Hat Shrinkage.

[Stern-Hank]

I bought a beautiful new Stetson fedora that fit perfectly. Suddenly, it seems to have shrunk, it still fits ok, but it feels just tight enough to be a little uncomfortable. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Tomasso]

That's why they make hat stretchers.

 

[Duper]

The leather sweat band shrinks up from moisture/sweat over time.

I think you will find a lot of fellow loungers have purchased hat stretchers just for this exact reason. I picked up a couple of "Hat Jack" hat stretchers from Noggintops last year. I am sure you can find hat stretchers from numerous hat retailers or e-bay.

 

[Stern-Hank]

But I just bought the damn thing. Thanks guys, I was thinking of something like that...

 

[johnnycanuck]

Yes. What it is, is the leather sweat band shrinking when it gets wet (from your natural oils and sweat) What you can do is get a hat jack and put it in the hat when you are not wearing it. http://www.villagehatshop.com/jack_stretcher.html Or if you don't what to do that, just snug the hat down to your ears when you first put it on. This stretches the leather a bit to the widest part of your head. Then just wear it as normal, if you know what I mean.
Hope that helps.
Johnny

 

[Stern-Hank]

Yes. What it is, is the leather sweat band shrinking when it gets wet (from your natural oils and sweat) What you can do is get a hat jack and put it in the hat when you are not wearing it. http://www.villagehatshop.com/jack_stretcher.html Or if you don't what to do that, just snug the hat down to your ears when you first put it on. This stretches the leather a bit to the widest part of your head. Then just wear it as normal, if you know what I mean.
Hope that helps.
Johnny

I'm gently snugging it down tighter hoping that will help to some degree. A hat jack may be in order...

 

[gtdean48]

Bending your knee, then pulling the hat over it & flexing will also stetch out the sweatband as well. Been using that method with old ranch hats for years, althougth I own a few stretchers too.

 

[Mr E Train]

Similar to what johnnycanuck said, somebody once suggested steaming around the hatband and then jamming the hat down on your head farther than it normally goes until it's touching your ears, and then leaving it on your head for a while. That has worked very well for me, much better than jamming it down on your head without steaming it first.

 

[jwalls]

I have found that a hat stretcher is a necessity if your not wearing the same hat every day. I have had a wood working friend make custom fit finger blocks for some of my favorites.

 

[mflemming]

I have to wonder, why don't the manufacturers pre-shrink the leather??

 

[johnnycanuck]

usually most people fall between sizes, so you order the next size up. This way the hat shrinks down to your head size and fits you just right.
Johnny
With that said everyone who actually fits a hat size bang on is going to speak up and tell me I am wrong. lol

 

[Dewhurst]

Ahh, hat shrinkage: it happens. Many of the methods suggested above have worked for me in the past. So all is not lost.

I often purchase hats one size too large in order to side-step shrinkage related problems. True, it can be a bit annoying to always have to stuff some felt or something behind the sweatband, but it does help sometimes.

The hats that fit "perfect", are the scary ones. You just know that they might shrink some day and if they do, they will be too small as an immediate result. Then you need stretching methods like those above.