How to Crease a New Baseball Hat

For those in the know, the way you crease your baseball hat says a lot about you as a fan. On most people, wearing a hat without a crease is a sure way to look like an out-of-it or fair-weather fan. The tried-and-true know that while a new hat may have your team's logo on it, it's just not "your" hat until it's broken in just the right way. There are as many ways of breaking in your hat in as there are types of fan; find the method that best works for you.

Instructions

    • 1

      Roll the hat up like a burrito. According to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm, this is a more effective way of doing it by hand than spending hours pinching it between your fingers. Roll the entire hat up lengthwise one way, then unroll it and roll it up again the other way. The more you do this, the more flexible the hat will become.

    • 2

      Place the bill of the cap in a closed vice for a few hours. This way may seem a bit draconian, but it is the fastest and most effective. After being left in a closed vice for two hours, your hat's crease will be deep and permanent.

    • 3

      Stick it between the edge of a couch and the wall. The pressure isn't as great as a vice, so your hat may need to be suspended in the inch between couch and wall for a few days for the crease to stick. For those without a vice, however, this may be the next best thing.

    • 4

      Use a big rubber band and a round object. Put your hat on something with the degree of curve you want in your brim, like a baseball glove, and find a large, thick strong rubber band, such as the kind that comes with broccoli or asparagus. Stretch the rubber band over the brim of your hat and the object. After a few days, the brim should be molded to the curve of the object.

    • 5

      Wash the hat in warm water and let it shrink. Most baseball hats are made of wool, which means they shrink in warm water. Give your hat a thorough warm bath, then wear it to let it shrink and contour to the shape and size of your head. While you could also put the wet, warm hat on something else like a wig stand or ball, this runs the risk of the hat shrinking too much and no longer fitting.