Darrell i90 I just got my hat from new era since I ordered it online and it came with a giant bulge in the visor, new era seriously doesn’t even try anymore!
Cool, that's actually why I started my channel - because I learned so many other things on YT (mostly home repairs), that I wanted to share some things I was doing - thanks!
This is legit. I kept thinking I couldn't find the right hat. Got lucky a couple times with hats that weren't all boxy. I had a few in the garage that I bought but couldn't bring myself to wear. Just did this and they're all shaped to fit my head now. You've solve my hat dilemma. Thanks!
Wow, had no idea this would be this easy. Can't stand those square box hats. Used to try and wash them but would usually ruin them. Just got a new hat and did your steam technique. It turned out great. I spent the next 4 hours fixing all my hats. Thks for sharing your knowledge and video. 😊👍
That's great to hear, and also why I create and post videos, to get the most out of your caps. Check out the channel whenever you might need more info, thank you!
Dude I was so upset. I got a really rare SnapBack and I hate those types of hats because they all look boxy and I thought it was my head shape. I really didn’t even know what to type in so I looked up square cap and somehow I found your 4 steps video. I dove deeper and found this. We don’t have a tea kettle, but we hat a steamer for cleaning. It didn’t get hot enough, so we took a hairdryer. I have a ton of hair so I never felt any heat, but it got really hot and we held it down on the shape of my head and I wore it for an hour while watching TV. It’s a whole new hat and I can actually wear snap backs now!!! Thank you so much, you gained a fan!!
@@dreinthe616 this is a big problem they have. I own made in US, made in China and made in Bangladesh and they're all different. I have like 4 different made in Bangladesh hats an they fit and look different. Very frustrating, but your videos helped shaping them and they all look kind of similar now. Thanks.
Curious, do you own any MiLB hats? I started collecting them because of the designs, the logos are waaaay cooler than MLB. Though I need low profiles and not many teams sell them.
High praise, thank you - glad to help! There are plenty of other videos I've made around editing your caps, so go to the channel if you'd like to see more.
Great video. Got a new SnapBack 70s-80s Phillies hat in May. It was too boxy, so I checked out this video, and using kettle steam and the summer’s heat, it’s broken in perfectly now. Thank you, Doug!
Thanks for taking the time to make a video on this. I was just about to try it for the first time but wanted to check online first to make sure it wouldnt ruin the hat
Shaping is pretty easy, but shrinking the height of the crown is tough, my most recent video tried to tackle this - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eA_NI5839ho.html - ICYI, thanks.
hey maybe can give me a few tips. so i just got my first fitted cap and my dome measured 22 and 3/4 inches so in hat size its 7 and 1/4 exactly my question is do i get a cap exactly the same size to my head or go one up? i tried a one up 7 3/8 but it felt loose and the 7 1/4 fits but it might be slightly tight. thanks anything helps.
If you've seen some of my other videos, I talk about variation in New Era caps a few times. Grab as many caps as you can in the store that are your size, plus a few that are one size up and down - try all of them on and see which one works best. Keep in mind that you'll usually get a little relief if you curve your visor. If ordering online, stick to your measurement.
You apply pressure where you want to change the shape... I'd suggest doing it 'dry' a few times to see how the cap behaves when you bend certain parts of the front two panels. Then steam it and try to hold the shape while it cools. No worries if you mess it up, the buckram can be shaped over and over again.
Hi Doug, love the videos! Just wondering, if one has attempted to smooth out the corners as you have in this video, if you’ve felt like you’ve “overdone” it and want to square out the corners somewhat back to their original shape, would it still be possible to do so? If so, would the same method apply and you’d kinda have to just push the corners out from the inside of the cap? Thanks and keep up the great work!
Yes, you are correct - that buckram is very resilient and can be formed like this over and over again to whatever shape you prefer. Thanks for the comments and support!
First of all big up for sharing your (probably hard earned) knowlege! I have a question: is there a particular reason you steam the hat from the outside instead of from the inside as you did when using the hairdryer to shape/block?
Yes, probably the main reason is just so it can dry out a little faster... if the moisture is on the inside it is a little bit trapped when you set the cap down. Thanks!
I have a video for shaping over a round form ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-03SATQZRHnw.html ) - so I don't see any reason why you couldn't find a more 'boxy' form and steam it over that to give the look you want. Maybe a small pot/saucepan in the kitchen - flat bottom, rounded corners - or something like it that you could fit in the front of the cap... that would be my suggestion, thanks.
Dre, any tips for unstructured hats? Like a polyester type hat that Nike or Ahead makes? The best thing I can equate what I’m talking about to is a tennis hat or “fitness” hat. I’ve got one that has major “dents” about midway up the crown of the hat on both sides and it looks like absolute trash
Hmm, without the structure of something like buckram, you might be unable to get those out... I have some soft crown fitteds, and the 'dents' are just part of the look - they are a little different every time I wear them. Best thing to try would be to stuff a towel inside the cap area and press it out while steaming it, good luck!
