Club Obi Wan

Hi all, I'm OBVIOUSLY going to order an Adventurebilt , but I am curious whether I should add a few inches to my measurement? I bought a Dobbs fedora at the end of last year, and when I first tried it on, it was very loose... So I put it in my closet (in the hat box) for a few months, and earlier this Spring, I pulled it out for kicks, and surprisingly enough, it fit just right!

I'm not sure if this helps any, but I feel I should mention that the Dobbs hat was (and is) a very soft and lightweight fedora.

Now, before I place my order for an AB, should I order my exact size, or should I get it a couple inches bigger just in case it shrinks? Or is this even a problem with ABs?

measure your head where you want the hat to sit and give that measurement to steve. the hat will sit comforabley where you measured it....steve is quite accurate in this regards. well he has been for the 3 ab's he has made for me thus far.

Hmm, but I was more curious about how the fedora holds up over time though? I don't doubt Steve's accuracy, but I'm just wondering if anybody's experienced any significant shrinkage over time? For their fedora...

no shrinking yet....knock on wood.

That was just what I was looking for! Thanks!

CD, take a tape measure and measure your head in inches three times. Average the measurements and send them along with your AB order. There's no need to order a size up with the AB, unless you want a hat that is too big for some reason or another. The more you wear a hat, the more it will conform to your head. But the AB sweat shouldn't really shrink at all like that if you leave it unworn for a while (unless your closet is as hot as an oven). Some folks get a hat stretcher/hat jack to place inside their hats when storing them for a time, though I've personally had good luck without them.

Be careful not to pull the tape measurer too tight when you measure. Eventually the sweatband will shrink a little, so just pull the tape to where it is just barely snug when you measure.

How about hair? Should one measure their head before or after a haircut?

think of the tape measure being the sweatband in your new ab. however tight you have it and what level it is on your forehead is where your hat is going to sit and the way its going to feel.

Vitoscarlatti wrote:Yeah but what if my head shrinks?

Go to your witch doctor and ask if he can reverse the process.

Come see me. I think a couple wacks on the head with a sledgehammer should take care of that. I'm sure your head will swell to fill your hat after that.

Bink Wrote:

Come see me. I think a couple wacks on the head with a sledgehammer should take care of that. I'm sure your head will swell to fill your hat after that.

Oh no!!!! It's Mr. Punkinhead!!!!

One other set of measurements you might benefit from taking is length vs. width of your head, at the same points you measured at. This will give Fedora an idea if your head would better fit a round, oval, or long oval blocked hat.

The best way to do this is with calipers, either actual or makeshift.

In all honesty, I couldn't find a way to get these measurements right doing it myself but THIS way.

Yes, I'm being completely serious. It was mocked up a bit on Fedora's behalf (I would measure AFTERWARD...) to get a grin out of him, but I seriously used the Uncle Fester method.

http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info ... ucts_id=68

A small investment to make considering what you're paying for in a quality lid.

JulianK wrote:http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info ... ucts_id=68

A small investment to make considering what you're paying for in a quality lid.

I'm not a big fan of the hat jack. It has very tapered sides, and I can't help but think that if you tighten it inside your straight sided Raiders fedora, that those tapered sides would induce the sides of the fedora to try to return to its cone shape that the hat was made from. We work so hard at trying to keep our hats from tapering so that we won't have to send it off to be reblocked. I just don't want to tighten something inside my lid that will cause it to start to taper prematurely.

I have one of those, but I had a friend with a commercial sander, sand out the taper in the sides of the hat jack. Even so, I rarely use it for anything.

Speaking of hat jacks, do you folks leave it in the fedora whenever the fedora is not in use? Or do you only use the hat jack when you feel that the fedora has shrunk?

Uh....no, I don't use it.

Like a hat stretcher? expensive and bulky.

Fedora pointed out that if you bought a copy of the block (I think there was a way to get your own for something like $75 or so), you could put your hat right down over the block every night. You'd have to push the dents/bash back in every time you took it off, but this could very well keep it from tapering until it just became stretched and floppy and needed a REAL reblocking (the whole thing from the soaking and restretching onward.)

Indiana Jerry wrote:Like a hat stretcher? expensive and bulky.

Fedora pointed out that if you bought a copy of the block (I think there was a way to get your own for something like $75 or so), you could put your hat right down over the block every night. You'd have to push the dents/bash back in every time you took it off, but this could very well keep it from tapering until it just became stretched and floppy and needed a REAL reblocking (the whole thing from the soaking and restretching onward.)

I have thought about that as a possibility, but with a Raiders tight front pinch, I would be afraid of constantly popping the pinch out and putting it back in. I think this would eventually cause the felt to crack along the pinch. Now, I think it is a good idea, for any fedora in a style other than Raiders. I really don't know if I would still do it every night, but maybe once every week or so.

Indiana Jerry wrote: Fedora pointed out that if you bought a copy of the block (I think there was a way to get your own for something like $75 or so), you could put your hat right down over the block every night. You'd have to push the dents/bash back in every time you took it off, but this could very well keep it from tapering until it just became stretched and floppy and needed a REAL reblocking (the whole thing from the soaking and restretching onward.)

The Fedora/Lamode hat block, sized to maintain shape, not "reblock" works very well. You will be steaming the crown when you "shape," but the bash is not difficult to rework. I have used that block for quite a while, and although I continue to "fiddle" a bit with the block's shape (curiosity, you know), with regular shaping sessions, there has been no taper issue with any of my toppers.

