I already do most of this (though I am probably not as aware of heat as I should be- most of my hats are too large as I've a tiny head so I don't notice shrinkage), but I was wondering; as far as the leather sweatband, would conditioning it (like a person would do with a belt or boots to keep them from cracking) be a good idea?
No, don’t put anything on the leather. Not a good idea, a lot of these sweatband leathers have these sort of painted on finishes,they use split grain leather or “bonded” leather ..,all sorts of finishes them, any of these react badly to anything oil based,the thin finish wears off and then the dye can come off on your skin,I’ve seen it happen..the black in, just bleeds.. It’s probably only certain types of leathers,but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. WEARING your hat keeps it conditioned, I’ve seen hats from the 20s , 30’s 40’s, with nice,supple, new looking leather. It’s when you don’t wear it for long periods of time, the heat in your home shrinks it, dries it and makes it brittle and flakey.. if u wear it at least a few times every year u will be fine, every time I see a dry sweatband that’s shrunken, it’s the same thing, the hat was in storage and unworn for years.. just wear it and keep it in a cool place in winter, while the heat is on.i would not treat the sweatband no matter what. There are hat shops that try to sell sprays and lotions and deodorant and crap for hats after the sale is done, as a “pickup” item. That’s snake oil, and a marketing scene to get more of your money,stay away from all of that.. U don’t really need anything, except a roll of packing tape for lint, (make tape rings and pat down the hat) maybe a hat brush,but that’s not vital. A brush is good for velvety textures or hairy,beaver finishes..otherwise,the tape or a lint roller will do it. I prefer rings of packing tape, it gets in the crevices where lint rollers cannot, and it lasts 50x longer, I’d use a whole lint roller for every hat or two. Keep the hat in a box to avoid dust, or in a plastic bag, untied,with room for air to circulate,never seal it totally in plastic..keep the bag open... or just stack them upside down, and pat them down w the tape now n then, I keep,y good hats in bags and boxes, and my others I just stack upside down in the closet or on top of the dresser..
The last thing you played on the guit reminded me of "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby" by Captain Beefheart. Thanks for being so generous with all your knowledge.
PERFECT VIDEO!! My wife gifted my by one & first in my life hat from stetson (fedora wool & cashmiere), I was looking for hints how to take care of that, how to shape but how to not destroy. Your videos are the best to find the way how to care!! THANKS a lot!!! Grettings from Central Europe, hope to visit your store when C19 will be over and I'll be in NYC:)
Learning hat discipline @ JJs 👍 thanks Kevin I watched temple -V- metropolitan shoot out last week and then had to get one. Your helping break down the stigma on wearing kool hats for sure. Boston area USA.💥
(looks over shoulder) Who,Me??😲 Thank you😂! It's hard finding new topics every day, especially after twenty five years of hat speeches.. after a hard day, it's always nice when someone tells me they like what I'm doing here.. I appreciate it Kev
Kevin, Right on man! & thanks for the good tips, the music, the entertainment, the knowledge, is there something that you don’t do?! lol my first hat arrived today and was all crunched up in a bag! Guess You get what you paid for huh?!& all I could hear where your instructions on how to straighten the hat back in to it’s original shape, Thanks to you I didn’t return the hat and looks awesome!
U are ALWAYS a welcome to mail in a hat, it’s free for me to steam, straighten, stiffen a hat..then $14.50 to mail it back to you UPS ground, in a hat box, double boxed.. so if u get into trouble, mail it in, or come visit when u are in town
Kevin, Thanks will definitely keep you in mind, I’m actually looking for a different style of hat, how can I send you a pic of it? Maybe you can help me identify it or even sale it to me if you have it at your place of work.lmk. Thanks!
“Preserve the curve” ha!🤣 ...and guitar n hats go well together 🎸 🎩 . My problem is with storage of hats. Yea ok, I do stack some of them but try not to. I have at least 100 hats but don’t want to hang the woolly ones as concerned that they’ll get dusty or moths. Only alternative is plastic bins but then they don’t get air circulation that way. So periodically air them out. Bottom line. It just takes work care and SPACE to store hats well. Some of my vintage hats came with their own boxes with places to rest the hat properly. Wish we had a hat guy like you here! I’ve had to learn trial and error with video help, to steam, clean, shape etc. These kind of videos really help!! Everything makes sense! Been watching and learning off and on for a while ... Aloha 🌴
Aloha😸! Thanks! U can buy cylindrical shaped drum cases and stack them in those, the hat salesman use something like that, waist high,black plastic cylinders w handles.. try Musiciansfriend.com
Good question. No. Don't use it, no saddle soap, no leather cream, boot cream or any of that stuff,no Vaseline. Nada. I suggest keeping it away from hot rooms in winter,and don't let it dry on a sunny dashboard or whatever.. if u can,put the hat in a cool,or room temp space, they dehydrate,but leather conditioners can take the painted finish off if certain sweatbands Just wear it, they're dry out when u store it, unworn, for a few seasons..wear it now and then, and the leather will be fine.
Kevin love your videos love hats just got my first bailey felt hat and I used your techniques you show on here but may I make a suggestion, a mic would help your videos like an attached mic to your shirt. Keep up the great job and much love to New York all the way from Southern California!
This channel needs more attention lol, very informative for people eho love hats, Im not sure what u call the ones with both sides curved up and at the back, bought one the other day and i really like it, but om wondering if these rules apply. Also you remind me of ozzy
Quad turbo supercharged Regera btw thanks for the very kind comments about my channel, I appreciate it... thanks. And I remind u of Ozzie?? He’s like a drooling,incoherent,pathetic,burnout!!!!!!!.....I remind you of him??..ok, i can see that.
@@scottraymond1789 heh heh, nope, havnt gotten to Ozzie territory yet, Although, i feel as I age, I'm starting to look more & more like a wierd blend of Howard Stern, Harpo Marx & Moe the bartender
Next video will be "unplugged" thx to you!! GOOD SEEING YOU! 🤠 thank you for that special gift, not a better tip in the world !( scott gave me an ovation guitar, music stand,many accessories..) bless u,Scott ! I avoided buying an acoustic,now im glad i did, itz SO cool!!
i live in the philippines , humid here ... my fedora is surviving here , though ... ( Dobbs fifth ave ) hat .. You are .... THE MAN ..!!! is that a indian redwood neck ...?
