Fedora Brim Shaping

[bobkeenan]

I really like my new Stetson Runabout fur felt hat. I wear it in the classic front flipped down look.

But here is the question. About where the turned down portion starts, above the ears, it is a discontinuous curve (sorry I am a retired engineer). If I flip it all up, front, sides, and back you can see that the bottom of the brim is nicely curved all the way around. Except for about 1" long, flattened areas, again, around the ears.

I have been watching the videos and reading some posts. It seems like some use a steamer to fix the hat in a all up flip. then after its dry flip the brim down when you wear it. Flip it back up when not wearing it.

But I also found a thread where very good instructions were given to steam the brim, wear it, form it to the flip down the way you like it, let dry and you leave it like that.

So my questions are:

1: Which way is best?
2: What is a good technique to get a flatness of a cruved flipped up brim.
3. Should it be stored brim up or down if you wear it down..

 

[Rogera]

I really like my new Stetson Runabout fur felt hat. I wear it in the classic front flipped down look.

But here is the question. About where the turned down portion starts, above the ears, it is a discontinuous curve (sorry I am a retired engineer). If I flip it all up, front, sides, and back you can see that the bottom of the brim is nicely curved all the way around. Except for about 1" long, flattened areas, again, around the ears.

I have been watching the videos and reading some posts. It seems like some use a steamer to fix the hat in a all up flip. then after its dry flip the brim down when you wear it. Flip it back up when not wearing it.

But I also found a thread where very good instructions were given to steam the brim, wear it, form it to the flip down the way you like it, let dry and you leave it like that.

So my questions are:

1: Which way is best?
2: What is a good technique to get a flatness of a cruved flipped up brim.
3. Should it be stored brim up or down if you wear it down..

Can you post pics to help explain #2?.

 

[TheDane]

I would never expect a packable hat to have a perfect shape. Packables are usually made from soft, floppy felt, and the focus is on packability - not the perfect dress-look.

To ensure a "perfectly" shaped brim, it must have some stiffness to it, but that is not an option with a packable. It's almost impossible to achieve a perfect, straight curve along the brim-edge - and at the same time preserve packability.

In the days of our (grand)fathers many lightweight felt hats had quite floppy brims. If you look at old movies and stills, you will see, that both crowns and brims were worn with lots of small "autonomous" dents and waves. To me it seems like the desire for the perfected "non-organic" look has grown synchronous with our hats' transition from necessities to accessories.

When I started wearing hats, I was very eager to make my hats look like nice hats I saw here and there. Perfectly shaped - almost like it was cast - and preferably with a stamped-in crease. Today, that's the look I try the very hardest to avoid! Now it must be personalized.

Maybe you should just be happy, your hat doesn't look like your neighbor's ... but as Roger wrote: A pic would be helpful

 

[RJR]

I would never expect a packable hat to have a perfect shape. Packables are usually made from soft, floppy felt, and the focus is on packability - not the perfect dress-look.

To ensure a "perfectly" shaped brim, it must have some stiffness to it, but that is not an option with a packable. It's almost impossible to achieve a perfect, straight curve along the brim-edge - and at the same time preserve packability.

In the days of our (grand)fathers many lightweight felt hats had quite floppy brims. If you look at old movies and stills, you will see, that both crowns and brims were worn with lots of small "autonomous" dents and waves. To me it seems like the desire for the perfected "non-organic" look has grown synchronous with our hats' transition from necessities to accessories.

When I started wearing hats, I was very eager to make my hats look like nice hats I saw here and there. Perfectly shaped - almost like it was cast - and preferably with a stamped-in crease. Today, that's the look I try the very hardest to avoid! Now it must be personalized.

Maybe you should just be happy, your hat doesn't look like your neighbor's ... but as Roger wrote: A pic would be helpful

+1

 

[bobkeenan]

Here is a picture of it. Now since then I got a portable rowenta steamer. I did 2 attempts at reshaping the brim with the brim curled up all around. then after its dry I snap the front down. I would say that 90% of that (hickup in the getalong) is gone now. I suppose If I did it a couple more times it would be totally gone....Then the next time I roll it....It might be there again. But maybe we call that character and I learn to like it!

 

[emigran]

Looks cool to me...

 

[Corky]

Get some felt stiffener.

Use as directed, then smooth out the felt to the flatness you desire.

 

[TheDane]

My very last choise for a packable would be "stiffener". That would be pretty counterproductive in my eyes

Bob, from what I see, I guess you have a Long Oval head, while the hat was made for a Regular Oval. That will always result in that sort of "waves" along the brim-sides.

The remedy is to steam the band break a little and press a Long Oval band block into the crown opening. Then the band break is worked over with a small piece of smooth wood, called a "foot tolliker". That way, the inner part of the brim is pressed/forced flat, while the crown is stretched out to the desired oval.

Without the right band block it can be quite hard to get rid of this kind of "waves". A hatter could easily help you, but as you don't inform anything about your whereabouts, I can't suggest a specific one close by

For a packable, I don't find the problem that pronounced, though. It may very well lessen over time - but then again, packables are darned good at "remembering" their shape. I really don't know, how much it will change with time(?)

PS: Are the waves equally pronounced, when you wear the hat and when you hold it in your hand? If my LO-theory is correct, the waves will be more pronounced, when the hat is on your head. They will also be amplified, if you stretch the hat a little lengthwise with your hands.

 

[TheDane]

I recently purchased a super light packable Stack from the early 40s. It's extremely soft, but I just tried to show, what I mean.
Not stretched:

Stretched:

Not easy to do with one hand, but I hope, my point gets across

 

[scottyrocks]

Here is a picture of it. Now since then I got a portable rowenta steamer. I did 2 attempts at reshaping the brim with the brim curled up all around. then after its dry I snap the front down. I would say that 90% of that (hickup in the getalong) is gone now. I suppose If I did it a couple more times it would be totally gone....Then the next time I roll it....It might be there again. But maybe we call that character and I learn to like it!

I would steam the sides of the brim and roll them upwards until that little dip stays gone.

 

[RJR]

Looks cool to me...

+1,it has character.

 

[RJR]

I recently purchased a super light packable Stack from the early 40s. It's extremely soft, but I just tried to show, what I mean.
Not stretched:
View attachment 50890
Stretched:
View attachment 50891

Not easy to do with one hand, but I hope, my point gets across

Good explanation and example of a long oval,

 

[emigran]

Yes Sir... perfect ain't where it's at... check out some of the old movies with guys like Tracy, Robinson, Powell,,, some of their hats looked like they could use a fresh blocking at times... Someone said here recently it takes a few years for a new hat to really take on its rightful shape... I believe that wholeheartedly... get it caught in the rain even...then it's yours not the hatter's...