Clean & Hat Shaping w Anthony's Vintage Fedora

[@geaagr]

Gongrats man. Nice job and knwoledge

[@KTGHATS]

Thank you, that’s really nice of u to take the time and say that to me, I appreciate the compliments, I have my good days and bad!🥴

[@mrgroovestring]

@@KTGHATS I do love your video's Kevin.😎 That looks a lot like the style of the fedora that my Grand Dad wore from the the early 1930's to around 1984 or so. I do love the styles of those hats from that era. I'm looking for something like that for a daily go anywhere nice felt. Can you help find one? Something that wont break the bank? Thanks, Greg

[@KTGHATS]

@@mrgroovestring this one is really nice, not that expensive , made in NYC, Crushable. www.jjhatcenter.com/products/the-blues-fedora?variant=244735260 We are out of grey now, but it goes into stock often

[@richardbarr6814]

I'm impressed you replied and so quickly also. I watch your videos for hour at a time. Plus l like your guitars and playing. Friend you are the blues rockstar in the hatworld.

[@jimcarnes5885]

thanks so much for saving my hat !! looks better than ever after your prescribed treatment.

[@KTGHATS]

I’m glad!! Nice to hear. Thanks for taking the time to tell me

[@vipermad358]

I love these no-nonsense videos! The next time I'm in NYC, I am making a pilgrimage to meet Kevin, The Hat Guru.

[@michaelj6743]

Hey Kevin, I want to thank you for all of the knowledge you have passed along with your videos i really enjoy them and I am learning so much about caring and styling my new obsession, you sir are a real artisan

[@KTGHATS]

Michael J thank you very much!

[@richardbarr6814]

I love how you reply to your fan base. I enjoy your videos ,guitars,and music.No need to reply l said all this before but l must admit l truly enjoy all your videos. I believe l saw all of your videos and still.like watching them almost daily. I like your posts more than anyone else's and true to my word l wear my Stetson expedition hat frequently now by your inspiration. Thanks keep up your interesting post I'm sure you have million followers

[@wvuvino21]

You sir, are the man

[@dennisalters702]

Interesting and helpful. Thanks Kevin. After you answered my question on another video about cleaning dust off my new hat, this and a few other videos were recommended to view.

[@martinreilly2752]

Genius! Always a pleasure watching you work you magic Kevin!

[@KTGHATS]

Thank you for the compliment,Martin, I appreciate it Kevin

[@rockon21ful]

Another older video but you really fixed that vintage hat, I’ve got more than a few that need to go to a pro like Kev‼️🎩😷👍

[@Si74l0rd]

Thanks for making these videos. I love finding dusty forgotten gems, but tidying them up has always been next to impossible. Hopefully with some of your excellent pointers I might finally manage to return some of them to their glory days.

[@KTGHATS]

Thx for the nice comment appreciate it!

[@cliffordholloway6291]

good job as usual Kevin, nice looking hat

[@blackpieceofwhite]

I like everything about this hat. You can tell it is made very well. I like the colour combination the ribbon size too. I find a lot to f the hats of today unless they are custom made seem to have smaller ribbons on them compared to the ones you seen worn in the old movies by Bogart, Robinson, and Cagney.

[@blackpieceofwhite]

What brand is this hat? Ribbon width?

[@jeffcole1914]

You really put a lot of thought into the hat I’m guessing you know this guy slim,heavy, I’ve seen some guys literally the hat seemed made for them. I’m older and have a rounder race and my ears are bigger and the guy that did mine in a lil shop in Florida was like you. I’m glad I base your video great job.

[@monicagrant6092]

Looks awesome! When I come to NY, I will ask for you.

[@KTGHATS]

Deal!

[@richardbarr6814]

Kevin l text a week ago l was inspired by you to start wearing my Stetson expedition hat like daily. I wore it to church with my sport coat and got like five or so compliments on each. My hat is brown my sport coat was a hint of grey. It's like you say and l learned the hat doesn't need to match your attire. I love your videos happy Thanksgiving day and Holidays

[@csaint6780]

love watching your videos Kevin ,i'll be visiting NYC &JJ hat shop this May , hope your working!!!