I wish it was Indian redwood,I believe that a Laurel fingerboard on that telecaster. Generally they use rosewood for the darker wood fingerboard, and maple for the lighter ones..but Rosewood became part of the endangered species list a few years ago and all the guitar companies started using other woods instead..to copy the rosewood look and feeling.Years ago they used Brazilian rosewood for fingerboards,and it became illegal to use it, the guitar companies and furniture makers just used it all up, now anything with Brazilian Rosewood on it is super rare and exotic.. nowadays , although Brazilian is still endangered, the ban on rosewood fingerboards has been lifted,and the guitars are using it again, just not the Brazilian variant.
You've seen my hats and you know I take good care of them. All stored upside-down in boxes with hat rings, and my Cavanagh in a hat carrying case (upside down).
Love the videos. Question for you. Im looking for a new fedora with a shorter crown. Preferably, a 3.5in crown with a brim between 2in and 2 and 3/4in in length. Any suggestions or do you carry anything like that.
Between 2 and 2 3/4 includes almost every hat in the shop. We have low crowns, try the Saxon( 2") or try the Stratoliner SE (2 3/8") maybe try the Cyrus if u want something really high quality(2 1/4") it's very low, runs a little tighter than Stetson though, that'd be my favorite
What size r u? U can email Colin or Benji, tell them your size, ask what colors they have in metropolitan and Valencia.. (Valencia and Naturals u may wanna go up one size) I'm home, I'm in the age risky group,so I won't see jjs for a while. but they can tell u..they're at the shop
Btw, just the fact that u ordered a $675 100x beaver dress hat, makes u.. "da man"! U rock! maybe some beaver Stetsons will arrive this week, my dream hat is the Valencia in a vibrant colors, I love the classic Borsalino type styling.. but my passion is really guitars,I'll spend my entire life's fortune on a single guitar ..easily in a second, that's why it's good that I'm married 😁
Hey Kev, What's the make and model of the green guitar with the toaster pickups and Bigsby? At first, I was thinking Gretch, but the headstock almost resembles Yamaha. It's got a Tele sound on steroids.
That’s exactly right, it’s kind of a solid body Gretsch vibe. That is a Flatroc by Reverend Guitars, I’ve owned four of them, i own two now. One of the most versatile, gorgeous designs out there..designed by Joe Naylor, the amp and pickup designer. Those are his Revtron pickups in there, similar to Filtertron, but hotter. They’re perfect, they twang but they also crunch like a beast. There’s nothing like it. Locking tuners, Korina body,treble bleed all standard, and a proprietary bass rolloff control that you can use to thicken the low end,or to thin it out.. I’m a huge Reverend player, I also own a Reverend Spacehawk , which is their semi hollow model, with Railhammer pickups, killswitch, bigsby,locking tuners.. it’s a real hot Rod
As a new collector of fedoras, are there any essential cleaning tools I need to keep my hats clean and long-lasting? I guess I should have a good hat brush. Should that be soft or firm bristled? Are there hat cleaning kits you would recommend? What are the basic things I need to care for my hats? Thanks Kev!
Steven good question, not much, most of the lint and dust comes off with packing tape, get that really strong, wide clear tape they use to pack cartons with...a roll of that goes a long way...make little rings of tape and wipe all the dust off the hat, it’ll take time..get every bit. The edge of the brim, the top and bottom..tape it down like crazy until it is totally dust free. A hat brush won’t get all the dust off, it just gets a bit, and pushes it around.. use the tape first, then a little mist of steam will take all the scratches, marks and make them disappear.. just enough to cover the surface of the felt once. U can skip the steam step if u don’t have any steam handy. After that, take the brush and brush the top of the hat counter clockwise, hold the hat inside by the leather sweatband, firmly..and brush it counterclockwise, firmly.. it doesn’t matter, soft or bristly brush both are fine..either one.even a small, plastic fingernail brush from the drug store works fine.. Tape off the dust. Then steam away the marks and scratches.. lastly,Brush away fingerprints, brush gets the nap even and smooth... I guess that’s all I need, maybe a can of ultra hold hair spray or scout hat stiffener.. for floppy brims, but u can live without that I guess. GL!
Steven I use a stiff brush, similar to a fingernail brush, for silk finishes, beaver finishes...it gets all that hairy,furry stuff going in the same direction.. after I brush the fur smooth in a counterclockwise direction, I switch to a soft, horse hair brim brush to buff it smoother.. some silky or longer finishes seem to finish off better w the soft brush, others look smoother and shinier when I finish off w the hard brush.. I usually try both, see how it looks..then decide. For regular flat finishes, either brush is just fine.
@@KTGHATS Thanks, Kevin! I'll look into buying a soft brush and a stiff brush. I keep packing tape in the house, so that's covered, and I have a stovetop tea pot that I can use for steaming my hats. I am looking into buying some corrugated shipping or storage boxes to store my hats in. They're a less expensive option than regular hat boxes. I just have to figure the right size box. I can get a 25-pack of 14"x14"x6" high.
I wish you had a mic I have to have the sound loud to hear you speak and then the ads come on and it's blaring Thanks for making these videos and being a hat youtuber!!!
Conor Richard thanks for the feedback, I’m aware of the issues w the older vids, it’s kinda late to change those, but I’m using a Shure stereo mic and an iPad Pro now, new vids are ok. And they’ll get better, I’m saving for a lapel mic..try to watch the newer ones for better sound, thanks though
I think I'm pretty fortunate that I have the room to store my hats each in their own boxes. At some point I may end up with a different storage limit, and I'll probably work on a proper stacking solution with separators to keep the ribbon bunching from occurring.
