does look old to me.

 

[Blare]

Any one have any ideas or thoughts on this old Stylepark. No sweatband.. so all I have to go on is the tag.

I wasn’t sure if this was an old dirty wool hat or a black/charcoal grey heather fur. I really do not know for sure.. but I am feeling like it is a heather fur, as I’ve never seen a wool hat take a dry crease with this much ease...

It is very soft and pliable and holds pretty much whatever shape you want... the brim too. The spiral stitching is very cool. Other then missing its sweat which of course I knew going in.. Oh and it is extremely light. Some of that is because there is no sweat or liner. But still. Very light. I am very pleasantly surprised with it. I have no idea of age on this one.... but the tag does look old to me.

View attachment 228031 View attachment 228030 View attachment 228029 View attachment 228032

I will answer part of my question as it appears the Camden, NJ Stylepark Hats Factory was sold to a chemical company in December 1941. So this would have been produced prior to that date.

https://www.nytimes.com/1941/12/10/...emical-firm-camden-concern-gets-property.html

 

[1967Cougar390]

I agree. I’ve stretched some hats and the brim went wonky and no amount of steam would fix it. The tension was off and even reflanging the brim didn’t completely solve the problem. If a hat needs more than a small bump in size or shape it either needs to be sold to someone else or get a complete rebuild.

I will go with both of your assessments because both of you have way more hat experiences than I. I was going off this older thread about reshaping brims: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/brim-shaping.44929/
Thanks for keeping me straight

Steven

 

[The Shoe]

My wife just got a new to her borsalino hat. It says on the label that it is 100% Paglia, which I understood was a kind of straw. However the Japanese tag says paper. What’s going on here?

 

[The Shoe]

My wife just got a new to her borsalino hat. It says on the label that it is 100% Paglia, which I understood was a kind of straw. However the Japanese tag says paper. What’s going on here? View attachment 228070

Could it be that the hat is made from pulp of the Paglia straw? I wouldn’t have thought so, but not sure what to make of it.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Could it be that the hat is made from pulp of the Paglia straw? I wouldn’t have thought so, but not sure what to make of it.

I don’t have an answer for you. If you don’t get an help here I suggest you put your question in The Borsalino Brotherhood thread and see if those experts can’t get you a satisfactory answer. Good luck.

 

[The Shoe]

I don’t have an answer for you. If you don’t get an help here I suggest you put your question in The Borsalino Brotherhood thread and see if those experts can’t get you a satisfactory answer. Good luck.

I’m feeling quite proud to have put something out there that has you, the man I thought had all the answers, stumped!
Thanks for the advice, though, Brent. I’ll put it to them.

Gary

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I’m feeling quite proud to have put something out there that has you, the man I thought had all the answers, stumped!
Thanks for the advice, though, Brent. I’ll put it to them.

Gary

Stick around a bit and you’ll see that I’m a rank amateur. I have a lot of time on my hands, but I know comparatively little. There are some folks here who have a scary amount of knowledge, but I’m not one of them...and that is NOT false humility.

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

howdy friends,
I've read that the USNPS hat evolved from the Boss of the Plains but w/ added grommets (which are present on this hat but i think hidden by band .. hat's not in my possession) are there any other differences? i'm thinking this guy could make a fun "conversion" of sorts: lose band, change bash etc.

 

[Bamaboots]

howdy friends,
I've read that the USNPS hat evolved from the Boss of the Plains but w/ added grommets (which are present on this hat but i think hidden by band .. hat's not in my possession) are there any other differences? i'm thinking this guy could make a fun "conversion" of sorts: lose band, change bash etc.
View attachment 229203

Finding one of those in your size, with the hat band with pine cones intact, is not that common. Some of those came in 3X, Nutria Quality and probably other qualities. It’s a good find. No way I would change it out but YMMV.

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

thanks BB, still waiting on size from seller ... as if it'll fit
and i hear you about leaving as is, i dig it too, just spitballing is all.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

thanks BB, still waiting on size from seller ... as if it'll fit
and i hear you about leaving as is, i dig it too, just spitballing is all.
View attachment 229225

I see it's a Stetson. Unless it was a late model Stratton I wouldn't convert it. You might want to view this thread.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/now-forming-the-campaign-hat-corps.16998/