[@teakey]

Everyone of your videos is a National Treasure

[@sawcheryl]

Wow! Super interesting video!

[@KTGHATS]

Thanks!!🤠✌️

[@LowPlainsDrifter60]

Nice work Doc ,another great video..... I reckon with such a low crown, the tear drop was the best option.....the center crease would have left the hat perched on top of the wearer's head. Anyway, that's a cool little lid after passing through your expert hands.....I would be thrilled with the result.

[@KTGHATS]

It took another 10-20minutes off camera to just smooth out the rough spots, once you set the height it's easier from that point on. You are right, teardrop crowns give the wearer more depth and headroom inside the crown, but has a low looking crown, perfect for talker guys who need the depth on top, or anyone who wants to lower the crown a lot. This hat may have looked slightly cooler with a center crease, to show off its nostalgic looking high crown. There was a flaw on the top of the crown, a tiny hole, I wanted to hide it in the shadows of the teardrop, it would have been in a very conspicuous place if I left it center creased,

[@gerardoesparza8650]

Great job sir... looks amazing now I have to go get me one asap

[@carollegault287]

Love your vids. I restored a vintage fedora following one of your videos altho, I couldn't find anything big enough in a round shape so had to use my fingers. I wish I would've had a before pic because this hat belonged to my son's dad who fell more than 10 meters off a train trussel and splat onto the pavement 19 yrs. ago. I've kept it all these years cuz I knew I'd clean it eventually. But I lost the original shape and forget already what it looked like. If you'd like, I could send you a pic.

[@oFontanini]

thanks a lot for sharing those infos,I live in a small brazillian town, so the closest place I could find that offers hat cleaning and re-shaping is 90Km away from me, now I can do it myself I'm sure it's going to consume some time and attempts to get a good result, but definately gonna make my life easier on long term!

[@KTGHATS]

Otaviano Fontanini yes, and it can be fun and challenging

[@joecruz6237]

Hey Kevin. Hope you are well. I have a vintage Resistol beaver xxx kitten finish fedora and it is the softest hat I've ever experienced. Very nice. What would be the best way to give it a good cleaning? Thanks.

[@KTGHATS]

Cleaning?? Hmm, I'd use very fine sandpaper on any stains and just brush it vigorously counter clockwise with a touch of steam It's difficult though, u need good soft technique and you'll want to sand the whole side, not just the stains .go over the whole hat,softly. or if you're scared to attempt it, just leave it alone and brush the dust off counterclockwise with a hat brim brush

[@joecruz6237]

@@KTGHATS thanks.

[@dalaststeve]

Great video! Great tips! I'm learning to shape my crowns by hand instead of with a mold. You have more freedom. Have you made a video on the band on the outside of the crown? I'm trying to perfect my bows and I suck lol!

[@KTGHATS]

Making bands and bows are our hat maker's job, I can do it but my sewing skills are pretty sloppy, it takes a real experienced hand to do it smoothly and with elegance. I like to use clip-on bands because most customers don't want to leave their hat at the workshop for a week, clip on bands go right on in 30 seconds, I have a video with bands , sweatbands and wind cords already, it shows how to clip it on, they are $10 and come in many colors.

[@PerezBoyz6199]

That's really good Kevin!

[@KTGHATS]

Brandon Perez Thnx Brandon, appreciate it. K

[@vipermad358]

I would like to try this at home with an old hat I saved. I have a hand-held clothes steamer. Any suggestions for something to use in place of your metal hat stretcher? Also, is it possible to buy and install a sweatband and a hatband myself? The old ribbon and leather band were shot, and I was going to turn this fedora into a "Whoopie Hat" or "Goober Hat", but when I took all the decoration off, I realized the old felt was still in good shape. Might actually be old fur felt. LOVE your videos and appreciate any help or suggestions. Thanks Kevin!