@@KTGHATS Sure thing. Right now we're staying at my father-in-law's summer home in Connecticut, and the basement storage area is gigantic. Plenty of room for individual hat boxes, and the environment is cool and slightly damp which is great for keeping the hats and sweatbands from drying out and shrinking. When we buy a new place we'll have to revisit our storage space. Especially storing all of my wife's yarn. 😜
I have 3 open roads and they are all slightly different in terms of sizing. Not enough to be a problem, but never the less I can feel the difference between all 3... Perhaps this is because i have a 6x, deluxe and pure...
Nope, that’s just Stetson, u get three of the same model and try them on, they will all vary.. a lot. They are extremely erratic w sizing, every one is unique.. I’ve spoken about that many times, that’s the nature of Stetson, the hats are handmade and just vary like crazy, that’s one reason why I suggest buying on the larger side and padding them down, to avoid getting so,eyeing too tight. It’s normal, actually. Other brands are more consistent, like Akubra, Selentino,Borsalino.. they’re more predictable. Stetson has been this way for a long time, it’s slightly annoying if u do mail order, I guess,, but u get used to it,
@@KTGHATS i bought the same size Stetson Gambler Royal Flush and the size was different still... Smaller... if it was a tiny bit smaller than it is i'd have to return it.
Hey Kevin,...I thought you might get a laugh out of this,...I cut up my old credit cards and made them into guitar picks...It's kinda cool to look down and see the Mastercard halogram makin' music.
It’s possible to do some stuff w one hand, but it takes a load of practice..u can lay the hat down on the table,make a teardrop w one hand, put it on your head, and finish the rest that way.. it’s tricky as all hell, but I’ve done it..thanks for watching! Kev
gregory stuart not really, no. U have 3 between, u are going from a medium to an XL, u could reduce a 7 1/4, but a 7 3/8 is tougher, a 7 1/2?.. no way, that’s three full sizes.
Radiators and that stuff are very direct and tend to dry a room out, while u are dealing with more of a tropical heat with a lot of humidity, I think you’ll be fine. Don’t wrap it in plastic, let them breathe..that weather should be good for the hats
Usually the light colored hats get moths, mostly..but yes,also peppermint and lavender oil mixture w water and a touch of rubbing alcohol uaee all over as a cleaner,closet deodorant..it works .but u need the real,food pure oil. Moth balls are best but u wind up smelling like an old lady😑
They're all different, beaver will generally give u better performance, and can remain soft while still retaining shape, but they are all very different.. you'll love it I'm sure, They usually use their best shapes,styles and colors for their beaver hats too, care and feeding is basically the same.. It's like any other fur felt fedora, just better.
Andre Comtois not flats, just using heavier gauge, yes.. I’m usually using very light sets, 9-42, most of the time.. Sometimes I mess around with heavier sets like 10-46, which makes a huge difference in feel, u can see me struggling to bend notes, that country pedal steel bend I try early on, normally wouldn’t be difficult, but with the heavy strings, it challenges me, and the screwups,along w the hard time bending strings cause me to play differently, more open strings, simpler Bends..kind Of GarageBand-ish or more like acoustic blues or something.. it also works like a batting donut effect, to strengthen my fingers.. I don’t get to play regularly, so I’m rusty,it helps.
@@KTGHATS You have heavy gauge addiction my friend! One thing I did was put flatwounds on my gibson and then a light roundwound string on my strat. I practice chords, melodies and fingerpicking on the flatwounds (the strings give a nice jazzy sound), and then when I switch over to the strat when I wanted to rock out some Deep Purple or Black Sabbath (I'm old). The light strings feel like nothing and I can bend the shit out of them without effort. I read somewhere that SVR used flatwound strings for his low E (for a smoother bass sound) and roundwound for the rest, I can't confirm that though.
@@AndreComtois hmm, i like that low E to sound all grindy and growly, when i dig in hard, the more grrrrrowl,the better the tele.. so I do like rounds,but for jazz and bossa nova it might be really pretty, next u will see me playing acoustic slide, just got a nice 80s black Ovation, mint! 😛
Hahah I was listening to this video but also looking through other RUclips videos at the same time then I heard him snap and say hey you. Listen up this is important hahah
U can kind of, if the damage is minor,start wearing it a lot. But really dry, damaged,burnt leather? Not really..saddle soap and those kind of leather conditioners, & cremes are not a good idea
The Dean ML ? I like it a lot,my friend who plays in The band Tesla bought a couple of them, and they sounded great love, so I took a risk,but the model I ordered, the stock pickups were a little dull, I replaced them with Bareknuckles which were pretty pricey, but great. in hindsight, I should have just gotten Duncan’s or Diamarzios, but my tech had them in stock at the shop he worked at, so I grabbed them .
I used to travel around,tour and make records, when my son was born , 8 years ago, I quit the music thing, but I’m planning on forming a band this summer, I’ve got a drummer, we are planning on broadcasting from his rehearsal studio soon, once virus-mania is over
Just call during work hours, ask for Benji.. they're short staffed w one guy answering all the calls and emails,and processing mail orders , he has a long list if emails to return I'd guess. Just call 11:15-5pm 1-800-622-1911. Best way.
Tbh i just wear my hats till there ruind. I love hats with alot of character from sweat staind to holes but some times a nice clean fresh hat is the way to go.
Thanks, yeah, that’s 5e older videos, thanks to a few viewer donations, the newer videos all have a new stereo mic , lighting and a brand new iPad Pro , so the latest videos are totally different, thanks for the heads up though Kev
Strange coincidence..... I've been listening to a lot of the who lately plus I've a new British made 1950s high crown stingy brim Made by OZONIC... Can't find anything about.... Do you know kev?
If it is a cheap hat then you don't have to care. But if it is a nice hat, and especially un-replaceable vintage ones, then you should treat the hat with respect. First off you shouldn't be handling your hat by the crown, use both sides of the brim near your ears. Second, don't store your hats upside down on the crown. Use a hat box or a cardboard oval that is taller than the crown so when stored the hat is suspended upside down on the brim. Third, if you don't wear a nice hat often, store it in a hat box so it doesn't collect dust. Forth, when using the teardrop style, don't pinch the front to a sharp point and crease like in this video. Not only does it cause the wear problem but it doesn't look as good and makes the hat look beat up. In my office area there is a wooden beam on the ceiling. I cut 1 1/2 x 3/4 boards to 3 1/2 inches long and mounted them in a line pointing very slightly upwards. I take my lesser hats and hang them from the wooden sticks. It is really easy to reach up to quickly fetch and store my lesser hats (that don't require a box). It also makes a nice room decoration to see the evenly spaced hats in a line.
