In this video I take a break from fishing to try a method for shrinking a New Era 59Fifty fitted hat. Thanks to RU-vidr RO CI for the basic method, which I modify/simplify a bit.
Ayeee this actually worked! I recently bought a hat that was 7 1/2 (the only size they had left) and it shrunk to 7 1/8, which is my preferred size to wear. At first, I was a little worried that the colors (green hat with an orange bill) would bleed, but I was sooo wrong. Looks and fits great! Thanks 🙏
On a couple of MLB road trips I bought four 59-Fifty caps, all the same size, make, and material; only one fit, the others being too big. After trying another shrinking method or two with no noticeable,e results, I tried this method and now have four caps that fit really well. Thank you!
Wait a second how did no one ask did you play mlb cause you said road trips an if you did play what team hats were you buying on the road couldn't be other mlb teams
amazing thank you so much i just got my first fitted had a size too big i got a 7 1/2 instead of a 7 3/8 thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal (wont make that mistake again lol) and this was the only tutorial to work after watching countless thank you again
gonna try this!, hope it works with mine. It’s weird i usually wear a 7 1/8 and i got another hat the same size and it’s huge on me if this works huge props to you!
If I have a hat with 3 colors (White Sox red/white/navy throwback alternate hat) do you think the colors could bleed using this method? Concern is that the red or blue would bleed into the white front panel. Thanks!
Get it damp, fold your leg up so your knee sticks out. Place the cap as far over your knee as possible. Firmly and slowly pull the bill (facing you) toward your belly. If you hear more than two "pops" stop. It will tear after that. This worked with wool blends so YMMV on the 100 % poly ones. Using a rounded stairwell newell post does the same as your knee. I know you posted this a year ago, but I figured I would answer for posterity. Cheers.
⚠️ ⛔️ DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL RUIN YOUR CAP. Learn from my mistake. Yes, it will shrink some but you will have ugly creases from other areas that were not shrank and end up with a deformed crowned. Think about it, the headband area is attached to other areas so if you value a uniformed cap, don’t do this.
hey so just got some hats that ran big after one ran a bit small and i had to stretch it (eyerolllllll). Any update after 5 months. Still gtg? What about a hot wash and a hot dry in the washer you think that would do the trick?
Late to the party but this works the best.. heat changes the structure of your hat and can make it too snug to where you need to stretch it back out as well. This leads to weakening of the fibers and eventual wear out.. all of my hats I just wear and over time they just shrink to perfect. Gotta put in the hard work… These quick fixes are mostly just for the impatient.
I think so. I doubt that the hot water would melt the rubber logo itself. The water is not that hot. But I don’t know if the logo is stitched on or affixed with adhesive. If affixed with adhesive I am not sure if it would harm the adhesive.
I didn’t. The brim is a touch softer-just a bit-than before. Structure stays fine just don’t fold or crease it while it is still warm/wet. Give it a chance to get back to room temperature and fully dry before doing much bending or manipulation of it
No idea about your hat, but this method did not harm the poly material of my New Era hat. I have also tried it with a wool New Era hat and that was fine too.
Drier did not bend my brim but I ran it with only the hat in there. Other clothes might bend it. Drier (or hot water) might mess up the stickers. I don’t leave the stickers on my hats so I don’t know.
I did not mess up the brim of any of the 59fiftys I have used this method on. The brim is a bit soft right after but once it dries it seems fine to me. That said, if you want that really flat brim look this method may not be the move for you.
Yeah it does the warm water after 10 minutes bends the brim making the fabric not stick to it anymore so my brim is now all soft and bumpy. this is a day after Fuck this method fucked my cap up
SupaFlyBoyZz699 the brim (under the fabric) is made of a plastic material that does soften up from being in the hot water. But it firms right back up once it cools off and dries.
Archie Lee It is important that the hatband be in the water. That is what shrinks. Not sure you can have the hatband in the water and the brim out of the water.
You don't have to let the hat sit in hot water like that, I just get my hats damp with the hottest from the faucet and dry in the dryer, works good and doesn't really damage it
Don’t know for sure but it seems to me that it should work. The only issue would be if the material the brim is made out of is paper based then the brim might not hold up to the hot water.
I am not sure you can really go down more than a half size (for example if 7 1/2 is a bit too big but 7 3/8 is too snug you could start with a 7 1/2 hat and use this method to get a nice fit)
Initially yes but the brim does firm up when it is fully dry and cooled to room temp. In the end the brim may be slightly less rigid than it was off the rack. If you want a true rigid flat brim look then this method is probably not for you.
Two things, as I see jt: (1) I could not come up with a way to apply hot water to the interior hat band such that it would shrink without getting the brim wet, and (2) the 5950 is the on-field hat of MLB. As such, the brim has to be made to handle getting soaked repeatedly with sweat or it would be a useless piece of baseball equipment. To be sure: if you want a true flat brim look this is not the move for you because the heat softens the brim and it will not remain rigidly flat. But if someone is looking to shrink a hat that is too big them, then are not likely going for the true flat brim look anyway, as that is best achieved with a hat that is at least somewhat too big for the wearer.
@@debeatz1012 not sure what you are referring to with “some piece of crap” because as I show in the video I used an authentic 5950 and have done it with other 5950s too. Never had an issue with the dryer.
How does this not ruin the bill? After you boil the water and cool it down with ice cubes how long do you submerge the hat for? And you gotta make sure your submerging the band around the hat correct?
I just submerged the hat for long enough to cool it down all the way. Yes, it is key to make sure you submerge the band. That is what you are trying to shrink. I think it doesn’t ruin the brim because I think the brim must be made of some material that is waterproof and reasonably heat tolerant (which makes sense when you consider how much heat and sweat a baseball cap has to be able to tolerate)
