What I noticed (especially in the last few months) is that caps with white sweatbands overall seem to fit way better than caps with black sweatbands. They also tend to stretch better.
That's a good note - I had not really concentrated on that, but I would guess the extra compliance in the white band would definitely make it more stretch-friendly. Thanks
I have two wool 2004 Red Sox Cooperstown hats … both wool… however one has a black sweat band one has a white.. the white band is SOOO much comfortable
My black ump cap with the grey undervisor and white MLB logo I bought in 2020. It has that nice white sweatband and it is so comfortable. It's such a go to many of my other hats never see any wear because of it
There is so much variety these days. Hat culture is really getting popular and the designs are great. Appreciate your time giving us all the knowledge. Its not just on field n color swaps, I love it.
Yeah that shit blew up outta nowhere lol it seems like the fitteds that are poppin right now are color swaps with side patches. Like the colorful fitteds that were hot back in like 2005 meets the vintage patch aesthetic? Is that an accurate observation? Loll
Hey, thank you - I've actually been amazed at the explosion over the past 18 months or so, I still remember having plenty of time to decide what caps to buy, way back in 2019. Appreciate the comments!
Unfortunately I gave up collecting now I only buy maybe 2 a year and wear them out until I need news ones, I’m disturbed these hats are $40 a piece now it’s mind blowing
Yeah and the new era website has lost their mind $41 for a hat plus shipping and it comes to right at like 48/49 BUT free shipping if you spend $50 😂😂 oh so I gotta pay $80 for 2 hats…..yeah no thanks
So nice to see a new video from you, Doug! Yours is the only cap-channel I've decided to actually follow on here. You combine a scientific, and, in-depth personal approach that is wholesome and quite rare on YT! As an everyday "capper" I always feel that I've learnt something new and applicable about (my) caps, and that's not something one can take for granted on YT. Thanks for the new vid, looking forward to the next one! Oh, I have a question; straightening out a visor, on a new pre-curved 9Fifty cap, with your methods of curving (steam etc), will it give the same result as buying a non pre-curved? Or, is there a manufacture difference (like visor size or design) between flat vs pre-curved?
Hmm, I'm pretty sure the 9Fifty uses the exact same visor substrate as the Fitted (59Fifty or Low Profile), so if you use a flat iron to straighten that, it should be ok (put a layer of cloth over it so it doesn't singe surface fibers). The 39Thirty (which is pre-curved) seems to have a full plastic visor and has a different overall shape. Thanks for all the praise, it is very much appreciated!
You know your stuff my man thats for sure the most informative hat channel. You deserve more subscribers probably lower because you are not a hype beast collector!
I completely agree with the white sweatbands. I have several wool hats with white sweatband and they are super comfy. I’ve had issues with made in the USA hats marking my forehead as well. I’ve noticed that some of my made in China hats with white sweatbands run small. The visors from some of my hats from Bangladesh are very stiff and and if not careful you can easily put a crease on it when trying to put a bend in it. Great video!
47brand has always been a hat company known for adjustable caps whether it be the MVP or clean-up caps. That's where 47brand and New Era are polar opposite cap companies. I feel like New Era is mainly known for the 59FIFTY more than any other caps they manufacture. Also, the 9FIFTY when it comes to their NBA caps.
good stuff Doug, usually wool caps fits and feel better. 2002-2006 New Era Caps were the best ever. Not a fan of Polyester chinese made hats but Banglatrash made are the worse
My favorite fitting hat is just a plain wool Fsu hat, it’s odd how much variation there is in size and fit within the same sized hats. An annoying thing I’ve noticed is some of my grey uv hats bleed a pinkish red where I sweat on the undervisor
Interesting... have not seen a Sri Lanka in my collection, but I would say that the other rare occurrence for me has been Haiti, and those are reasonably well made.