You and I had a great talk on when it would be useful or not to have a custom hat. That might be a good discussion so people don’t get tricked into overpriced non-sense
There’s a nylon cord inside the leather sweatband of a hat, in the outer part,(the part that looks like a tiny tube) inside that nylon fishing line is made to keep the circular shape of a hat, that’s why it always bounces back to a circle when u fold a sweatband flat against itself, that cod is called the Reed. The Reed has an elastic quality that is made to stretch very far, and then contract again to the same exact size. It’s difficult, near impossible to stretch a hat with that intact. You can stretch a hat 5-6 sizes too large and totally distort and stretch the felt,damaging it..and then in ten minutes the hat is back to its original size again. Meaning..although your trick might help it, without cutting the Reed, there’s no stretch. We need to cut the Reed at the back seam to alleviate the tension in it,it’s like a ring,so when u try on a hat that’s too tight, it’s almost like lower a too-tight right of piano wore over your forehead, it’s like torture. Cut the Reed, I have a few videos on the subject, then u can do the isopropyl trick. But..I prefer not to if it’s dehydrated leather, or vintage leather, it can severely dry that band out and shrink it.I usually stem the hat from the outside, right on the back seam, where the back San of the sweatband is, steam it through the hat and soften up those stitches,make them wet and hot, so when u stretch, they expand further without popping.
It's usually fine. Upside down is slightly better but hung up usually gets pretty good results too. ( as long as u don't grab it by its pinch too aggressively, when grabbing it)
And lost his millions…🤠✌️. Just kidding, once I went onstage in Mexico and everyone screamed because they thought I was slash,from a distance, same hair, guitar..hat.l they went crazy, it was cool feeling like slash for a second
Thanks, you’re so right.. my audience is like 90-95% male,according to my analytics, but I think the amount of chicks to Ricks have increased lately.. I need to keep that in mind, thank you…thx for your input and participation ☮️
I already do most of this (though I am probably not as aware of heat as I should be- most of my hats are too large as I've a tiny head so I don't notice shrinkage), but I was wondering; as far as the leather sweatband, would conditioning it (like a person would do with a belt or boots to keep them from cracking) be a good idea?
No, don’t put anything on the leather. Not a good idea, a lot of these sweatband leathers have these sort of painted on finishes,they use split grain leather or “bonded” leather ..,all sorts of finishes them, any of these react badly to anything oil based,the thin finish wears off and then the dye can come off on your skin,I’ve seen it happen..the black in, just bleeds..
It’s probably only certain types of leathers,but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. WEARING your hat keeps it conditioned, I’ve seen hats from the 20s , 30’s 40’s, with nice,supple, new looking leather. It’s when you don’t wear it for long periods of time, the heat in your home shrinks it, dries it and makes it brittle and flakey.. if u wear it at least a few times every year u will be fine, every time I see a dry sweatband that’s shrunken, it’s the same thing, the hat was in storage and unworn for years.. just wear it and keep it in a cool place in winter, while the heat is on.i would not treat the sweatband no matter what. There are hat shops that try to sell sprays and lotions and deodorant and crap for hats after the sale is done, as a “pickup” item. That’s snake oil, and a marketing scene to get more of your money,stay away from all of that..
U don’t really need anything,
except a roll of packing tape for lint, (make tape rings and pat down the hat)
maybe a hat brush,but that’s not vital. A brush is good for velvety textures or hairy,beaver finishes..otherwise,the tape or a lint roller will do it. I prefer rings of packing tape, it gets in the crevices where lint rollers cannot, and it lasts 50x longer, I’d use a whole lint roller for every hat or two.
Keep the hat in a box to avoid dust, or in a plastic bag, untied,with room for air to circulate,never seal it totally in plastic..keep the bag open...
or just stack them upside down, and pat them down w the tape now n then, I keep,y good hats in bags and boxes, and my others I just stack upside down in the closet or on top of the dresser..
I'm guilty of these mistakes. Appreciate your expertise.
The playing sounds great man!!!!!!!!
Wow! Thank you!
Kevin mate, I don't own a hat, nor have any desire to do so, but I could watch you talk about them for a week.
thank you, Sir, that’s really nice to hear, just being my own,goody self, I guess..thanx again
The last thing you played on the guit reminded me of "I'm Gonna Booglarize You Baby" by Captain Beefheart. Thanks for being so generous with all your knowledge.
High praise..! Thank you so much!!
Excellent hat advice from a pro!!! Thank you !!!!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much 🤓👍
This is incredibly useful and important knowledge for any hat owner. Especially for a newbie like me. Thank you!
You're welcome 😉!
I think this is my favorite of all my guitar intro thingies 😎
Won't be Fooled Again brother. Love a little who!
PERFECT VIDEO!! My wife gifted my by one & first in my life hat from stetson (fedora wool & cashmiere), I was looking for hints how to take care of that, how to shape but how to not destroy. Your videos are the best to find the way how to care!! THANKS a lot!!! Grettings from Central Europe, hope to visit your store when C19 will be over and I'll be in NYC:)
Thank you for the nice note, that’s great! I’ll give I the Royal treatment if u come down to the shop!
Thanks for the video
Thanks for the information.
You definitely know your subject.
Hi Kevin, I enjoy your channel....thank you for all of your hard work.
Thanks buddy
Best video I watched today.
Wow.thanx!!
Nice tone
Thanks so much 😁
Great video! I will keep the heat thing in mind.
Thank you!
So Stevie Ray Vaughn! With great hat info... SRV would have loved Kevin.
Hi Kev…Your guitarring is outstanding…!
Thanks Kev, best comment I read in a long time, made me feel real good, I appreciate that
Great informative video! And, like your sence of humor. :-D
Learning hat discipline @ JJs 👍
thanks Kevin
I watched temple -V- metropolitan shoot out last week and then had to get one. Your helping break down the stigma on wearing kool hats for sure.