[@KTGHATS]

U can try a styrofoam wig form, or a wooden hat block, that's a tough one, sewing in a sweatband is easy if u have a good sweatband, and u can sew. I'm not a hat maker, I rarely do those types of jobs, sorry

[@vipermad358]

@@KTGHATS Thanks for the info! Much appreciated.

[@arbrovelli]

Great video. Thanks for the pointers!

[@richardbarr6814]

I'm inspired to wear my Stetson expedition hat more now and know how to care for it better. I love your videos

[@KTGHATS]

Thank you for the very nice comment, pleasant comments like this are really great for my ego, reading them gives me a little lift of the spirits at times when I really need it, so.. thanx. Glad i was able to help in my small way. Kevin

[@KTGHATS]

Thx,i try to reply to everyone, i believe in a strong social media link between clients & companies, my boss doesn't ask me to do any of this youtube stuff, I kinda do this because i enjoy sharing the info, and i like sharing my music too.. i won't always be here..but information like this might live on for ions..who knows..right?

[@adamanderson1547]

You are best on UTUBE videos for hats. You really show a lot of experience . I subscribed.whats up here with guitars?

[@lindapeterson9267]

what type of sandpaper do you use

[@TheMellowPumpkin]

What grit sandpaper do you use?

[@KTGHATS]

TheMellowPumpkin various things, almost anything fine,nothing that’s gonna leave scratch marks,anything not too coarse, medium, or fine does it..

[@KTGHATS]

TheMellowPumpkin honestly I use all sorts of stuff, depending on the stain, the felt, everything but the really course stuff and the super fine stuff, anything fairly fine is good.. I’ll keep a few little scraps around, two or three types, and I’ll experiment..if I need to dig in more, I move up a step courser, if it appears to make scratches, I’ll go finer.. but I’ll use various types.. u can practice on the edge of the brim or somewhere inconspicuous

[@lindapeterson9267]

what type of sandpaper do you use....

[@KTGHATS]

Linda Peterson I use these pinkish-red colored sanding blocks, like like sandpaper covered sponges, kinda medium fine, not super fine or anything.. I finish with the finer stuff, then a brush..

[@rickcroucher]

That was fun. Thanks.

[@bellevoxmedia]

I'm a massage therapist and historical seamstress turned hatmaker, so your visceral hands-on methods speak to me.

[@KTGHATS]

Rachel Joy Jackson that’s so nice to say, I have awesome viewers, thank u for taking the time to say that nice thing.

[@secretdaisy6484]

I haves couple of questions. I assume you didn’t use cleaner because brushing & wiping was all that was necessary. Does the steamer harm the leather inside hatband or the plastic in the inside crown? Great video. Thanks! 👍☮️🌞

[@KTGHATS]

Yes, NEVER steam the inside of a hat, common rookie mistake, it can destroy the leather sweatband in about 1 second if it’s older and dehydrated, if the leather is new, it’ll simply dry it out, if it’s already dry, the steam will burn it instantly, no way to salvage it , just ...gone. A the steam won’t hurt the plastic on the hat lining but it kills leather.

[@FlamingRobzilla]

I inherited some nice felt hats from my dad. They are warn and dirty, but unfortunately I don't have the money to have them restored. This video has given me some knowledge to start the process to at least get them clean, counter clockwise, right? Well, all but one which has a coffee stain, but I guess that gives it some character. It's a 40's gumshoe fedora that earned its scars honestly. I personally like Panama hats as felt is a bit too warm for SoCal these days, but I guess the process is the same for shaping them. I'll try steam and maybe a steam iron. Thanks for the video. Maybe it's because I'm old, but I think a hat is as important as a shirt because my head is as bald as my chest, LOL.

[@KTGHATS]

Thank you!