GCP = gradual crown profile? I've noticed some of my Chinese made 59fifty hats have that shape you describe as between a low profile and standard 59fifty. In regards to your Cubs two tone from Hat Club: A lot of the "early" Bangladeshi made hats have that narrow waist midway up the buckram with a "muffin top" that looks like a train engineer hat. Ironically, I just received a black wool Expos hat from Hat Heaven with a horrible Bangladesh shape. But not all Bangladesh hats are bad! With the volume of production in the past 18 months, it seems like they've begun to figure it out. A few Bangladesh wool hats I've bought in the past few months are my absolute favorites for appearance and comfort. Thanks always for the great content, Doug. Cheers.
Hey Jason - that's a good guess, mine was "graduated" crown profile, but I still haven't seen the official acronym anywhere. Muffin top is pretty descriptive - I've sometimes called it the chef's profile too. Here's to hoping the lessons of craftsmanship are being learned and incorporated with each production run!
hey I just got a cool Polo Ralph lauren cap that I really like the look of but it's something completely different of what I'm used to. The whole part in the front which is usually harder or even stiff is really thin and soft and falls down when I don't have it on my head. It miss some shape in the front area to not sit too flat on my head. I googled if there's something to stiffen cloth and I actually found some stuff but I'm not sure if I should risk it or if this stiffening stuff for cloth goes all the way through the cloth of the cap and is visible in the front later on like glue, because the front part as I already said is real thin.. it's just made out of one layer of cloth. Do you maybe have experience with something like that and know any tips before I ruin the cap? The cap was quite expensive and limited and sold out now so only one try :-/ Don't think heat will give the soft and thin cloth a solid permanent shape. thanks for any help
Well, it's incredibly tough to add structure to an unstructured cap. The buckram in the structured caps has plastic fibers woven into it, and it is fused to the fabric panels up front, resulting in the crown that retains its shape. I have never tried to stiffen an unstructured cap like that, so I don't have much to add - but I would definitely not recommend any spray products if you like the cap. And if you were to insert any other material - cardboard or thin plastic - I'm sure it would not breathe and therefore cause a lot of sweat and be miserable to wear. Maybe if you found a similar cap silhouette with the structured crown (at a clearance price) you could cut out the front two panels and insert them? Just a thought, good luck.
USA made polyester on fields are honestly the comfiest, especially the low profiles. I stretched mine out a bit with the stretcher and I barely feel it there. It's perfect. I had a wool on field and it does not do my head well at all in the outside heat. Too bad made in USA is dead now for consumer hats. The Chinese and Bangladesh made hats are made of this rough, cheap fabric and the embroidery is overly raised and completely off detail.
Thanks for watching, and for the detailed comments... lots of wool diehards out there, so it's always interesting to hear someone making a case for the poly caps.
Hi Doug, First of all, I would like to say thank you for your great and helpfully tips. Maybe you can help me with an issue I have with some of my caps. I usually wear a 7 3/8 and it fits well but some caps have rough and uncomfortable sweatbands so I get a red line on my forehead even after stretching. It’s a little bit frustrating. Maybe you have a hint for soften the sweatband
I get the same thing, and I have done a lot of videos on that topic... definitely check my channel for other videos. I have a "long oval" head shape, so I've actually modified my main hat jack to have a shape closer to my head shape - that seems to provide a more even distribution of sweatband pressure (see video ruclips.net/video/8LpKZQc2TCE/видео.html ) There's sometimes problems with excess material in the cap right where you need it the least (see video ruclips.net/video/YWlRt9T4ayw/видео.html )
If I was you I would go up 1 size to 7 1/2. If that's to big no problem it's easier to shrink a hat than to stretch it. No matter how many times you stretch it's always going to go back to its original 7 3/8 in your case.
@@bigred9991 that’s true. But I really don’t have a problem with the size it’s self I think because the size 7 3/8 is comfortable for my head. The only thing is just the sweatband which makes a thin indentation on my forehead. If I wear the hat with the brim to the back It’s fine. It’s strange.
Hi steve! Just started collecting new era caps, specifically ones that are made in USA. If i may ask, those caps with the cool base tags, are they still made in the US? Or are they manufactured offshore already? Just wanna add your response to my knowledge
Most of those were made in the US, I can't remember seeing those tags on imported caps, but could be wrong. Derby Plant closure took place in early 2019, I made a video about it in late 2018 - ruclips.net/video/S7k5PDlBRvs/видео.html - and the name is Doug, not Steve, thx.
