Take Care of Your Hat: American Hat Makers Shares Hat Care Tips

concho

A great hat may speak for itself ~ but it still needs you to take care of it!

Finding the perfect hat can feel a little like that birthday when you get exactly what you wished for ~ you want to dance about and show it off to everyone!

And right you should, go ahead and show it off! Sport that hat, tip it to strangers, wear it with pride! Your American Hat Makers hat will bring you years and years of joy and happiness – not to mention protection from the sun, rain and wind – especially if you take good care of it.

Here are a few videos to help you do just that – our team has compiled a series of videos to help you clean, pack, shape and even add a chin strap to your  hat.

How to Clean a Suede & Finished Leather Hat:

Here Kameron shares how to do general cleaning of suede and finished leather hats as well as how to get rid of unwanted scuffs and scratches. He also demonstrates the gentle touch required when cleaning our airbrushed and laser etched hats.

How to Pack A Hat:

Watch Kameron demonstrate our hat packing tips! Learn about the hat saving taco move.

 

How to Maintain Your Hat’s Shape:

Learn our best tips for helping your hat maintain its ideal shape.

How to Shape a Hat:

American Hat Makers founder Gary Watrous demonstrates the best way to shape your leather hats using a simple coffee can. He also shows his favorite techniques for utilizing our wire shaping systems.

 

Here is another exclusive video of  American Hat Makers founder, Gary Watrous showing you how to attach a chin strap to your mesh hat using a pencil!

How to Add a Chinstrap to a Hat:

Not one to be left out, we have Gary’s son, Garth, demonstrating how just how indestructible our hats really are! You have to see this to believe it!

Our Hats Are Crushable:

 

If you have any questions please call us – we love to help!

1-800-NICE-HAT

concho

Written by Jessica Johnson exclusively for American Hat Makers.

DIY- Hat Care is EASY!

cabana-beaver-f

SolAir, Cabana

conchoIf you’re reading this, chances are, you have one of our outstanding hats!  You’re in the right place to learn some easy ways to maintain the integrity of your hat, whether it’s leather, suede, mesh, or combinations of these.

Let’s start with the SolAir Cabana.

This super quick video packs a whopping directive in 39 seconds on maintaining the shape of your Cabana.  If you have any further questions about the shape of your hat, please contact us.

zephyr_red_a

American Outback, Zephyr

All of our hats are shapeable, in one way or another.   They hold up to abuse really well, but you may need, or want to reshape it from time to time.  If you have a crushable hat, like a SolAir Breeze, or the American Outback Zepher, and it needs reshaping, we can help!  This 2 minute video demonstrates how to shape hard metal wire, or techno wire, into your desired look.  We’ll also show you how to use a coffee can to maintain your perfect hat shape.

Now that you have the right shape and storage technique, lets go over a few more things.  You should know that your leather hat has had Scotchguard worked into the leather during the tanning process.   You do NOT need to apply and kind of weatherproofing.  But, we do wear our hats in all kinds of weather, and to every kind of event imaginable.   They get dirty.  Here is another short video on hat cleaning:

If your hat needs more than a light cleaning, has been damaged, or just been worn to the point that it’s looking tired or wilted, we do refurbish hats.   We recommend calling our shop to talk about that process at 1-800-642-3428, or email us at nicehat007@gmail.com.

size_reducer_full

Full Size Reducer

size_reducer_half

Half Size Reducer

If your hat is too big or too small, we have remedies for that as well.   Let’s start with the problem of it being too large.  Sometimes the perfect fit falls by the wayside after a significant hair cut.  We’ve designed our own perfect fit sizing system.   The velcro tabs sewn into your hat securely hold the sweat liner, but are also ready to accommodate a size reducer.  You can purchase a pack on our online catalog after you determine how much reduction you need.  If you’re not sure, give us a call, and a team member will happily assist you.  Assortment packs are also available containing a full size reducer, half size reducer, and sweat liner.

maintenance_kitMaybe your hat was a gift, and it’s just a little bit too tight?  Don’t worry!  We can offer a couple of options.  Hats can be shipped to us for professional stretching.  We can also recommend a DIY (do it yourself) Hat Maintenance Kit for home use.  This kit includes everything you need to keep your hat in perfect condition.

Kit includes the following:

  • 1 HatJack Maintainer
  • Spray ‘N Shape for stretching and shaping any leather
  • Cleaning Solution for suedes
  • Cleaning Kit for the dry cleaning and maintenance of any suede
  • An assortment of size adjusters
  • Sweat patch replacements

If your hat gets wet, and then shrinks while drying when you’re not wearing it, get it wet again, and let it dry on your head.   Put in on, and gently stretch/pull it in place as you would normally wear it.  It will dry to fit your head perfectly.

If you’ve ordered a chin strap, this video demonstrates how to install it:

Now that we’ve provided you with this information, don’t be afraid to wear your every day, at any event, in any weather…  it’s tougher than you think!

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your questions have not been answered.

1-800-NICEHAT (1-800-642-3428)

SolAir group in water