Boston area USA.💥
Thanks for reaching out to me, glad I can help. Be well,
keep it cool Kev🥶
YOU ARE A GENIOUS MAN
(looks over shoulder)
Who,Me??😲
Thank you😂!
It's hard finding new topics every day, especially after twenty five years of hat speeches.. after a hard day, it's always nice when someone tells me they like what I'm doing here.. I appreciate it
Kev
This is a really great video with terrific tips
Hey! Thanks for the advice. Cool guitar playing too. You have excellent style too. Cheers!
Thanks for your cool support 😉 thanks !!
Kev
Kevin,
Right on man! & thanks for the good tips, the music, the entertainment, the knowledge, is there something that you don’t do?! lol my first hat arrived today and was all crunched up in a bag! Guess You get what you paid for huh?!& all I could hear where your instructions on how to straighten the hat back in to it’s original shape, Thanks to you I didn’t return the hat and looks awesome!
U are ALWAYS a welcome to mail in a hat, it’s free for me to steam, straighten, stiffen a hat..then $14.50 to mail it back to you UPS ground, in a hat box, double boxed.. so if u get into trouble, mail it in, or come visit when u are in town
Kevin,
Thanks will definitely keep you in mind, I’m actually looking for a different style of hat, how can I send you a pic of it? Maybe you can help me identify it or even sale it to me if you have it at your place of work.lmk.
Thanks!
Thank you for great informative video! I am waiting for my two Fiebig hats to arrive and this really helps to answer 'How to store them' :)
“Preserve the curve” ha!🤣
...and guitar n hats go well together 🎸 🎩 .
My problem is with storage of hats. Yea ok, I do stack some of them but try not to. I have at least 100 hats but don’t want to hang the woolly ones as concerned that they’ll get dusty or moths. Only alternative is plastic bins but then they don’t get air circulation that way. So periodically air them out. Bottom line. It just takes work care and SPACE to store hats well. Some of my vintage hats came with their own boxes with places to rest the hat properly.
Wish we had a hat guy like you here! I’ve had to learn trial and error with video help, to steam, clean, shape etc.
These kind of videos really help!! Everything makes sense! Been watching and learning off and on for a while ...
Aloha
🌴
Aloha😸! Thanks! U can buy cylindrical shaped drum cases and stack them in those, the hat salesman use something like that, waist high,black plastic cylinders w handles.. try Musiciansfriend.com
KEVIN from JJ HAT CENTER 🎸HATS & GUITARS !
Mahalo for the tip! Sound good! 🙂
C'est LaVie ! Hope you are well, stay safe. K
KEVIN from JJ HAT CENTER 🎸HATS & GUITARS ! Doing good over here.
How about you? Is J.Js open yet?? Take care!!
Your guitar playing gots killer vibes
Thanks for the cool compliment.. I’m not very fast or technical but I try to play w feeling, I really appreciate that
Kev
Hahahahaha Richard Simmons. Cool channel brother.
thx Rick😎
Very good video sir👍 Cheers from Sweden.
Thank you for the insight. Would you recommend or does it make a difference using a good quality natural leather conditioner on the leather hat band?
Good question. No. Don't use it,
no saddle soap,
no leather cream,
boot cream or any of that stuff,no Vaseline.
Nada. I suggest keeping it away from hot rooms in winter,and don't let it dry on a sunny dashboard or whatever.. if u can,put the hat in a cool,or room temp space, they dehydrate,but leather conditioners can take the painted finish off if certain sweatbands
Just wear it, they're dry out when u store it, unworn, for a few seasons..wear it now and then, and the leather will be fine.
KEVIN from JJ HAT CENTER 🎸HATS & GUITARS ! Thank you. Best regards from Australia.
👍 Great video
Great info
Kevin love your videos love hats just got my first bailey felt hat and I used your techniques you show on here but may I make a suggestion, a mic would help your videos like an attached mic to your shirt. Keep up the great job and much love to New York all the way from Southern California!
TheBerto777 the older vids are bad quality, I think it’s fixed..better mic! Thx!!!! Appreciate it. Wear it well..
Great video
This channel needs more attention lol, very informative for people eho love hats,
Im not sure what u call the ones with both sides curved up and at the back, bought one the other day and i really like it, but om wondering if these rules apply.
Also you remind me of ozzy
Sounds like yes, they apply. Thx for watching!!
Quad turbo supercharged Regera btw thanks for the very kind comments about my channel, I appreciate it... thanks.
And I remind u of Ozzie?? He’s like a drooling,incoherent,pathetic,burnout!!!!!!!.....I remind you of him??..ok, i can see that.
@@KTGHATS Dude, you're not pathetic. 😀
@@scottraymond1789 heh heh, nope,
havnt gotten to Ozzie territory yet,
Although, i feel as I age, I'm starting to look more & more like a wierd blend of Howard Stern, Harpo Marx &
Moe the bartender
@@scottraymond1789 just caught this joke😂. ...Wise guy!
On my way to the store right now. 😁
Next video will be "unplugged" thx to you!! GOOD SEEING YOU! 🤠 thank you for that special gift, not a better tip in the world !( scott gave me an ovation guitar, music stand,many accessories..)
bless u,Scott ! I avoided buying an acoustic,now im glad i did, itz SO cool!!
@@KTGHATS My pleasure, my friend. I'm really glad I rehomed the guitar to someone who will use and enjoy it.
I’d like to hear that Tele play some country Twang ! If ya know any . Beautiful 🎸 axe
Thanks! Noted! I’ll get to it😁
thank u sir
How do you pick up the hat then if not from the crown?
From the brim.
If it is set upside down,(correctly) then naturally,u grab it from the brim
love that Tele Bro...
Thanks 😎
Me too. Its raw sounding, expressive..
@@KTGHATS I have a Squire Tele Deluxe and love it...
i live in the philippines , humid here ... my fedora is surviving here , though ... ( Dobbs fifth ave ) hat ..
You are .... THE MAN ..!!!
is that a indian redwood neck ...?
