Club Obi Wan

Hi can anyone help?
I purchased an AB fedora earlier this year from Steve and love it. However, it is ever so slightly too big for me. I wore it out yesterday for a walk and a slight gust of wind blew it off my head! Now I must tell you that i have a completely bald shaved head. Is there any way at all of shrinking the head band to give a more secure fit. Like i say its only slightly too big but that can make a difference if wearing for long periods of time such as hiking etc.

Any help you guys can provide me to do this safely and with no detriment to the wonderful hat with would be brilliant.

PS i received my custom made Wested in the post today and will pop some pics later on.

Thanks in advance

MK

I think if you go to a hatshop you should be able to get thin foam pieces that you put in the sweat that will help with your problem.

I'd say wear it, wear it a lot. The sweat will conform to your head and shrink a tad. There are other methods, but since it is only slightly big I wouldn't run the risk of shrinking it too much.

Regards, Geert

Edit: yeah, foam would work, but like Marc told me: so would paper tissue

you could try the lampshade trick.

My sweats will shrink if you sweat in em. So the lampshade trick might make it fit better. Fedora

Thanks for your advice everyone, Ill wear it out on hikes as often as i can and get that central heating cranked up and sweat in my duds and hat watching raiders lol

Thanks again

MK

Can you grow some hair? that should help. Otherwise the lamp trick might help but be VERY careful. I ruined a hat that way and an Adventurebilt is way too precious to take a risk with

if only i could i would !

MK

Get some broad draught excluder tape from a DIY store, the self adhesive foam type for putting round badly fitting window frames.
Stick it all the way round the Inside of the sweat band, starting at the back, round and back. If it's now too tight remove an inch at a time from each end of the tape until the hat fits snug but not tight. Depending on the hat and the tape you may need a lot or only a few inches but you WILL get a good fit with experimentation.

I found out quite by accident how to shrink a hat. If you dare, leave it in the front window of your car on the dashboard. Preferably a warm day. Try it on every so often. I had to find out the hard way on a cowboy hat I had some years ago! It will shrink!

Indiana Jake

That will work and on an AB it won't taper the hat. Problem is that it now is a target for theft. I've read too many times about how a hat has been stolen right out of someone's car on these boards. If you do so, I'd do it while parked at your own house.

Dave

I actually took an old dress belt, split it down the middle, cut it to length and inserted it under the sweat band. It perfectly made up the 1 size difference I needed and felt much better than the flimsy foamy thing I had in there.

Hey, necessity is the mother of invention!

I can vouch for the natural heat treatment. I usually just put mine outside in full sun. The tape or the lamp treatment works too. I recommend tape if you plan to grow hair again.

So the sun thing will work just heat will shrink a hat?
Sweatband and all?

Fedora wrote:My sweats will shrink if you sweat in em. So the lampshade trick might make it fit better. Fedora

Pay attention gentlemen.

Guys

I dont know if you noticed but i live in the wettest part of the UK so shrinkage using the sun isn't going to work I'm afraid!
Great advice though nonetheless. my intention is to wear it and i hope that will sort it, if not the padding/leather belt around the band sounds like a good way to go.

Once again many thanks for your advice and comments on this.

MK

BendingOak wrote:

Fedora wrote:My sweats will shrink if you sweat in em. So the lampshade trick might make it fit better. Fedora

Pay attention gentlemen.

Don't leave the hat in the car. Try the lamp shade trick first.

Dont worry ill not be leaving my hat in the car. Im just going to wear it more often and that should do it - its not too big just a little.

For the record what is the lamp shade trick?

MK

you wet the hat and then put it on the shade of an lit up lamp. be CAREFUL

post pictures of your new wested

Actually, you wet the sweatband, then put it on the lampshade and check it often as it drives to make sure it doesn't shrink further than you need. THAT was the 'original' lampshade trick.

Like Holt said, BE CAREFUL!

The reverse practice for a hat too tight is to wet the band (I always turn the band inside out and wet the inside of the band itself) then put in a hat stretcher and stretch the hat to the proper size. Once done, let the hat dry on the stretcher. It will stay.

Best practice, wear the hat, as has already been mentioned. You're perspiration and body heat will make the hat form fit to YOUR head, so instead of trusting a lamp, use your own 'block'.....your head!

Regard! Michaelson

Michaelson wrote:Actually, you wet the sweatband, then put it on the lampshade and check it often as it drives to make sure it doesn't shrink further than you need. THAT was the 'original' lampshade trick.

Like Holt said, BE CAREFUL!

The reverse practice for a hat too tight is to wet the band (I always turn the band inside out and wet the inside of the band itself) then put in a hat stretcher and stretch the hat to the proper size. Once done, let the hat dry on the stretcher. It will stay.

Best practice, wear the hat, as has already been mentioned. You're perspiration and body heat will make the hat form fit to YOUR head, so instead of trusting a lamp, use your own 'block'.....your head!

Regard! Michaelson

Indiana Holt wrote:you wet the hat and then put it on the shade of an lit up lamp. be CAREFUL

post pictures of your new wested

Thanks Holt - the Wested was a little too large for me so ive sent it back and hope to have the replacement in a week or two. Their customer service has been 1st class btw.

MK