My head size is a 22 1/2” I tried 7 1/8 and I feel like it’s a little tight and maybe shrink. On the other hand the 7-1/4 i can slip my pinky in between what size do you recommend me using?
I'd recommend a couple of my other videos: one about the size variation in NE caps ( ruclips.net/video/aeZ0olFQQyc/видео.html ) and another about how curving the visor can change the shape of the cap, and why people tend to buy caps a little too big ( ruclips.net/video/i0MkkHPJ8vU/видео.html ) Thanks
I use a steamer to curve the brims and today the brim fucked up. I understand that some brims are different than others but after steaming my pink lemonade hat today the brim stayed fucked up it looks curved but one side is crooked and the other is too high. Any tips or link to fix a brim or ?
I've had that with a couple of Bangladesh caps, actually... the corners of the visor stayed almost completely flat while I steamed and curved the overall shape. Seems like a stronger stitched joint at the corner. My only suggestion for your situation is to shape local areas of the visor - you just have to steam those areas and use thumb and a couple of fingers to pinch the shape and hold... it's how I was able to fix those corners - by rounding them each locally. Good luck!
@@dreinthe616 i recently picked up a cotton fitted, and i feel that the shape is a little different, but it’s really comfy. I asked you because I didn’t know the most common fitteds were the wools and polyester. Can’t say anything about the quality thou, but the cotton seems a bit thinner than the polyester and wool
I have been a 7-1/2 for a long time, but have started to buy more 7-5/8 lately, knowing that I can shrink to fit with the techniques I've posted. The Grizzlies cap I mentioned is one where I would have gone to 7-5/8 for sure, thanks
59/50 fitted are the best and most comfortable. Mitchell and Ness is also really comfortable. Nike, Reebok, and any 1 size fits all (stretchy and snap back) are garbage.
What I noticed (especially in the last few months) is that caps with white sweatbands overall seem to fit way better than caps with black sweatbands. They also tend to stretch better.
That's a good note - I had not really concentrated on that, but I would guess the extra compliance in the white band would definitely make it more stretch-friendly. Thanks
I’ve noticed that as well, white sweatbands way more comfortable.
I have two wool 2004 Red Sox Cooperstown hats … both wool… however one has a black sweat band one has a white.. the white band is SOOO much comfortable
I've got a 47 brand cap with the same sort of sweat band and it also the most comfortable hat I own. It's just so soft and cushiony.
The Retro Tigers hat was my personal favourite. I’m usually not a huge fitted hat guy, but I enjoyed your vid good job 👏🏻
My black ump cap with the grey undervisor and white MLB logo I bought in 2020. It has that nice white sweatband and it is so comfortable. It's such a go to many of my other hats never see any wear because of it
Yes, hope there is more of that sweatband on the way, I just added another 2021 cap with that exact band. Thanks for the comments
There is so much variety these days. Hat culture is really getting popular and the designs are great. Appreciate your time giving us all the knowledge. Its not just on field n color swaps, I love it.
Yeah that shit blew up outta nowhere lol it seems like the fitteds that are poppin right now are color swaps with side patches. Like the colorful fitteds that were hot back in like 2005 meets the vintage patch aesthetic? Is that an accurate observation? Loll
Hey, thank you - I've actually been amazed at the explosion over the past 18 months or so, I still remember having plenty of time to decide what caps to buy, way back in 2019. Appreciate the comments!
Unfortunately I gave up collecting now I only buy maybe 2 a year and wear them out until I need news ones, I’m disturbed these hats are $40 a piece now it’s mind blowing
I feel you , I bought a couple of hats , it’s been like a year and grand total was 91 $ 😪
At lids at the store they are 45
$40 has moved onto $45 and $50+ for fashion hats with patches and color undervisors.
