Extending a hat's brim...

[Aureliano]

I've heard that the brim of a hat can be enlarged by removing both outside and inside bands an then using the crown to extend it. Sort of folding it.
Anyone has any experience in doing this? I'd like some advise.
Aureliano-

 

[Bassman]

No, but I'm considering doing the opposite to a hat with too wide a brim and too short a crown.
I thought if the sweat band and ribbon were removed they might be able to placed a little further down on the brim, thus making the brim more narrow and raising the crown.
Any expert opinions?

 

[Aureliano]

I have no clue. But, to me, both ways sound plausible.
Experts please help!

 

[Bassman]

I think that in what I'm considering, the ribbon will cover any existing holes from the sweatband's stitching.
In what you are considering, those holes may be exposed.
This is all just conjecture on my part.

 

[Aureliano]

Valid conjecture. The holes in the stitching of my hat are very fine. A good gently sanding will probably get rid of it... I'd think. Aren't we, around here, some sort of macgyvers? I love it! I'd still love to hear an expert's opinion.

 

[Brad Bowers]

The holes will close up in the reblocking, no need to do anything else. The heat and moisture take care of them.

Yes, you can widen the brim by taking from the crown, and vice versa. In my experience, though, it's really difficult to get rid of the evidence of the previous band mark (brim break). Not saying it can't be done, just saying I've never been totally successful at it.

Brad

 

[Aureliano]

thanks for the tip, Brad. When you say its hard to get rid of the band mark, do you mean the sweat band, ribbon or the actual " fold" where the brim curled before? Sorry if I sound dumb. I want to make sure I do this right.
Aureliano-

 

[Brad Bowers]

The band mark, also known as the brim break, is the fold, as you put it, where the brim and crown meet. Even with ironing and ironing, it still seems to show. Not bad, and in some cases, you'll probably be the only one to notice, but you'll always know it's there, the ghost of band mark past, forever haunting.

At least, it bugs me no end, but I have a perfectionist's streak that drives my wife crazy.

Brad

 

[tonyb]

Brad's experience is much the same as mine.

It's generally more feasible to turn brim material into crown material than vice-versa (I'm talking refurbished hats here, not all-new hats). But it's more than a bit of work to do it right. I'll spare you the blow-by-blow, but know that it involves taking the hat apart and reblocking the crown and reflanging the brim and putting it all back together again. (And ironing and ironing, as Brad noted.) This requires a certain amount of knowledge and a bit of equipment. And it's often as much or more work than making an all-new hat.

 

[Aureliano]

Thanks for the advise. The hat I want to put through this is a new one. I saw it in a store yesterday. A gorgeous Borsalino in a silverbelly color I've never seen. The brim was just to short for me and they didn't have it with a larger one...