I wish it was Indian redwood,I believe that a Laurel fingerboard on that telecaster. Generally they use rosewood for the darker wood fingerboard, and maple for the lighter ones..but Rosewood became part of the endangered species list a few years ago and all the guitar companies started using other woods instead..to copy the rosewood look and feeling.Years ago they used Brazilian rosewood for fingerboards,and it became illegal to use it, the guitar companies and furniture makers just used it all up, now anything with Brazilian Rosewood on it is super rare and exotic..
nowadays , although Brazilian is still endangered, the ban on rosewood fingerboards has been lifted,and the guitars are using it again, just not the Brazilian variant.
came for the hats and got a nice solo
Thanks!!! It Keeps me interested,after 25 years ,the same sales pitch gets tiresome,th guitar keeps me motivated in a way
@@KTGHATS I hear that
You've seen my hats and you know I take good care of them. All stored upside-down in boxes with hat rings, and my Cavanagh in a hat carrying case (upside down).
Love the videos. Question for you. Im looking for a new fedora with a shorter crown. Preferably, a 3.5in crown with a brim between 2in and 2 and 3/4in in length. Any suggestions or do you carry anything like that.
Between 2 and 2 3/4 includes almost every hat in the shop. We have low crowns, try the Saxon( 2") or try the Stratoliner SE
(2 3/8") maybe try the Cyrus if u want something really high quality(2 1/4") it's very low, runs a little tighter than Stetson though, that'd be my favorite
Hi Kevin,
Was hoping to get a Natural with the new discount but the size is too tiny😞
What size r u?
U can email Colin or Benji, tell them your size, ask what colors they have in metropolitan and Valencia..
(Valencia and Naturals u may wanna go up one size) I'm home, I'm in the age risky group,so I won't see jjs for a while.
but they can tell u..they're at the shop
Btw, just the fact that u ordered a $675 100x beaver dress hat, makes u..
"da man"!
U rock! maybe some beaver Stetsons will arrive this week,
my dream hat is the Valencia in a vibrant colors, I love the classic Borsalino type styling.. but my passion is really guitars,I'll spend my entire life's fortune on a single guitar ..easily
in a second, that's why it's good that I'm married 😁
KEVIN from JJ HAT CENTER 🎸HATS & GUITARS ! I’m normally a 7 3/8 or 59 cm.
KEVIN from JJ HAT CENTER 🎸HATS & GUITARS ! Stay healthy and safe
KEVIN from JJ HAT CENTER 🎸HATS & GUITARS ! Wasn’t able to order and it was too pricey anyway unless Frank can make me an offer I can’t refuse!😉
Hey Kev,
What's the make and model of the green guitar with the toaster pickups and Bigsby?
At first, I was thinking Gretch, but the headstock almost resembles Yamaha.
It's got a Tele sound on steroids.
That’s exactly right, it’s kind of a solid body Gretsch vibe. That is a Flatroc by Reverend Guitars, I’ve owned four of them, i own two now. One of the most versatile, gorgeous designs out there..designed by Joe Naylor, the amp and pickup designer. Those are his Revtron pickups in there, similar to Filtertron, but hotter. They’re perfect, they twang but they also crunch like a beast. There’s nothing like it. Locking tuners, Korina body,treble bleed all standard, and a proprietary bass rolloff control that you can use to thicken the low end,or to thin it out.. I’m a huge Reverend player,
I also own a Reverend Spacehawk , which is their semi hollow model, with Railhammer pickups, killswitch, bigsby,locking tuners.. it’s a real hot Rod
That last riff is Albert Collins from the Zorn album Spillane.
manichounds I love A C ! In probably inadvertently soaked up that riff..cool, I’ll check it out! Thanks
As a new collector of fedoras, are there any essential cleaning tools I need to keep my hats clean and long-lasting? I guess I should have a good hat brush. Should that be soft or firm bristled? Are there hat cleaning kits you would recommend? What are the basic things I need to care for my hats? Thanks Kev!
Steven good question, not much, most of the lint and dust comes off with packing tape, get that really strong, wide clear tape they use to pack cartons with...a roll of that goes a long way...make little rings of tape and wipe all the dust off the hat, it’ll take time..get every bit. The edge of the brim, the top and bottom..tape it down like crazy until it is totally dust free.
A hat brush won’t get all the dust off, it just gets a bit, and pushes it around.. use the tape first, then a little mist of steam will take all the scratches, marks and make them disappear.. just enough to cover the surface of the felt once.
U can skip the steam step if u don’t have any steam handy. After that, take the brush and brush the top of the hat counter clockwise, hold the hat inside by the leather sweatband, firmly..and brush it counterclockwise, firmly.. it doesn’t matter, soft or bristly brush both are fine..either one.even a small, plastic fingernail brush from the drug store works fine..
Tape off the dust.
Then steam away the marks and scratches..
lastly,Brush away fingerprints, brush gets the nap even and smooth...
I guess that’s all I need, maybe a can of ultra hold hair spray or scout hat stiffener..
for floppy brims, but u can live without that I guess.
GL!
Steven I use a stiff brush, similar to a fingernail brush, for silk finishes, beaver finishes...it gets all that hairy,furry stuff going in the same direction.. after I brush the fur smooth in a counterclockwise direction, I switch to a soft, horse hair brim brush to buff it smoother.. some silky or longer finishes seem to finish off better w the soft brush, others look smoother and shinier when I finish off w the hard brush.. I usually try both, see how it looks..then decide. For regular flat finishes, either brush is just fine.
@@KTGHATS Thanks, Kevin! I'll look into buying a soft brush and a stiff brush. I keep packing tape in the house, so that's covered, and I have a stovetop tea pot that I can use for steaming my hats. I am looking into buying some corrugated shipping or storage boxes to store my hats in. They're a less expensive option than regular hat boxes. I just have to figure the right size box. I can get a 25-pack of 14"x14"x6" high.
i feel as if the reshaping and constant care of a worn hat would be a wonderful excercise
I wish you had a mic
I have to have the sound loud to hear you speak and then the ads come on and it's blaring
Thanks for making these videos and being a hat youtuber!!!