Yeah and the new era website has lost their mind $41 for a hat plus shipping and it comes to right at like 48/49 BUT free shipping if you spend $50 😂😂 oh so I gotta pay $80 for 2 hats…..yeah no thanks
Try taking care of the hats frequently it seems like that would solve buying hats more often thus saving money
That Mets cap is 🔥‼️👍Need that one for my collection. Really loving these hat videos, thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge.
Yes, I love that combo, esp. the royal blue visor - thanks!
So nice to see a new video from you, Doug! Yours is the only cap-channel I've decided to actually follow on here. You combine a scientific, and, in-depth personal approach that is wholesome and quite rare on YT! As an everyday "capper" I always feel that I've learnt something new and applicable about (my) caps, and that's not something one can take for granted on YT.
Thanks for the new vid, looking forward to the next one!
Oh, I have a question; straightening out a visor, on a new pre-curved 9Fifty cap, with your methods of curving (steam etc), will it give the same result as buying a non pre-curved?
Or, is there a manufacture difference (like visor size or design) between flat vs pre-curved?
Hmm, I'm pretty sure the 9Fifty uses the exact same visor substrate as the Fitted (59Fifty or Low Profile), so if you use a flat iron to straighten that, it should be ok (put a layer of cloth over it so it doesn't singe surface fibers). The 39Thirty (which is pre-curved) seems to have a full plastic visor and has a different overall shape. Thanks for all the praise, it is very much appreciated!
@@dreinthe616 Thanks a lot for your answer, will try that out when it arrives!
You know your stuff my man thats for sure the most informative hat channel. You deserve more subscribers probably lower because you are not a hype beast collector!
That is really cool to hear, thank you!
I completely agree with the white sweatbands. I have several wool hats with white sweatband and they are super comfy. I’ve had issues with made in the USA hats marking my forehead as well. I’ve noticed that some of my made in China hats with white sweatbands run small. The visors from some of my hats from Bangladesh are very stiff and and if not careful you can easily put a crease on it when trying to put a bend in it. Great video!
Right on, thank you for the comments... yes, the Bangladesh visors do seem to shape differently, I have to be very careful at the corners on those.
47brand has always been a hat company known for adjustable caps whether it be the MVP or clean-up caps. That's where 47brand and New Era are polar opposite cap companies. I feel like New Era is mainly known for the 59FIFTY more than any other caps they manufacture. Also, the 9FIFTY when it comes to their NBA caps.
Agreed, 47 has always put a lot more into adjustables - I just found it funny that they made the most comfortable fitted I own!
@@dreinthe616 that's how I feel about the 47brand clean-up. When the fit is perfect, it feels like a pillow.
good stuff Doug, usually wool caps fits and feel better. 2002-2006 New Era Caps were the best ever. Not a fan of Polyester chinese made hats but Banglatrash made are the worse
Love your collection, Greetings from Uruguay
Thank you! Greetings to you from the 616, USA!
My favorite fitting hat is just a plain wool Fsu hat, it’s odd how much variation there is in size and fit within the same sized hats. An annoying thing I’ve noticed is some of my grey uv hats bleed a pinkish red where I sweat on the undervisor
Yes, I did a video specifically about size variation, here ICYI - ruclips.net/video/aeZ0olFQQyc/видео.html - thanks.
I got one that says Made in Sri Lanka, never saw that before I think it might be fake. But it beats all my caps in terms of fit and feel.
Interesting... have not seen a Sri Lanka in my collection, but I would say that the other rare occurrence for me has been Haiti, and those are reasonably well made.
What is the hat on the bottom left with what looks like a space helmet on it? Thanks for the videos. Very informative and helpful!
That is “Apollos” - a limited custom from The Clink Room. Thanks!
GCP = gradual crown profile? I've noticed some of my Chinese made 59fifty hats have that shape you describe as between a low profile and standard 59fifty. In regards to your Cubs two tone from Hat Club: A lot of the "early" Bangladeshi made hats have that narrow waist midway up the buckram with a "muffin top" that looks like a train engineer hat. Ironically, I just received a black wool Expos hat from Hat Heaven with a horrible Bangladesh shape. But not all Bangladesh hats are bad! With the volume of production in the past 18 months, it seems like they've begun to figure it out. A few Bangladesh wool hats I've bought in the past few months are my absolute favorites for appearance and comfort. Thanks always for the great content, Doug. Cheers.
