Reshaping a felt hat?

**Nick** · 9th April 07, 11:49 AM

I'm hoping someone has some experience in this and can help. I've got a Stacey Adams wide brim fedora (it's fairly new, not vintage) that has a distorted brim. It snaps up in the back, but it curls up to far from hanging in my closet for a couple years, and I'd like to fix it. It's a nice dress hat, not crushable felt, and I'm not sure how to fix this problem.

Cheers,
Nick

**Streetcar** · 9th April 07, 12:07 PM

Have you tried the obvious and contacting a haberdasher?
There's a great one here who has reshaped my fedora several times. But Seattle is a long way to send a hat.

Anyway, a good one should be able to reshape it for free while you wait.

You might also look at a western wear shop. If they sell quality cowboy hats, they probably have a hat steamer as well.

**auld argonian** · 9th April 07, 12:22 PM

Oh, for the good old days...when you could have found a couple of men's stores on main street that would be able to do it for you.

There has to be someone...we have a guy nearby here in Chicago...I'm not recommending him because you're a ways away from here and the guy is a real @$$#0!@...he acts like it such a lost art that he's the only one who can do it.

This is a long shot but do any of the police (state or local) wear brimmed hats? Illinois State Police do, for example. One of them might know if a local uniform shop can do it for you.

So get in your car and do 90+ MPH and when the guy pulls you over, ask where he gets his hat done.

Best

AA

**Nick** · 9th April 07, 12:33 PM

Unfortunately, as far as I know there are not any haberdashers in the area. I don't live in urban areas like Chicago or Seattle. Marquette is hours away from anything. The Michigan State police don't wear campaign hats, nor do the local cops, so that's not an option. I can ask around, but my hopes aren't high.

**pdcorlis** · 9th April 07, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

So get in your car and do 90+ MPH and when the guy pulls you over, ask where he gets his hat done.

Best

AA

BRILLIANT Idea AA! I don't know about your neck of the woods but around here most any decent western wear shop has a feller who knows how to steam and re-shape hats.

**Mountainman** · 9th April 07, 01:30 PM

My dad reshaped one of his felt cowboy hats once, soaked it in hot water then went to work on it, let it dry and that was it. came out pretty good, just exactally how he wanted it. if all else fails you might try that.

**brandycr** · 9th April 07, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Mountainman

My dad reshaped one of his felt cowboy hats once, soaked it in hot water then went to work on it, let it dry and that was it. came out pretty good, just exactally how he wanted it. if all else fails you might try that.

agrees have seen felt hats reshaped using this method.

**haukehaien** · 9th April 07, 02:18 PM

Steam is generally what hat shapers use. (Haberdashers may be a dying breed - but many western stores will have the steamer/blocker to reshape a hat.)

I've used the kettle to reshape my Indiana Jones fedora as well as felt cowboy hats. Get a good head of steam going in the kettle, hold the part you want to reshape in the steam until it starts to lose its stiffness, then reshape it with your hands and let cool. Repeat as necessary.

**The Wizard of BC** · 9th April 07, 02:30 PM

I second the information haukehaien said.
I have shaped from start and re-shaped many Stetson Cav Hats, and my own Fedoras.

The only difference is I put a piece of copper tubing into the spout of the kettle to give a precise jet of steam for shaping the details or just a small spot.

Please be very careful with steam. It can scald you in under a second. If you have an oven mitt it can save a bad burn.

Steaming a good felt hat will also clean and freshen it if you have sweat a lot or if it is just musty from storage.

This method works best on really good felt of 4X quality or better. A 4X felt hat is almost as stiff as heavy cardboard. On soft felt or "crushable" hats you may have to add a couple of shots of spray starch to get the desired shape.

**Fearnest** · 9th April 07, 04:53 PM

I've reblocked my hats with the steam kettle method (wish I'd have thought of the copper pipe part!)... I'd never soak mine in hot water - just be afraid the hat would discolor.

Bottom line, slow and steady - and take it a little bit at a time (don't try to do it all too fast).