[@KTGHATS]

Adam Anderson any sandpaper is okay, I usually start very fine, and if it doesn’t respond I go to something a little coarser, it doesn’t have to be perfect, doesn’t matter..it’s more about the technique.. u can’t sand out just the dirty spot, it’ll look like you dug a little hole, or it’ll look like a single clean spot on a dirty hat.. It’s more of a light,feathery brushing of the entire surface..clean the entire area softly and evenly,maybe increasing pressure slightly on the dirtier spots..once u commit to the sandpaper, u have to kinda do the whole thing.. softly, light touch.. I get really good results with these red,pre-made sanding blocks they sell, about the size of a deck of cards... they have different types of surfaces on each side, I use those..and hold the felt against that dome shaped, steel hat stretcher..so I get flat,smooth,even sanding.. I should do a video on this, huh? 😉 good luck!🍀

[@adamanderson1547]

@@KTGHATS Thanks.. very helpful and promt email.😀

[@KTGHATS]

@@adamanderson1547 adam Somehow your latest comments are not making it to the comments s3ction.i only see the 1st sentense in my notifications..check ypur settings🎅🏼

[@TheWarpWizard]

Hi Kevin. First of all i want to thank you for your great content. I have a question i hope you can answer for me. I bought an 80$ straw fedora (blue) that i love and wear alot during summer. My problem is sweat causing an evolving dark ring along the brim. Is there any way i can get this out without damaging it or destroying the shape?

[@KTGHATS]

The short answer?.... No. The long-winded answer... The reason there is a hat band on the outside, is to absorb sweat,the sweat goes into the band, and it absorbs it like a diaper,kind of.. When it becomes too full of salt and buildup, it simply will not hold any more, then it will permeate into the actual hat and make a dark ring above and below the band. When this happens, it's too late, u cannot get it out. Don't even try, soap, bleach,cleaning fluids,whatever..it's not going to work. there are extreme home remedies that I've seen, people soaking the entire hat in Naphtha, or something like that..some caustic chemical, but I don't suggest or approve of this. There are guys who clean straw hats, u mail it to them, they have EPA regulations on the chemicals used, things like ventilation, spray booths..whatever is involved..u can mail a hat to a guy in Chicago, but it is not cheap, and will cost around the same as a new hat if u include shipping both ways. When u see the white salt stains on the ribbon, it's telling you,"it's time to change your hat band!" Or t least, it's almost time. You watch the straw itself, and as soon as the first tiny bit tarts touching the strW, you cut the band off he get a new one. We sell thick cotton clip-on bands that are like twenty times more absorbent than a regular ribbon. Especially cheap hats, the ribbons are be quality,and the inner sweatband inside the hat absorbs nothing and serves as no barrier for sweat. You need to PREVENT the stains before they come. There is a product called "Cap Ban Nu" or "sweat wicks" as we call them, it's a cotton strip,super absorbent, u stick it inside the hat, against your forehead, it soaks up the sweat, not the hat. It's invaluable for people who sweat a lot on their foreheads, or hats that are thin or with thin sweatbands. We sell them for $5' or Google Cap Ban Nu. I think even Amazon has them. It will make the hat tighter,but u can use half of it, or buy the hat bigger, or stretch the hat slightly. I also suggest buying a hat with a leather sweatband inside, not a cloth or ribbon band It is cleaner,u can wipe it dry with a cloth,while other cloth type sweatbands remain wet,and are unsanitary in comparison, but leather bands are way hotter and heavier, like wearing a leather belt on your forehead,in summer.. Many companies skip the leather, it costs a lot and the hat price goes up $20 bucks or so, so they just skip it. People notice lower prices, but not details like that. Stetson makes a lot of leather sweatband straws..we stock both kinds.

[@TheWarpWizard]

Wow. Thank you so mouch for the quick and very informative reply. I guess my hat has fallen victim to my ignorance :) I would love to shop from you as it seems you actually care about good old customer service, but unfortunatley i live in scandinavia. Again, thank you very mouch for your reply, and i will keep watching you videos for sure :)

[@cornshucker77]

Good video thanks for the info.