Hey Jason - that's a good guess, mine was "graduated" crown profile, but I still haven't seen the official acronym anywhere. Muffin top is pretty descriptive - I've sometimes called it the chef's profile too. Here's to hoping the lessons of craftsmanship are being learned and incorporated with each production run!
I love that Atlanta Braves 2-tone on the shelf right next to your head in this video. Where is that from??
Red crown and navy visor? That was from a "Wool Flip" BP collection of a few years ago, where the theme was a subtle reversal of colors, thanks.
@@dreinthe616 yeah…that color combo is dope with the white A logo….someone should bring that back out
I'd like your cap collection... Nice cap 5950
Thanks man, I appreciate it!
hey I just got a cool Polo Ralph lauren cap that I really like the look of but it's something completely different of what I'm used to. The whole part in the front which is usually harder or even stiff is really thin and soft and falls down when I don't have it on my head. It miss some shape in the front area to not sit too flat on my head. I googled if there's something to stiffen cloth and I actually found some stuff but I'm not sure if I should risk it or if this stiffening stuff for cloth goes all the way through the cloth of the cap and is visible in the front later on like glue, because the front part as I already said is real thin.. it's just made out of one layer of cloth. Do you maybe have experience with something like that and know any tips before I ruin the cap? The cap was quite expensive and limited and sold out now so only one try :-/ Don't think heat will give the soft and thin cloth a solid permanent shape. thanks for any help
Well, it's incredibly tough to add structure to an unstructured cap. The buckram in the structured caps has plastic fibers woven into it, and it is fused to the fabric panels up front, resulting in the crown that retains its shape. I have never tried to stiffen an unstructured cap like that, so I don't have much to add - but I would definitely not recommend any spray products if you like the cap. And if you were to insert any other material - cardboard or thin plastic - I'm sure it would not breathe and therefore cause a lot of sweat and be miserable to wear. Maybe if you found a similar cap silhouette with the structured crown (at a clearance price) you could cut out the front two panels and insert them? Just a thought, good luck.
USA made polyester on fields are honestly the comfiest, especially the low profiles. I stretched mine out a bit with the stretcher and I barely feel it there. It's perfect. I had a wool on field and it does not do my head well at all in the outside heat.
Too bad made in USA is dead now for consumer hats. The Chinese and Bangladesh made hats are made of this rough, cheap fabric and the embroidery is overly raised and completely off detail.
Thanks for watching, and for the detailed comments... lots of wool diehards out there, so it's always interesting to hear someone making a case for the poly caps.
Hi Doug, First of all, I would like to say thank you for your great and helpfully tips. Maybe you can help me with an issue I have with some of my caps. I usually wear a 7 3/8 and it fits well but some caps have rough and uncomfortable sweatbands so I get a red line on my forehead even after stretching. It’s a little bit frustrating. Maybe you have a hint for soften the sweatband
I get the same thing, and I have done a lot of videos on that topic... definitely check my channel for other videos. I have a "long oval" head shape, so I've actually modified my main hat jack to have a shape closer to my head shape - that seems to provide a more even distribution of sweatband pressure (see video ruclips.net/video/8LpKZQc2TCE/видео.html ) There's sometimes problems with excess material in the cap right where you need it the least (see video ruclips.net/video/YWlRt9T4ayw/видео.html )
If I was you I would go up 1 size to 7 1/2. If that's to big no problem it's easier to shrink a hat than to stretch it. No matter how many times you stretch it's always going to go back to its original 7 3/8 in your case.
@@bigred9991 that’s true. But I really don’t have a problem with the size it’s self I think because the size 7 3/8 is comfortable for my head. The only thing is just the sweatband which makes a thin indentation on my forehead. If I wear the hat with the brim to the back It’s fine. It’s strange.
