Borsalino Straw Fedora looks like a lady's sun hat

[Fantômas]

I have a very nice but somewhat too soft Bors crushable straw fedora (black) with a 2.25" (maybe 2.5") brim. The brim has a tendency to "flutter" in the wind and won't hold a typical fedora brim shape. This is due to the extremely supple and fine straw and, I believe, because the brim is sort of wide for the strength of the weave.

Any thoughts about the following:

- can the straw be stiffened in some way? Is there a (shudder) spray-on "fixer" that will reduce the floppy brim action?

- is it possible or advisable to somehow reduce the brim dimension to something stingier? Say, 2" or slightly less?

thanks -- First Post but lurking since 2004

 

[duggap]

Welcome to the lounge. I am sure someone will come forth with better information than I can give you, but you can stiffen a brim on a straw hat. Some of the folks here recommend a product called Stout, I believe it is called. Some have claimed success with hair spray. You can use an iron with a towel and press out the brim the way you want it and then stiffen it up and it should be find. Try and post some pics when you can.

 

[Fantômas]

hi duggap -- thanx for the welcome and for the tip on "Stout". I assume a lot of these threads go off into the abyss of the lounge's darker zones, neglected and sharing a drink with nobody. So its good to hear a wecoming voice in the dim light.

Can you or anyone else address my more daring notion: to carefully unwind (unravel?) the woven coil so that the brim can be narrowed? It looks as if it has been sewn on every concentric circle and if someone was super patient and able, they could unwind 3/4" or so, trim off the excess and then tuck and sew down the remaining stub. Is that at all clear? And if so, is that remotely feasible?

 

[duggap]

You are probably stuck with the brim the way it is. When those hats were made the brim is finished by doing a "backweave". That generally requires a specialist as the weavers don't finish the hat. You could send it back to Equator but I believe it would be cost prohibited. You would be better visiting our own Panama Bob for a new one.

 

[Fantômas]

sounds like a highly skilled task to rework it. drat.

 

[HamletJSD]

You'd be taking away some of the quality of the hat ... but if it is really important to you and you don't think you'll be wearing the hat without shortening the brim ...

(Old hand's shudder as they know what's coming)

You could always cut it shorter, then fold it under and sew it in place. It is a different sort of brim treatment usually used on cheap Panama's, but it'd probably work.

 

[Fantômas]

that's an interesting idea...maybe a bit drastic though...

this Borsalino's brim is not woven like a basket or like most Panamas.

Instead, this one, (like many hats) is made from what appears to be a really long braided cord that has been very carefully sewn to the preceding layer. it could be unwound, trimmed and sewn, except that I don't really know if that would work, and as per duggap's comments above, hat weaving is a black art.

felt hats are obviously much easier to trim and customize.

thanks for the ideas -- much appreciated.

 

[deelovely]

Welcome to the Lounge Fantomas!

 

[HamletJSD]

Fantomas

A bit drastic? Definitely! lol I am not even sure I would try it myself for fear of it all unraveling or creating worse problems.

That's why I first put in the caveat: "if ... you don't think you'll be wearing the hat without shortening the brim".

A lot of guys will let a hat fall apart on a shelf when it should be falling apart on someone's head or, at the very least, in the hands of an over-enthusiastic owner who's creative streak caused him to bite off more than he could chew

You're probably wise to not try cutting it. Maybe I shouldn't have encouraged that path. Giving it away to someone who'll use it is definitely a better option than wrecking it.

I'd certainly try some of the other suggestions.

 

[Fantômas]

thanks deelovely -- i've been reviewing the threads here for years, but finally broke down and registered. the community has grown so much in the last two years that the retro-fashion "hive mind" is an amazing resource.

and Hamlet, yes, I absolutely hear you on your warnings and admonitions -- noted with so much thanks.

Here's my current plan:

- put it in a hat box until the New Year. Here in Lost Angeles one can wear a straw year 'round, but I'll stick with felt for the next few months.

- then, with some time to further reflect, (possibly with more input from Loungers), I'll pop open the box and look at the situation anew.

I say this because I'm staring at the hat right now and the devil on my shoulder is saying, "you can do this man, no prob's. go and get the seam ripper, the optivisor and the scissors. heck man, you can do a 'backweave'" blindfolded in the dark".

The angel on the other shoulder is tied up in the trunk. So best to put it in the box for now.

 

[RBH]

Welcome...Glad you joined us!!!!

 

[Uncle Vern]

I just dealt with a similar problem--I found a beautiful brown hand-woven palm fiber hat with a 4.3-inch brim in a local thrift store, and I couldn't get it to hold its shape, even after I got it wet and formed it as it dried. I finally took it out on the porch and shot it down with several light coats of spray lacquer. After it dried, I left it outside for a few days until the odor diminished. It really worked well.

Many felt hats have been stiffened with lacquer or shellac, and most western straws are lacquered to give them their shape. I used regular, spirit-based lacquer. I'm sure a matt version would work just as well if not better, and so would any acryllic lacquer. You just add layers of lacquer until it behaves. You cannot see it after the hat dries. I would guess that it would also function well as water-proofing.

 

[RBH]

I have use low gloss many times on straws I have worn.

 

[Fantômas]

(thank you all for the warm welcomes)

Shellac -- WOW. So a matte finish would work too -- (your low gloss maybe is still a bit glossy?). I don't think this was finished with any sort of chemical; it's much too soft. It does have a nice C crown, but I'm sure that was set w/ heat.

If I do operate on it, or spray coat it, or set fire to it, I'll post pix (oh wait, I'm such a newbie I can't...). OK -- links to pix or some such thing.

thanks for all the input.