Unfortunately I don't have any advice - once they are fatigued and creased, it seems hard to restore them, and I have not tried very hard to recover one. Thanks
Best thing I could suggest - if you can hold your hands (or a towel) inside the cap to give you the shape you want, then put on some gloves, steam the front panels, and hold it in the position you want until it cools. I did what I think your talking about with a wool Brewers cap - just held my index fingers apart near the back edges of the buckram panels. The buckram is the key - it will hold the shape if it cools that way. Good luck!
Just got a Chinese made (ugh) nationals all star game hat today in the mail and it’s super blocky and the side patch is wrinkled. I’m a Mets fan though so I won’t wear it just had to get it for the collection haha
I bought a Tool band hat yesterday. Deepwise it fits perfectly, but when I wear it, it looks like I'm a trucker. It just doesn't look right. I don't know if I just need to break it in? Or use this method. I'll never buy a hat online again.
They can be tough to shape... if there is stiff buckram under the front two panels like there is in the New Era cap I show here, then you've got a shot. I've got a lot of videos that include some sort of shaping, but I might advise you try the third tip I offer in my very first YT video here - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8N-EL-rmgIc.html - which uses a hair dryer to heat up the buckram and then your head to shape it (if the heat is a problem you can use a bandana/handkerchief on your forehead). It's strange but effective!
I jus got me a steamer for my hats, I've always shyed away from the 59fifty hats since they are so blocky now a days. I think I will jus have to get use to the steamer I got cuse I don't wanna burn my hat lol. How long do you think you usually need to leave it on the crowns to get it to wear the buckram is soft enough to form? Seems I have to get it pretty close to the steamer, you think it's easier trying to do one side at a time or both at same time?
It doesn't take much time if you hold it close to the steam source, probably less than 10 seconds to soften... and I'd recommend doing both at same time if you can hold it comfortably that way. Btw, I do have a couple of other videos showing this technique, you can find them on my channel page either on the videos tab or in the tutorials playlist, thanks.
Doug, Do you feel like the hotter you get it the better success you have with shaping the crown? Are there any disadvantages to getting it too hot? Thanks. Still awaiting my 7 5/8 'Dre in the 616' 59Fifty 😉
Hey AJ... actually all you need to do is get to the point where the buckram becomes soft and 'moldable'... taking it past that point does not really give you any extra benefit in my opinion. I did have one viewer indicate that when they did some of the molding with a hair dryer, they actually melted the buckram in spots - so it is possible to take it too far. dre-616 caps - still building the capital to get some made, you'll be among the first to know!
You just need the right form underneath it when steaming... I might suggest a small pot or saucepan that has a flat bottom and small radius on the edge... if you can fit the crown over that you can use it to shape.
Help. What if the cap was crushed. I have a couple. One was just crushed by othes so it is nowhere near 90 degrees from the front of the crown to the bill. Its surely that inside bracing that is deformed. And tricks to restore the strength and shape?
You should check out a couple of my other videos for things to try - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-e9pSynl4O7M.html - is probably the best for your situation, but I've also got one on removing dents and creases from the crown, thanks.
I really like these soft corduroy caps. I have thought about cutting out the stiff part from old and cheap caps that are almost the exact dimensions and using fabric glue to glue them to the inside of these caps. I guess there's no substitute for trying it. Do you think the glue might dissolve or stain the cap with time?
Actually not sure at all... I know that New Era's bonding process with the buckram is the one thing they won't discuss in the process of making their caps, so I don't think its easily done.
Unfortunately you can't get those out... when you soften the look of the corners by pushing the crown back, the fabric has to go somewhere. I've gotten used to it, and for me it's a good tradeoff to get a better silhouette in the front of the crown, thanks.
Yes, you could try it, but remember that the material has to go somewhere - so if you steam and push the top down, chances are it will make the corners flat again. Your best bet might be to heat/steam the front two panels, then put it on while warm and try and shape it to your head. I do something like that in the third part of one of my earliest videos - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8N-EL-rmgIc.html - check it out if you've not seen it before. You can steam instead of using the hair dryer there too.
Thanks for your video, sir ! It makes me encouraged to buy those regular 59Fifties.. However, I have still confusion if it will be fit to my head-shape which is not too big , lol :) but is longer top to bot and much thinner from sides.. Do you still suggest me that regular is still good ?
I think you are describing what I have, which is a “long oval” head shape. You should check out my video called Stretching and Shaping Baseball Caps - that is the reason why I started wearing standard 59Fifty caps - I finally got a good fit! Thanks for watching and the question, good luck!
