How much oversized does a hat block need to be?

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:18 pm

I know you need to take the thickness of the sweatband and shrinkage into consideration when creating a hatblock, but just how much do you need to oversize the block by? I've only made the one hat so far. A big part of that is because It's not quite the right size. I did oversize the block some, but my estimates were off, and the hat is a bit small. Fortunately, I've been able to wear it with the help of a hat stretcher from Todd. I'd like to make more, but only if I know it'll fit me without torturing the hat.

Post by **Dalexs** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:24 pm

I seem to recall Fedora mentioning that if you plan on taking the sweat into consideration, you need to go up an entire size.

I know that I basically took my block down to just over my normal size
(which happens to be in-between, 59.5) so after I block the raw body, when I add the sweat, it fits perfect.

Dalexs

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:52 pm

What is your head measurement.

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:50 pm

59 cm on the dot.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 11:37 pm

my head size is 22.5" and my block measures 23" around. in that 'grey area', you can play with the length of your sweatband (via the reed and ferrel).

....at least, that's the way i do it. the hats i made initially were quite loose on my noggin. the last hat i made had no ferrel in it and find it to be nice and snug. i believe this to be a result of the bottom of the sweat not 'belling' out.

again, this is just observation and i don't fully understand it yet. i'm planning to put a ferrel in my next hat to see....but you should be able to take up that teeny, tiny bit of room by sewing the sweat in more snugly.

if anyone knows the science behind this, i'd love to hear it

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 11:47 pm

for 59cm , 23 3/4 inch

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:38 am

I make my block exactly the same circumfrence as the head. The addition of an Akubra sweat deletes a 1/4 inch from the inner circumfrence in the 57-58 range. This produces a tight hat. We're talking 360 stovepipes here- This way I get a smaller hat to compensate for such a full block. Was the Raiders hat a tight fit, could be an important question, I think it was. Just wearing the hat a lot has taken the tight fit to a snug fit, which I like, because I always wear it while bike riding.

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:32 am

Fit is one thing where I don't care about screen accuracy. I'd much rather have something that fits comfortably that something that fits like it did in the movies. Besides, I think the ha in Raiders was actually a little large. That's where the turn came from - so that the hat wouldn't keep falling off his head.

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:50 pm

I think 360's have come and gone here because they look too big. An answer, for people who care about comfort, is block your hat, then reblock it's base on second block, maybe an inch or so tall, slightly bigger around than the main block and tapered. Or, you could put the flair in the base of your main block- you'd need a second brim break tie/clamp where the flair started.. I've promised my father a Winston 360 for Christmass, and that's how I will make it. Personally, I'd rather have my tight hat. -Notice how completely flat Screenused's brim is. I think maybe it looked that way on the last day of shooting, only it was tight enough on Ford that the brim curled.

MustangLoverMex · Post by **MustangLoverMex** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:20 pm

If your head is 59 cm then you should reblock with a 60 cm block. The sweat band will eat a full cm. The hat-maker guy that teached me, told me that and in fact he proved to me that when he made a hat for me.
If I could help you in some other way, just ask ;-)

Best Regards,
-Alfonso

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:06 am

The rule of thumb is, the hole in the hat has to be 1/2 inch larger in circumference than the size of the head going in that hole. So, on a 23 inch head, the block's circumference needs to be 23 1/2. The same applies to the other sizes. Fedora

MustangLoverMex · Post by **MustangLoverMex** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:33 pm

Fedora wrote:The rule of thumb is, the hole in the hat has to be 1/2 inch larger in circumference than the size of the head going in that hole. So, on a 23 inch head, the block's circumference needs to be 23 1/2. The same applies to the other sizes. Fedora

Yes, as I said you have to add 1 cm... Steve said that you have to add 1/2 in and that's about 1.27 cm so I wasn't that wrong hehe.

Regards,
-Alfonso

Nicolas Jones · Post by **Nicolas Jones** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:26 pm

I made my own block, it has the same circumference than my head... and my hat fits perfectly...

regards,

Nico

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:05 pm

Thanks for all the help, everyone. Hopefully, I can give this another try sometime next year.

Ohio Jones · Post by **Ohio Jones** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 7:21 pm

Hey MB,

I found out after reading your thread and making my fedora that mine came out to big. After reworking the block and getting it to fit perfect after the second time....the block is the same size as my head. I did NOT allow any for the sweatband and after the second hat came off and the sweat sewed in....it was perfect. Not sure why.....although the bands from hatsupply are very thin. I guess if you were using a thicker more expensive band...it would take up some more room.

I am in the process now of making a brim flange. I own a trim carpentry business and my dad and I make bows...so we have a lot of machinery to make things like this pretty quick. I will post pics when complete.

MH

ksteryous · Post by **ksteryous** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 7:33 pm

So let's say that I want to try and re-block my hat without removing the sweat (that sounds much too difficult for a novice like me), should I then forgo the 1/2 inch larger rule of thumb, and get a block that is exactly the same size as my head?

BendingOak · Post by **BendingOak** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 9:17 pm

ksteryous wrote:So let's say that I want to try and re-block my hat without removing the sweat (that sounds much too difficult for a novice like me), should I then forgo the 1/2 inch larger rule of thumb, and get a block that is exactly the same size as my head?

I would go one size down.