shrink a Henry?

[Indiana Bugs]

Okay, I have this Adventurebilt Henry. It is a bee-you-tiful hat. I bought it used from a board member. It is my size (59).

Except that it's way too big. Without sweat stuffing it falls down over my eyes. With sweat stuffing, the hat stays in the right place, but looks too massive for my face, as in noticeably larger than any of my Akubra Feds, all sized 59.

I'd like to fix it myself, with as little in the way of taking it apart as possible. But if I have to take it apart, I will.

I'm getting the feeling that I won't be able to shrink the body of the hat without taking it apart and soaking it in hot water, putting it on my block, and going from there. I am also figuring that if the hat body shrinks down to my size 7 3/8 block that I'll need to trim the sweat so that it'll fit back in to a smaller inner circumference.

Is this going farther than necessary? Any procedural advice would be appreciated.

[mcmanm]

I'd ask John Penman for advice. He's always helped me out with questions like that. If you bought at a reasonable price, I'd see if you could get it reblocked.

[BendingOak]

I think you answered your own question. You would need to strip in down and block it down a size. You would need a new sweatband to fit the now smaller felt body.



Just remember that every company size are different. Don't ask me why because math is math. Maybe some just don't know or forgot how to do math. Or maybe math has changed in the past couple of decades???? just look a two different companies hat size charts and you will see what I'm talking about.

[Indiana Bugs]

Okay, thanks, guys. I hate to tear down such a beautiful hat, especially when there is nothing wrong with it, per se, but I need it to fit me. I'll post the results when I finish. Again, thanks!

Of course, if anyone has a pristine Adventurebilt Henry in a size 58 (that I can only assume fits like a true 59), and really needs a (big) 59, give me a holler.

[BendingOak]

Okay, thanks, guys. I hate to tear down such a beautiful hat, especially when there is nothing wrong with it, per se, but I need it to fit me. I'll post the results when I finish. Again, thanks!

Of course, if anyone has a pristine Adventurebilt Henry in a size 58 (that I can only assume fits like a true 59), and really needs a (big) 59, give me a holler.

I'm sorry to correct you but the Henry is true to size. Some others have done there math wrong. This is not directed to you.


I would suggest that the trade idea is a much better idea then you re-blocking it.

[Indiana Bugs]

Sorry, John, I don't understand this. Who may have done their math wrong? How can it be true to size when every other 59 I have ever owned has fit me fine? Can this Henry be shrunk down at all without taking it apart?

And on another note, as this 59 fits me like a 60, will a 58 fit me like a 59?

I am hesitant to give it up in a trade for an unknown hat that I don't know will fit me.

[jnicktem]

This is a correct hat sizing chart with the correct math.

49 cm = 19.29 inches 6 1/8
50 cm = 19.68 inches 6 1/4
51 cm = 20.08 inches 6 3/8
52 cm = 20.47 inches 6 1/2
53 cm = 20.87 inches 6 5/8
54 cm = 21.26 inches 6 3/4
55 cm = 21.65 inches 6 7/8
56 cm = 22.05 inches 7
57 cm = 22.44 inches 7 1/8
58 cm = 22.83 inches 7 1/4
59 cm = 23.23 inches 7 3/8
60 cm = 23.62 inches 7 1/2
61 cm = 24.02 inches 7 5/8
62 cm = 24.41 inches 7 3/4

[BendingOak]

Hat companies across the board have done their math wrong,( or something) not you. Your the customer, it's never up to you to get the hat size chat right.

Most companies call 23 inches a 59cm that's completly wrong. 59cm isn't ahat size it's a measurement. But hat companies use cm as it was a hat size.

You are most likely a 58cm




There is another thought. Maybe you got one that was mislabeled or was altered by the original owner.

[Indiana Bugs]

I have measured my head. It is 23 1/8" around. That means I'm closer to a 59 than a 58. Plus, all of my other hats that show a metric measurement are 59s.

It is entirely possible I got a mislabeled hat. That might explain why the seller let it go. He may have ordered a 59, got a too big hat, and put it up for sale. If this was indeed the case, then that's unfortunate.

I just read an early FL post by Steve where he wrote that if a hat is soaked to the core and not put on a block, it will taper back to its original cone shape, but the sweat band area will not change, or will not change all that much. I don't need my hat to shrink all that much. I estimate that I have a 60 (7 1/2) hat with a 59 label in it.

I've stripped, blocked, and rebuilt a few hats and am confident in my ability to do so. It's just that I have only done this to hats that have tapered, or needed a new sweat band, or were too small and needed to be sized up, or a complete reversal. I've never attempted to shrink a hat down.

If I could be assured that a soaked through Henry will shrink down on a block, then I would give serious thought to attempting this myself. If it won't shrink down a size, then I will leave it alone and hope that a nice 58 becomes available that I can buy, and then sell my 59.

[Indiana Bugs]

How about spraying the sweat with water and letting it dry? Some have suggested putting the hat on top of a lamp shade. Is that with the light on or off?

[jlee562]

Light on, the idea is that the heat from the light bulb helps to slowly shrink the leather. Not sure how well this works with those new fangled CFL bulbs.

[Indiana Bugs]

I just came across a thread on FL from 2010 where someone posted that his 59 is more like a 59.5 or 60 - iow, it's too big on him. He said that he was going to either shrink or pad it, but there is no follow up post with his results.

If I spray the sweatband and let it shrink, will it drag the felt in so that there will be less space between the hat and my head, or in this case, the felt and the leather?

Can ya tell I'm a little nervous about messing with a Henry?

[BendingOak]

You my friend are in between sizes but lucked out that most companies can't do math right. The Henry sweatband won't shrink. I'm sure you could shrink the felt with enough heat, water and steam. I don't want to see the end results after the reblock because I know how it is for me to do a good job on reblocking them.

[Indiana Bugs]

Thank you for the answer re shrinking a Henry sweat. I now have to really think about whether or not I want to take my Henry apart for a soak and reblock.

[Zoltar]

I tried every trick in the book on my henry and nothing touched it.
Mr Penman did a bang up reblock though

[Indiana Bugs]

I had since spoken with John and decided to leave the hat as is. I wear it occasionally but it is not one of my daily drivers.