Quality?

[BigSleep]

Hey Guys (Generic. Means men and women)

Any of you ever use one of those hat stretchers sold on ebay called Fat Charlies?
If so, anygood?

Seems to me a stretcher is nothing but a couple blocks of wood and a turn buckle.
So...
For 10 or 15 bucks it sure sounds like a good deal.

I write this because being a novice maybe there is something I need to know about these things that isnt obvious on the serfice.

 

[tonyb]

Never heard of the brand you mention, but you've pretty well nailed what most hat stretchers are--a couple of blocks of wood and a turnbuckle.
There's the Hallett brand hat stretcher which looks pretty good. I don't have one, but I've read favorable reviews. The advantage of the Hallett offering is that the business end extends a couple of inches (or more) into the crown, and it has flanges on each end to prevent the user from extending it too far into the hat. And they offer a model with parallel (as opposed to tapered) faces. Seems just the thing for those of us who prefer straight-sided crowns.
I've come close to accomplishing the same thing by using the cloth-covered cardboard backings from an old hardback book. I bent them into semi-circles and dropped them into the crown before applying the el-cheapo stretcher.

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

Hat Jack

I bought a "Hat Jack" from a western online catalog. Two blocks of wood with a turnbuckle. I even made my own by copying the design. I used the Hat Jack to stretch my "rescued" Resistol San Antonio from a size 7 up to 7 1/4 prior to sending it off for a new sweatband. Yes, it caused a weird crease which I took care of by closing the Hat Jack to the smallest size and placing it up further into the crown and expanding it ever so slightly to even the crease out. After that I used steam and a pint glass (freshly drained of beer) to hand finish the crown. The Hat Jack only expands the crown forward and backwards, but not the sides so there is a flattened appearance that has to be worked out by hand. The brim wanted to snap up also, but a steam iron (used lightly with a cotton towel) flattened out it out and then was shaped by hand utilizing steam. The homemade versions are used when I'm storing hats to maintain a size or just need to "tweak" one of my straws.

Here's the results:

<center>
<a href="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g278/GentlemanFarmer/SanAnton2.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g278/GentlemanFarmer/th_SanAnton2.jpg"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
</center>

 

[Magus]

Alternativly...

You can have a replica of your head at the band done in aromatic cedar for not a lot more than a stretcher. Once the hat is somewhere close in size you shimmie it in and get a perfect fit.

I have one made by one of our esteemed hatters and love it.

M

 

[BigSleep]

Thanks Guys

Hey Gentleman that hat is really cool. It has the western style block but with the fedora style snapped down brim. That is a unique look.

I can dig it!

 

[besdor]

The best stretchers were the ones made years ago . Look on Ebay as there always a few listed . I've gotten quite a few over the years this way for 15 to 25 dollars a piece . They can open up a hat a size which can help when hats shrink from the rain or heat .


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Fedora]

I really like the 4 way stretchers. Instead of just stretching fore and aft, these also stretch the sides as well. The two way ones can turn a reg oval into a long oval, the 4 way ones keep the regular oval hat, a reg oval. Fedora

 

[jsecunda]

Thanks for the information. Does anyone know a source for a four-way stretcher? Are stretchers useful to keep in a hat while stored over the summer?
Thanks-
js

 

[Rick Blaine]

cheapest I have found:

Thanks for the information. Does anyone know a source for a four-way stretcher? Are stretchers useful to keep in a hat while stored over the summer?
Thanks-
js

http://www.wardrobesupplies.com/store/m2_mjsupp.html

...'bout 1/3 down the page.
Regards,

Rick