Conor Richard thanks for the feedback, I’m aware of the issues w the older vids, it’s kinda late to change those, but I’m using a Shure stereo mic and an iPad Pro now, new vids are ok. And they’ll get better, I’m saving for a lapel mic..try to watch the newer ones for better sound, thanks though
I think I'm pretty fortunate that I have the room to store my hats each in their own boxes. At some point I may end up with a different storage limit, and I'll probably work on a proper stacking solution with separators to keep the ribbon bunching from occurring.
Scott Raymond I can get u the foam rings and plastic dust covers for your hats,just ask, any time..
@@KTGHATS Sure thing. Right now we're staying at my father-in-law's summer home in Connecticut, and the basement storage area is gigantic. Plenty of room for individual hat boxes, and the environment is cool and slightly damp which is great for keeping the hats and sweatbands from drying out and shrinking.
When we buy a new place we'll have to revisit our storage space. Especially storing all of my wife's yarn. 😜
I have 3 open roads and they are all slightly different in terms of sizing. Not enough to be a problem, but never the less I can feel the difference between all 3... Perhaps this is because i have a 6x, deluxe and pure...
Nope, that’s just Stetson, u get three of the same model and try them on, they will all vary.. a lot. They are extremely erratic w sizing, every one is unique.. I’ve spoken about that many times, that’s the nature of Stetson, the hats are handmade and just vary like crazy, that’s one reason why I suggest buying on the larger side and padding them down, to avoid getting so,eyeing too tight. It’s normal, actually.
Other brands are more consistent, like Akubra, Selentino,Borsalino.. they’re more predictable.
Stetson has been this way for a long time, it’s slightly annoying if u do mail order, I guess,, but u get used to it,
@@KTGHATS i bought the same size Stetson Gambler Royal Flush and the size was different still... Smaller... if it was a tiny bit smaller than it is i'd have to return it.
Yeah, man! Richard Simmons, frontman from KISS! Love that guy.
😆
Hey Kevin,...I thought you might get a laugh out of this,...I cut up my old credit cards and made them into guitar picks...It's kinda cool to look down and see the Mastercard halogram makin' music.
I have so many hats I wish I could reshape however my left arm is paralyzed so I dont think it possible
It’s possible to do some stuff w one hand, but it takes a load of practice..u can lay the hat down on the table,make a teardrop w one hand, put it on your head, and finish the rest that way.. it’s tricky as all hell, but I’ve done it..thanks for watching! Kev
i had my 100% wool cowboy hat near my restroom. After many months the brim warped. I had to reshape it
DR. Kevin my hat size is 7 and one eighth can i go for a 7 and a half and pad it down to my size will it work
gregory stuart not really, no. U have 3 between, u are going from a medium to an XL, u could reduce a 7 1/4,
but a 7 3/8 is tougher, a 7 1/2?.. no way, that’s three full sizes.
I wear Borsalino's, It hurt to see them like that
You have been mentioning that we should keep the hats away from the heat. I live in Florida.... so how do I keep the hat in good condition?
Radiators and that stuff are very direct and tend to dry a room out, while u are dealing with more of a tropical heat with a lot of humidity, I think you’ll be fine. Don’t wrap it in plastic, let them breathe..that weather should be good for the hats
I suppose you'll be wearing straw, cotton, and linnen hat's over there?
are fur felt along with beaver felt hats vulnerable to moth infestation do you recommend moth balls to protect hats any ideas Kevin
Usually the light colored hats get moths, mostly..but yes,also peppermint and lavender oil mixture w water and a touch of rubbing alcohol uaee all over as a cleaner,closet deodorant..it works .but u need the real,food pure oil. Moth balls are best but u wind up smelling like an old lady😑
Where is your store located?
310 fifth avenue at 31-32 st, Manhattan. Under the empire state building
Dude I wish u lived in Texas I use alot of cowboy hats and this young kids don't know how to fix my hat I need a hat doctor like u
Hey bud I am sorry to be bothering u but I just wanted to tell u happy new year bud and stay safe
The good doctor Kevin, i went for broke and bought a pure beaver by stetson called the pinnacle your thoughts on beaver hats
They're all different, beaver will generally give u better performance, and can remain soft while still retaining shape, but they are all very different.. you'll love it I'm sure,
They usually use their best shapes,styles and colors for their beaver hats too,
care and feeding is basically the same..
It's like any other fur felt fedora, just better.
The Happy Hatter
by "heavier string" do you mean flatwounds or just a heavier gauge?
Andre Comtois not flats, just using heavier gauge, yes.. I’m usually using very light sets, 9-42, most of the time..
Sometimes I mess around with heavier sets like 10-46, which makes a huge difference in feel, u can see me struggling to bend notes, that country pedal steel bend I try early on, normally wouldn’t be difficult, but with the heavy strings, it challenges me, and the screwups,along w the hard time bending strings cause me to play differently, more open strings, simpler Bends..kind Of GarageBand-ish or more like acoustic blues or something.. it also works like a batting donut effect, to strengthen my fingers.. I don’t get to play regularly, so I’m rusty,it helps.
@@KTGHATS You have heavy gauge addiction my friend! One thing I did was put flatwounds on my gibson and then a light roundwound string on my strat. I practice chords, melodies and fingerpicking on the flatwounds (the strings give a nice jazzy sound), and then when I switch over to the strat when I wanted to rock out some Deep Purple or Black Sabbath (I'm old). The light strings feel like nothing and I can bend the shit out of them without effort.
I read somewhere that SVR used flatwound strings for his low E (for a smoother bass sound) and roundwound for the rest, I can't confirm that though.
@@AndreComtois hmm, i like that low E to sound all grindy and growly, when i dig in hard, the more grrrrrowl,the better the tele.. so I do like rounds,but for jazz and bossa nova it might be really pretty, next u will see me playing acoustic slide, just got a nice 80s black Ovation, mint! 😛
@@KTGHATS Unfortunately I'm a lefty so I've never had the chance to play an Ovation. I'm learning banjo at the moment. It's tons of fun!
Have hat lovers seen Babylon Berlin on Netflix? Pretty amazing for anyone who likes hats, especially classic fedoras.
