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Jedwbpm

One Too Many
Messages
1,031
Location
West Coast Florida

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
Perhaps Art or anyone that works on hats more than I do can answer this one, as a "professional" how much up can you really size a hat? Understandable the leather sweatband and ribbon is looking to be fixed/replaced if going up a size or two... I have to ask this, as I am just seeing so many great hats all over for sale, I wear a 7 3/8 and see many that are 7 1/8 or 7 1/4 ....drooling to own them but they are too small and I am not brave enough to stretch one that much...thanks!
 

RBH

Bartender
Perhaps Art or anyone that works on hats more than I do can answer this one, as a "professional" how much up can you really size a hat? Understandable the leather sweatband and ribbon is looking to be fixed/replaced if going up a size or two... I have to ask this, as I am just seeing so many great hats all over for sale, I wear a 7 3/8 and see many that are 7 1/8 or 7 1/4 ....drooling to own them but they are too small and I am not brave enough to stretch one that much...thanks!
I can tell you Mike Moore will not stretch a hat up. He will try and bring one back to the original size.... if sweat, ribbon, ect look ok. Or he is replacing them.
 
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scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,161
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
I will say that, in my experience, going up two sizes with a stretcher produced some weird results, as in a huge bulge at the bottom of the hat. I reblocked this 7 1/8 to a 7 3/8 shortly after this was taken.

0414092331_640x480.jpg
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
I have successfully stretched up 1 size on vintage hats but it is very hat specific. Lots of vintage hats reach a smaller size than tagged due to sweatband leather shrinkage.
Professionals can reblock where all I can cover is stretching. To increase my pool of vintage lids, I watch 1 size up & down.
Perhaps Art or anyone that works on hats more than I do can answer this one, as a "professional" how much up can you really size a hat? Understandable the leather sweatband and ribbon is looking to be fixed/replaced if going up a size or two... I have to ask this, as I am just seeing so many great hats all over for sale, I wear a 7 3/8 and see many that are 7 1/8 or 7 1/4 ....drooling to own them but they are too small and I am not brave enough to stretch one that much...thanks!
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
I can tell you Mike Moore will not stretch a hat up. He will try and bring one back to the original size.... if sweat, ribbon, ect look ok. Or he is replacing them.

Thanks, as I mentioned, I have thought about stretching a hat, but just do not feel I have the knowledge or experience to do so. And as you know, we always see some just wonderful hats that seem to be too small! I purchased a hat stretcher thinking I would be "o.k." using it, but no....I was afraid I would just rip the felt so ended my dreams of doing something myself.....thanks again for your reply!
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
I have successfully stretched up 1 size on vintage hats but it is very hat specific. Lots of vintage hats reach a smaller size than tagged due to sweatband leather shrinkage.
Professionals can reblock where all I can cover is stretching. To increase my pool of vintage lids, I watch 1 size up & down.

Thank you, as I have stated, I have a really nice hat stretcher, but I just feel if I were to try to take a hat up a few sizes I would just rip the felt all apart, so I put the idea aside. Perhaps some day I can learn much more and have better ability of stretching a size or so, I have used spray bottles and heat to bring one hat down a bit, but was so very careful, spent more than one day at that.

Thank you so much for you reply. I always appreciate the input from you "veteran" hat owners!
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
You'll rip ribbons & sweatbands before felt...
Thanks, as I mentioned, I have thought about stretching a hat, but just do not feel I have the knowledge or experience to do so. And as you know, we always see some just wonderful hats that seem to be too small! I purchased a hat stretcher thinking I would be "o.k." using it, but no....I was afraid I would just rip the felt so ended my dreams of doing something myself.....thanks again for your reply!
 

jbernard54

New in Town
Messages
2
Location
Michigan
Hi guys,

I'm looking for a particular straw fedora hat. The one used by Matt Bomer (Neal Caffrey) on the premiere of Season 4.

Can anyone help me? You can find an image of the hat on the link below.

Many thanks

http://www.boomtron.com/wp-content/uploads/white-collar-season-4-wanted-4.jpg

I did a little research of my own. I came up with this as the closest one you can buy. It is from Pork Pie Hatters a branch of JJ Hat Center in NYC. It is called the Nogal Stingy Dark. You can only order by calling. It is the hat in my avatar. It may be a little but lighter (it is very hard to tell because of lighting, etc.), but it is very similar.
 
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