Hi steve! Just started collecting new era caps, specifically ones that are made in USA. If i may ask, those caps with the cool base tags, are they still made in the US? Or are they manufactured offshore already? Just wanna add your response to my knowledge
Most of those were made in the US, I can't remember seeing those tags on imported caps, but could be wrong. Derby Plant closure took place in early 2019, I made a video about it in late 2018 - ruclips.net/video/S7k5PDlBRvs/видео.html - and the name is Doug, not Steve, thx.
@@dreinthe616 oops haha got the name wrong. Thanks for the info btw, Doug
My head size is a 22 1/2” I tried 7 1/8 and I feel like it’s a little tight and maybe shrink. On the other hand the 7-1/4 i can slip my pinky in between what size do you recommend me using?
I'd recommend a couple of my other videos: one about the size variation in NE caps ( ruclips.net/video/aeZ0olFQQyc/видео.html ) and another about how curving the visor can change the shape of the cap, and why people tend to buy caps a little too big ( ruclips.net/video/i0MkkHPJ8vU/видео.html ) Thanks
I use a steamer to curve the brims and today the brim fucked up. I understand that some brims are different than others but after steaming my pink lemonade hat today the brim stayed fucked up it looks curved but one side is crooked and the other is too high. Any tips or link to fix a brim or ?
I've had that with a couple of Bangladesh caps, actually... the corners of the visor stayed almost completely flat while I steamed and curved the overall shape. Seems like a stronger stitched joint at the corner. My only suggestion for your situation is to shape local areas of the visor - you just have to steam those areas and use thumb and a couple of fingers to pinch the shape and hold... it's how I was able to fix those corners - by rounding them each locally. Good luck!
@@dreinthe616 ended up fixing it, had steamed the brim again and flatten them steamed again and got s cup and curved
What do you think about the cotton ones?
Actually never owned a cotton 59Fifty to this point, so that's something I need to address - thanks for the question.
@@dreinthe616 i recently picked up a cotton fitted, and i feel that the shape is a little different, but it’s really comfy. I asked you because I didn’t know the most common fitteds were the wools and polyester. Can’t say anything about the quality thou, but the cotton seems a bit thinner than the polyester and wool
How does one avoid "Made in Bangladesh"? Does it state on the website before you buy?
Unfortunately, no... most sites simply list it as "Imported", so we all kind of roll the dice when ordering online.
Why did I js buy same hat size as my other one and fitts tighter and looks weird
i feel like a lot of fitteds dont have enough depth. and the polyster is extra starchy on some, ehem hatclub
1st video watching, is 616 for GR ?
You got it... you as well?
@@dreinthe616 Yes sir born & raised
great content brother! would love to chop it up with you sometime!
Cool, man - thank you... If I ever do any kind of live stream I'll make sure everyone gets the word!
@@dreinthe616 awesome! Literally had a moment yesterday where I recognized a musa hat and all my friends just acted like I was nuts 😂😂
71/2 or 75/8?
I have been a 7-1/2 for a long time, but have started to buy more 7-5/8 lately, knowing that I can shrink to fit with the techniques I've posted. The Grizzlies cap I mentioned is one where I would have gone to 7-5/8 for sure, thanks
@@dreinthe616 thx
@@dreinthe616 im a 71/2 too. But would you say if bending the brim, should i go with a 75/8 to avoid having a higher crown? Thanks
i dont know why, but my Lids Hd caps fit better and look better than my Hatclubs. Cant figure why but its true.
That's interesting... have you seen any correlation to manufacturing site of those caps (e.g. Bangladesh vs. China)?
@@dreinthe616 i haven't checked for county of origin. I will though now that you mention it
The hats I get from Bangladesh are so nice, I prefer them to the China made.
Same
nah the china ones are great. especially the woolies
Lately, China has been making some of the worst shaped and fitting hats …..they do the retros pretty good but the customs have been weird lately.
59/50 fitted are the best and most comfortable.
Mitchell and Ness is also really comfortable.
Nike, Reebok, and any 1 size fits all (stretchy and snap back) are garbage.