Does anyone know how to size felt hats?

[Katherine "Kat" Adams]

Ok... maybe this will sound dumb but I need help. I've been creating hats for years and never really needed to worry about this before, I'm adding to my line to include hats that need blocked to be sized, ie Pirate hats, cavalier hats etc. I've always done my own but paid the price for presized blank, but in the interest of keeping costs down, I need to learn to size them. I know it can be done without all the fance equipment, unfortunately my friend that used to create all our Rev war and furtrade era hats has passed and so I cannot talk to him. I know he sized hats without all the "equipment".

I am tenatively going to be vending at a Celtic/Medieval festival in just two weeks and wanted to take some hats along. I can get the blanks in time, unsized or sized but the cost of sized is double making them near impossible to sell once shaped and decorated.

I'll stop rambling now. Any help that anyone might be able to give would be greatly appreciated.

Your aye

Kat

[Cascabel]

I've always done 'em by putting them on a pan of boiling water like a lid, and waiting for them to get soft and wet, and then shove a hat stretcher into them and adjust it while the hat is still hot. Let it cool while the stretcher is in place, then remove it. Works nicely !!! Hat stretchers can be had from various sources, and I have seen them quite often on eBay....

>>>> Cascabel

[Desert Pyrate]

Looks good... I just got a hat, and it's a mite small. I think I'll just stretch it instead o' returning it for a bigger one.

[Katherine "Kat" Adams]

Thanks so much... I never thought to ask him how he stretched them in the past and as usually happens, now it is too late.

Looks like I will be in the market for a hat stretcher asap!!!

Thanks again for the info.

Yours aye,

Kat