not snapping a brim?

[Blackthorn]

What happens if you put your Stetson away just as you wore it, without snapping the brim back up, like it came from the factory? Does it do damage to the brim, over long term?

 

[Dinerman]

Not really, no.

 

[Justdog]

Brim up

What happens if you put your Stetson away just as you wore it, without snapping the brim back up, like it came from the factory? Does it do damage to the brim, over long term?

I actually read that your hat should be stored or hung brim up and then snapped down when wearing it. I believe this is good for the hats taper.

 

[CRH]

What happens if you put your Stetson away just as you wore it, without snapping the brim back up, like it came from the factory? Does it do damage to the brim, over long term?

Hmmm.... Long term? Like longer than your shoes last? Wear it every day....

... and lately, is it a little stinky?. Maybe you should hang it with your shoes .

 

[Blackthorn]

Hmmm.... Long term? Like longer than your shoes last? Wear it every day....

... and lately, is it a little stinky?. Maybe you should hang it with your shoes .

lol Good point, CRH, I just like to know the how and why of things. It's a life long personality disorder. So as I got my Stetson Downs out to wear today I noticed that I had forgotten to snap the brim back up when I put it away. And then wondered what if someone put their hat away and never snapped it up, and then began wondering about the mechanics/physics of hat brims, etc. [huh] I'm bad that way.

 

[tonyb]

lol Good point, CRH, I just like to know the how and why of things. It's a life long personality disorder. So as I got my Stetson Downs out to wear today I noticed that I had forgotten to snap the brim back up when I put it away. And then wondered what if someone put their hat away and never snapped it up, and then began wondering about the mechanics/physics of hat brims, etc. [huh] I'm bad that way.

Careful there, Blackthorn. Obsessing over hats ain't allowed here.

 

[Blackthorn]

Careful there, Blackthorn. Obsessing over hats ain't allowed here.

lol lol lol lol I noticed that, Tonyb...I'll never fit in here.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I never snap 'em up. I always leave the brim down in front, ready to wear. No ill effects in years.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I think "damage" or "ill effects" would not be a correct term, but there is an effect to leaving the brim snapped down. Odds are, you'll never notice or care if that's the way you always wear your hat.

However, over time (how long probably depends on the specific felt) the brim will "learn" the down-snapped shape. Eventually, it won't snap back quite right, if at all. I bought a second hand fedora that had been left snapped down for several years. Unfortunately, it was very crooked, and left unworn (and thus never adjusted) all that time. I could not snap the brim back up or center it. I had to reshape the brim completely to how I wanted to wear it.

I figure that the loss of snap is more likely in a lower quality hat, or if the hat gets wet.

 

[Blackthorn]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. There's a wealth of knowledge here.

 

[suitedcboy]

The real risk is when snapped down gets laid flat. Snapped back up is more storage safe if a hat box cannot be used.
I leave 'em snapped down and box stored. I fear the repeated snapping may cause the felt to get TOO soft and won't hold a sharp snap. Probably not that big of a deal but one has to have something to fear.....