[@FamousTonyC]

Very nice. Exceptional work on that fedora. :)

[@joeninety4740]

I learned a lot.

[@KTGHATS]

Glad u learned something, thank you very much !!😁

[@onemouse1]

what is "heathered felt?"

[@KTGHATS]

+onemouse1 from what I understand it's like a mixed color, like a grey sweatshirt os called heather grey, they have felt like that too, with little hairs of darks and lights mixed in..the heather refers to the type of color.

[@ericguerrero9955]

I got a problem It was raining but i had to go outside. I whent outside with my litefelt bailey tino fedora. I came home hunged up my fedora to let it dry. Later that day i went outside cause it had stoped raining but the brim to my fedora wouldnt snap down. How can i fix this?

[@KTGHATS]

Did u keep the brim snapped up while it was drying? Usually that's enough, I can fix it at my shop for free if u send it to me, but it costs $14.50 for shipping costs to get it back to you, It's not easy to do yourself ,u need a steamer, some supplies, if u are in the NYC area I can do it for free, or u can mail it,

[@ericguerrero9955]

The brim was up. The brim does snap but it doesnt stay down for a long time. Sometimes it just goes up. I live in chicago and i never trusted mail. What can i do if i get all the supplies i need?

[@KTGHATS]

Supplies are simple u need a steamer or string steam source and some ultra super hold hair spray But the actual fixing of the brim isn't something I can describe in a few sentences, Maybe I can create a new video that shows how to fix this exact problem, at home.. It's common, I'll try to film it This week and upload it ASAP Look for it in a few days

[@ericguerrero9955]

Alright thank you :)

[@ericguerrero9955]

Can it be any steamer or is there a specific one?

[@322doug]

hey man , i got sweat , like white salt water stains on my Dobbs straw fedora, how would i go about cleaning that without damaging the hat?

[@KTGHATS]

+Hammer USN hard to say, is it on the outer ribbon band? then if so, u just change it, $10 to $20. if it's on the felt, it will probably not come out, if it is deep, then forget it, but if it's just a surface stain,u can use fine sandpaper to grind it away.. most salty stains come from sweat, it goes on the band, u change the band, the hat lives on. or from splashes from snow,salt.. they really cannot come out most of the time, but u can try grinding some away, if it comes out, cool..but, this only works if the stain isn't deep, if it's seeping all the ay through, don't even try, u will make it worse.

[@322doug]

ok thanks

[@KTGHATS]

U got it, it's tricky, hard to answer without seeing it, Each case is a little different, if it's deep in the felt, u might be able to fade it a little bit with steam and a stiff brush, work at it real hard,..but it might not really do much.. many times sandpaper makes it worse, it makes it look whiter..so it can be tricky but if u are ever in the NYC area, be glad to take a look at anything u may have,and have a try..no charge thnx kev

[@322doug]

yeah im in the sticks, in illinois, its a straw hat, im trying a toothbrush and warm water, having some success, was just afraid it being straw i might damage it

[@KTGHATS]

straw?? oh man, sweat stains in straw do not come out, ferr-get it. sux, gives it character,i guess.

[@emiliobuhr5061]

it looks like you know what you're doing I have a Harley Davidson fedora that was given to me as a gift got crushed in a move could you restore it if so how much would it cost?

[@KTGHATS]

Emilio Buhr if it’s fur felt,I can restore it, if it is wool felt, I can restore it,but the results won’t be as successful. Price is free, costs $14.50 to ship back to u in a hat box call 800 622 1911 during work hours

[@RighteousWarriorIsraelite]

where in NY are you? im in toronto.. i want to visit

[@KTGHATS]

5th ave betw 31 and 32 street..by the empire state bldg Come onnnn by!

[@MintIncorporated]

What's up bro? I stumbled upon you channel by accident but I love it! I'm glued to the computer. I just purchased a vintage Borsalino beaver fur (Brown in color) hat called "Diamante" I'm just wondering if you can tell me anything about these types of hats or any history. And do you think it was a good purchase?