Sincerely,

Hm........I've never used any of these for my Fed. As a matter of fact, I usually store it with stiff newprint to keep the shape. And it actually works a bit too. At least, it does for me.

Dr.Seuss wrote:The Fedora/Lamode hat block, sized to maintain shape, not "reblock" works very well. You will be steaming the crown when you "shape," but the bash is not difficult to rework. I have used that block for quite a while, and although I continue to "fiddle" a bit with the block's shape (curiosity, you know), with regular shaping sessions, there has been no taper issue with any of my toppers.

Hey, thanks, Dr.! I hadn't seen feedback on these in a while to hear how they were working out for long-term use...thanks for chiming in.

Indiana Jerry wrote:[Hey, thanks, Dr.! I hadn't seen feedback on these in a while to hear how they were working out for long-term use...thanks for chiming in.

Glad to help. Kilgour Trout also has a block. It has been a while, however, since he posted info as to how his was working out. Of course, we can all thank Fedora, for giving up the secret block and making hat shaping fun and easy.

Sincerely,

You've got enough hats above your avatar to know this part by now: If you want to find general information about something, the quickest way is to search on unique words. Since 'Lamode' is a pretty darn unique word, I'd put that in the search engine, and you will find I think all your answers.

If you already have, my apologies, but it doesn't sound like you did. You can contribute more to this thread if you DO, and then start off with 'I found the posts, but the pics are gone', etc, and you'll get a better response. Most folks do not want to reiterate what they know is already out there.

If you find it's all gone and missing, then by all means, ask, or maybe even start a new thread since it's going to take this one off topic.

Vitoscarlatti wrote:What's this legendary block look like? ( the inside of a really good shaped hat moron! ) Is it made of wood? I'd like to think mahogany somehow.... are there any pictures? and finally this babbling fool would like to know are they available to buy?

The answers to all of your questions are, yes. Check this out.

Relax, Jerry. While you were typing all of that, I did the work for him. I just figured he would not have heard of "Lamode" and thus would not have known the best word to put in the search engine to take him right to that thread.

If he just put "hat block" in the search engine, he would have probably gotten enough threads to be reading for weeks.

Indiana Jerry wrote:Hey, thanks, Dr.! I hadn't seen feedback on these in a while to hear how they were working out for long-term use...thanks for chiming in.

Sorry, Buff, I read my own post (of course, this is always dangerous) to imply this was board material before...which means use the search engine.

Yep, you gave him a good link... I do that a lot, too, but there've been a lot of tangents lately for valid information that is clearly available. Give a man a fish, he eats for one day. Teach him to fish, and he'll do something more useful, but I can't remember how the quote ends.

Sorry if Bink and I have seemed a bit more serious of late, we've been asked to help, and we're figuring it out.

But I AM relaxed.

Castor Dioscuri wrote:Hi all, I'm OBVIOUSLY going to order an Adventurebilt , but I am curious whether I should add a few inches to my measurement? I bought a Dobbs fedora at the end of last year, and when I first tried it on, it was very loose... So I put it in my closet (in the hat box) for a few months, and earlier this Spring, I pulled it out for kicks, and surprisingly enough, it fit just right!

I'm not sure if this helps any, but I feel I should mention that the Dobbs hat was (and is) a very soft and lightweight fedora.

Now, before I place my order for an AB, should I order my exact size, or should I get it a couple inches bigger just in case it shrinks? Or is this even a problem with ABs?

"A few inches added" , would put the hat down on your shoulders. Give the exact head measurement in inches/fractions or in cm( which is the European measure for sizing) and you should be OK.

Vitoscarlatti wrote:Cheers Buff, never heard of Lamode, big help that, ta. YOU are a gentleman

We both tried to help you, Vito, but in different ways. Since my post was polite, although direct, I don't appreciate the insult. So if you don't really want help, I won't hesitate to delete next time you ask for it.

Let's keep this thread on the ORIGINAL topic (thank you jkingrph) or we'll assume this thread is done.

My apologies to Vitoscarlatti, and anyone I may have scared away from this thread. My post was not intended to be a smackdown, it may have come across a bit heavy I see. I appreciate your continued patience while I figure out what the other mods & admin make look so easy!

Sorry about that, Vito. My offer of a round still stands should we ever meet up. (Bink's paying, though.)

The thread remains open if there was anything left to add to it.

J

Ya'll don't have to close every thread when you think folks are done talking. That is how a thread is dredged up every now and again, that is a year or two old, and gets started again.

You're right, Buff. We usually nuke it, and after a while folks wonder if they ever read it in the first place. 8-[

Don't worry, they're learning fast.

Regards! Michaelson

Bufflehead Jones wrote:Ya'll don't have to close every thread when you think folks are done talking. That is how a thread is dredged up every now and again, that is a year or two old, and gets started again.

Not a worry, Buff, I was pointing out that I *didn't* lock it, since it had gone quiet, to encourage folks it would stay open. Sometimes when things get...uh...twitchy, I noticed a thread gets closed. I was just pointing out this wasn't happening here, it's all good info and please do continue.

J

P.S. You're off-topic. (Kidding, kidding...oh, now I'm off-topic. Darn...)

What are you talking about, I'm more off topic than on, most of the time.