Does anyone have the instructions on how to make the crease in top of your umpire hat? There is a specific way of doing this to get a perfect crease. I read it somewhere a while back on how but cant seem to find it now.
Thanks.

the way i did it was different than the fold method, but gets the same results. i just crease it with my fingers, rubbing that crease so it stays creased and iron the edge of the crease just a bit. all of my hats are creased that way and it looks professional*. ive done it this way for a few years now

* - some say creases look like garbage, some say it looks sharp. my reference to professional was to actual professional umpires that do the crease, as theirs tend to look better than joe schmo's creased hat. i personally like creases, so i do them.

[Edited by briancurtin on Feb 8th, 2006 at 09:32 PM]

yeah i wouldnt recommend it on one of the mesh ones (people wear those?), and you are right about the iron. dont set the iron too hot - just enough to keep the crease, but you dont want to burn it.

A minor league ump told me that he does the same thing as brian, but he takes a towel and puts it on top of the hat which keeps it from melting the hat

Check out this link...

http://eteamz.active.com/softballump....cfm?id=350266

Is that what you're talking about?

Ta-Da!
And it's a poly-mesh slow pitch umpire's hat!
:D

Actually, I have one without the ASA and it is slightly cooler to wear in July.

Well, it could be a FASTPITCH umpire hat!

Use iron and towel...if u don't use a towel make sure not to melt/burn the hat.

I say it looks very professional. I have always made the sharp crease in all my hats. One time I heard a veteran umpire talking to a rookie who was working with him. He asked the rookie if he was going "fox-hunting," referring to his hat not being creased and having a big, tall, rounded bulge at the top. I never forgot that message, and made sure my creases were crisp.

I always wanted to get mine to look as good as the pros, but they never quite looked the same. Do they do their own, or do the people who do their uniforms put in the creases?

And,
 

I would never, ever crease my hats.

In case you missed it, never.

I suspect this is a very different subject by region of the country. But honestly, if you crease your hats around here (North Texas), you might as well get some liquid paper and write "BUSH LEAGUE" on your hat as well. Every evaluator I've come across frowns on this practice whole-heartedly. The Texas League guys I know don't crease their hats (at least last year's bunch didn't... we have a lot of new ones this year).

Gee, when my friend Pete Lopez worked the Texas League, his hat was sharply creased, just like the MLB guys' hats. I think uncreased hats look like crap myself. All the MLB and MiLB umps from my association crease their hats, so I'll just go with that.

You have MLB guys in your association? If creased was the way to go, they would come creased.

Arguing about creased hats is as much a waste of time as arguing about pleated vs. unpleated pants and the virtues of patent leather.

blah, blah, blah

for sure
 

For sure this issue is not high on anyones list of importance, but as a matter of course, it is best to follow the lead of your local chapter on items of this nature....If its the accepted practice of your chapter to crease the hat...then crease the hat.....if not....then dont....

Stan