Hahah I was listening to this video but also looking through other RUclips videos at the same time then I heard him snap and say hey you. Listen up this is important hahah
😂
So is it possible to rehydrate leather?
Fantastic video btw
U can kind of, if the damage is minor,start wearing it a lot. But really dry, damaged,burnt leather? Not really..saddle soap and those kind of leather conditioners, & cremes are not a good idea
KEVIN from JJ HAT CENTER 🎸HATS & GUITARS ! Darn. Thanks.
How do you like that, Dean razorback?
The Dean ML ? I like it a lot,my friend who plays in The band Tesla bought a couple of them, and they sounded great love, so I took a risk,but the model I ordered, the stock pickups were a little dull, I replaced them with Bareknuckles which were pretty pricey, but great. in hindsight, I should have just gotten Duncan’s or Diamarzios, but my tech had them in stock at the shop he worked at, so I grabbed them .
Time to give up a couple of those bad stack hats in the occasional competition methinks
What's the name of the rock band you're with?
I used to travel around,tour and make records, when my son was born , 8 years ago, I quit the music thing, but I’m planning on forming a band this summer, I’ve got a drummer, we are planning on broadcasting from his rehearsal studio soon, once virus-mania is over
Kevin I sent three email to the store “looking for a hat”
I have not received a reply.
????
John T
Just call during work hours, ask for Benji.. they're short staffed w one guy answering all the calls and emails,and processing mail orders , he has a long list if emails to return I'd guess. Just call 11:15-5pm 1-800-622-1911. Best way.
cool man
Tbh i just wear my hats till there ruind. I love hats with alot of character from sweat staind to holes but some times a nice clean fresh hat is the way to go.
The Scarface of the hat world
Good info, thank you.
FYI but you probably already know, the volume of your voice was low, need better mic’ing.
Thanks, yeah, that’s 5e older videos, thanks to a few viewer donations, the newer videos all have a new stereo mic , lighting and a brand new iPad Pro , so the latest videos are totally different, thanks for the heads up though
Kev
The Keith Richards of the hat world. Maybe even the Tommy Bolin of the hat world.
🤠✌️☮️ thx!!!
Strange coincidence..... I've been listening to a lot of the who lately plus I've a new British made 1950s high crown stingy brim
Made by OZONIC... Can't find anything about.... Do you know kev?
Never heard of them, sorry.. lot of British brands that don’t distribute in the US
I'm a Telecaster and Fedora type of guy.
Yeah, so versatile, I love a good tele bridge pickup for rock n roll
If it is a cheap hat then you don't have to care. But if it is a nice hat, and especially un-replaceable vintage ones, then you should treat the hat with respect. First off you shouldn't be handling your hat by the crown, use both sides of the brim near your ears. Second, don't store your hats upside down on the crown. Use a hat box or a cardboard oval that is taller than the crown so when stored the hat is suspended upside down on the brim. Third, if you don't wear a nice hat often, store it in a hat box so it doesn't collect dust. Forth, when using the teardrop style, don't pinch the front to a sharp point and crease like in this video. Not only does it cause the wear problem but it doesn't look as good and makes the hat look beat up.
In my office area there is a wooden beam on the ceiling. I cut 1 1/2 x 3/4 boards to 3 1/2 inches long and mounted them in a line pointing very slightly upwards. I take my lesser hats and hang them from the wooden sticks. It is really easy to reach up to quickly fetch and store my lesser hats (that don't require a box). It also makes a nice room decoration to see the evenly spaced hats in a line.
Richard Simmons 😂
You and I had a great talk on when it would be useful or not to have a custom hat. That might be a good discussion so people don’t get tricked into overpriced non-sense
Spray a little rubbing alcohol on the leather band when you stretch it. That is how you stretch leather shoes.
There’s a nylon cord inside the leather sweatband of a hat, in the outer part,(the part that looks like a tiny tube) inside that nylon fishing line is made to keep the circular shape of a hat, that’s why it always bounces back to a circle when u fold a sweatband flat against itself, that cod is called the Reed.
The Reed has an elastic quality that is made to stretch very far, and then contract again to the same exact size. It’s difficult, near impossible to stretch a hat with that intact. You can stretch a hat 5-6 sizes too large and totally distort and stretch the felt,damaging it..and then in ten minutes the hat is back to its original size again.
Meaning..although your trick might help it, without cutting the Reed, there’s no stretch. We need to cut the Reed at the back seam to alleviate the tension in it,it’s like a ring,so when u try on a hat that’s too tight, it’s almost like lower a too-tight right of piano wore over your forehead, it’s like torture.
Cut the Reed, I have a few videos on the subject, then u can do the isopropyl trick. But..I prefer not to if it’s dehydrated leather, or vintage leather, it can severely dry that band out and shrink it.I usually stem the hat from the outside, right on the back seam, where the back San of the sweatband is, steam it through the hat and soften up those stitches,make them wet and hot, so when u stretch, they expand further without popping.
Hanging a hat on the wall is that ok
It's usually fine. Upside down is slightly better
but hung up usually gets pretty good results too.
( as long as u don't grab it by its pinch too aggressively, when grabbing it)
he sells hats, but loves guitars.
True.
If Slash got clean, cut his hair, & started making RUclips videos about western wear.
And lost his millions…🤠✌️. Just kidding, once I went onstage in Mexico and everyone screamed because they thought I was slash,from a distance, same hair, guitar..hat.l they went crazy, it was cool feeling like slash for a second
Я сразу понял, что Кевин из R’N’R!]
Only understand R&R😎🤘
✌🏻
Сергей Мельник ☮️+💟+🎸
kevin friend turn your hats upside down
gregory stuart good catch, I did!
You always talk about guys, but you might not realize you've got quite a few chicks in your audience. Sara Bareilles was our gateway drug.
Thanks, you’re so right.. my audience is like 90-95% male,according to my analytics, but I think the amount of chicks to Ricks have increased lately.. I need to keep that in mind, thank you…thx for your input and participation ☮️
Haha not Richard Simmons maybe more Ronnie James Dio
Mitchell-ized 😜
Invest in a hat box.
Too much repetition. Speak succinctly.