[@KTGHATS]

Mintinc send me photo of the lining im sure u scored, if its quality superior it sells new for $350-375 ig its rainproif line then they sell for $300 new anything felt by borsalino is usually a rolls royce/Ferrari tier hat,excluding the triumpho and Augusta series wgich are cheaper

[@samueljohnson4881]

KEVIN from JJ HAT Ctr 😯 I recently purchased a finger pump spray fabric stiffener from Walmart to reshape or rather adjust the brim of my felt hats? One is a waterproof no liner ,"crushable??" felt which I tried 1st and it worked great ! Then with great caution went to my Stetson "oatmeal" color with same great results brim is symmetrical and kinda made back slightly bent upward with an almost straight form and a very slight upward bend on front. I do not know ingredients, and do you think I'll have to do this frequently with out ruining my hat? It didn't affect color the brand is "Aleenes Original" I also have a Dobbs straw hat is there any cleaning and straitening brim methods?😯[e-mail], or reply here. Thank You e Ciao😯

[@steampunkvampyre]

Hey Kevin great skills, I have an old fedora and the brim has lost all its snap how do I put that back?

[@KTGHATS]

I have a few videos on the subject if u search " How to put the snap back in a floppy hat " I have 3-4 like that, but I will do a better,newer version soon. Kev

[@kaysee88]

Hi sir, i've never bought a hat from you but can i come in and get my first ever Trilby hat clean and reshaped free?? It is an inexpensive, cotton-blend one from China. It came in the mail mostly crushed. If not doable, then can you give me detailed advice here then? Thanks 4 your time!

[@chrisshanerz2693]

This is amazing, it almost seems like a lost art. I came across this (to you maybe a odd way) justin Bieber has been wearing a black one around lately. As well as other colors such as the color you have in your hand, most recently seen the black one he was wearing as he was walking out Floyd money mayweather out to his boxing match in Vegas. It had that same shape , (the tear drop) but the rim of his hat was much larger. My question to you is do you know what type of hat he was wearing, what rim size it was as well, any brand name, where I can purchase one. Any store around the San Diego area such as yours where I can just try on a bunch of hats and see what I like as far as maybe having my own style, you honestly seem like the best, I'm sure people who do what you do will hate but your hand movement, conference, professionalism , using language a beginner understands, all perfect. I respect the craft and I apologize if I said anything that might have sounded dumb, or disrespectful to the craft.

[@KTGHATS]

Chris Shanerz cool, thnx, we have so, so many hats between our two shops, just packed wall to wall hats,I'm sure we have it,or can alter one to look like it.. can u send me some images? if u google image those guys and find photos of the two hats u like, or the one u like.. just send it to me. send me the link right here and we will talk via email and figure it ll out. thanx for the kind words! I'm here 20 yrs,so I do know this stuff, but the more info u give me,the better. we have a huge selection, www.porkpiehatters.com and there are tons of styles that we can';t fit on the website,too many to list.. send me pics of the hats u like,and we will talk further,bro thnx Kev

[@MintIncorporated]

P.S. Please get a mic!! some of the other videos have brutal sound quality. Thanks.

[@KTGHATS]

Mintinc yeah its just an ipod its just for fun, ill try to take it more seriously, ive gotten 1344 subscribers so im starting to invest in a canera and digital mic u r right! thank u

[@grandthemes5972]

Sweet...

[@carlosescobar6973]

nice very nacie

[@carlosescobar6973]

you sell hats too

[@KTGHATS]

Yes jjhatcenter.com

[@carlosescobar6973]

@@KTGHATS thank you very much!

[@KTGHATS]

@@carlosescobar6973 youre wekcome,thank you for watching👌

[@darkraven5114]

Ya have lots and lots of knowledge just by looking at your face 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@idolbass]

Don't chat and steam :)

[@davidmartin9813]

Can.you.clean.vantage.beaver.ferdo.hat

[@KTGHATS]

A little, but not much.. mostly dusting and brushing. And reshaping