Stretching a hat....

[The Ringneck]

I needed a cheap felt hat to make into a hobo hat and lucked into what had been a mid-grade Stetson that had fallen on hard times. No way to clean it up or fix the frays so I'm going to dirty it up more, and crumple it up even more.

Problem is it's a 7 1/8th and I'm 7 1/4ths to 7 3/8ths. Now speaking as someone who has rode the rails and hitchiked I can say that if you need a hat any hat will do and I doubt in the old days they'd have cared much either. But I was wondering if there was any use in trying to stretch it JUST a hair. Even the littlest bit would make a huge difference.

Thanks!
BradLaGrange

 

[jlee562]

Sure, dampen the sweatband and put a hat jack on it and stretch it out....alternatively, if you have a hat shop in town, they can probably steam it and stretch it for you. Paul's Hat Works here in SF stretched out one of my hats for a nominal fee.

 

[daizawaguy]

Hate to say it, but you will get better answers in a search, than wait for replies. This is one of the most asked questions, and the most inconclusive - or at least you will find opinions on both sides. Frankly - imagine taking a piece a leather or felt a foot long and try stretching it to a foot and an inch...somehow its either not going to work or get damaged...likewise the hat. But everyone gives it a try and hopes for the best, myslef included

 

[Mr E Train]

Daizawaguy's right, it's usually better to search for the topic you're looking for before posing a question because more often than not you'll find the answer you need. And the best way to search past threads is using Google, not the FL search function. For example, typing in +hat +stretch site:thefedoralounge.com will turn up a bunch of hat stretching threads.

I would suggest not spending $25 for an official Hat Jack; just go on eBay and search for a hat stretcher. I bought a hat stretcher off eBay for $6.95 from a guy who makes them himself, and it worked like a charm.

 

[The Ringneck]

Thanks! I'll check it out the cheaper hat stretchers. I'm willing to risk the damange; it's not a great hat anyhow, even before somone else abused it, it's a size that most people can't use, and I have $10 invested. Thus I feel safe in being able to experiment without ruining something someone else may have wanted.

BradLaGrange

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

You can drop into your local Western wear/tack shop to see if they can stretch it for you - any place that sells cowboy hats can usually stretch a hat.