It should still work, but you just won't have as much control over a specific area... like the corners of the crown. You might find that the entire front of the cap gets pliable, and it could make it more difficult to get the effect. All that said, I've never tried it over a pot.
i have a hat i like a lot with the opposite issue its like some felt or wool material and is totally floppy/sinks in doesnt hold any shape looks like a bowl on head. i want to make the front 2 panels stay up like normal no clue what to do :/
Unfortunately you need the buckram to be stiff in order to give the crown that structured feel. New Era has been making some "retro crown" models for a few years with a soft crown, and others like Ebbets Field Flannels make old-school caps with soft crowns and sometimes soft visors. I do not know of a good way to make it structured or stiff.
Yes, I think you could do that... wear some good gloves to cover your hands, but when you steam the whole cap it will get soft enough to shape. If you need to keep a good form, stuff a towel inside the cap while it dries. 59Fifty caps are pretty durable, so you should be able to do it more than once if needed - good luck.
Do you have any videos on how to make a brim stiffer ??? I have a nice black Boston fitted hat and I already it curved it . But the brim feels like a sheet of paper pretty bendable and I could like it would be harder like plastic or cardboard in comparison to how it is rn (like paper) and remain the curve.
Unfortunately it’s never going to be as rigid as when it started - I call it visor fatigue. It’s why I always recommend a steam or otherwise heated bend the first time you do it. If you do it cold, it starts to break the material down.
@@dreinthe616 I just curved like 3 new hats I got . Thanks fully I did it over the shape of a bottle which I think may of help me not totally ruin it the way you describe like someone curving with their bare hands on dry
I have a Ed Hardy trucker cap and I want the crown to be shaped because it’s all floppy can I use this same method? It had a lot of embroidery on the crown..
I don't know the construction on that cap, but it sounds like this won't work very well. The reason this technique is effective with New Era fitted caps is because of the stiff buckram in the front panels of the cap - when you heat and cool it, it takes and keeps a shape. If the crown isn't stiff, it probably can't be molded - but thanks for watching.
so my fitted got dented on the front panels because someone had put a heavy laundry bag on top of it for hours and basically squished it. would this method remove the dents??
It could, but you'll definitely need some sort of "form" inside the crown as you try to restore the shape. For restoring the buckram shape, it's actually better to use a hair dryer, you will only need the heat. Use a towel, a small ball, or something close to the original shape and press it inside those front two panels. Then hit it with the hairdryer while maintaining the pressure - then let it cool with the pressure/shape still working on the inside of the cap. Good luck!
So much depends on the cap construction - the crown height is set by where the assembler sets the fold for the sizing ring and sweatband - it varies a lot from cap to cap. There's no real way to change the height, you can only sweep it back a little bit by doing things like this here, or heating/steaming it and forming to your head while it's warm.
Correct, it does not take long to heat it up - just a few seconds usually does it... but you can try it and proceed carefully to figure out how it works, thanks
I think the temperature might be a little too high with the heat guns I've seen or used - it is possible to melt the fibers in the buckram. Steam also helps with the fabric. You may want to watch another recent video that I did for manipulating this area of the cap, thanks: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4-q4ufu5M6w.html
Depends on the buckram in the front two panels - if it's like typical New Era (structured and fairly stiff) it can be molded. You could also try this other technique from my channel - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-03SATQZRHnw.html - thanks.
Would this work as well with the 39fifty? I'm between sizes on the 5950 and the 39 works better for me. But I don't know if the softer/limp back panels will work the same as the stiffer 5950.
The only thing I'm shaping in this video are the front two panels with buckram. On the 39Thirty, these are already low and quite round, so I don't believe this technique is necessary with that hat style, thanks.
If I need to restore the crown I usually stuff a towel inside and press out while steaming... or buy a smaller rubber ball (about head-sized) in a store toy department, and steam the cap while the ball is under the crown.
It's actually really tough to create stiffness when there isn't any there... the buckram in the 59Fifty caps has plastic fibers woven into it, and that gives it a ton of resilience and structure. I've had some viewers try spray starch, without much luck - sorry I don't have any good suggestions, but thanks for the question.
Do you know how to make a curved crown stand up vertical?!! I have a few very nice hats but they're curved backwards by default and I wish to make them stand vertical
I think that would be tough, because there might not be enough surface area in the panels of the cap to go to a higher crown the way you describe. To try it, you'd need some kind of form or block inside the cap to set it to that position, then steam it - but I am not optimistic you could get what you want.
That was part of the Color Prism collection - I posted a review for that collection at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oDknX1BGtkY.html I'm pretty sure they are all gone now - I got lucky to find this Twins cap in 7-1/2.
Without checking it, I'm pretty sure that is a made in China cap. The buckram in the front two panels still responds to heat/steam like this, even if some cap wearers mention that the US-made crowns are a little more soft and pliable. I did a comparison of caps here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9pF87YoM8wg.html ...thanks
