first akubra - banjo - brim question

[tm3]

thanks to rick blaine's post (akubras at attractive prices) i picked up a banjo. very, very nice hat, especially for $45! i have a couple of questions re the brim:

1) the brim turns down in the back. i prefer the fedora look with the brim turning up in the back. is that look going to be OK with this 2 3/4" banjo brim, or am i better off leaving it as is? if i decide to reshape it, is there a "how to" somewhere that i have been unable to find so far?

2) the front brim has a small ripple in it that i'd like to take out. best way to do this would be what (steam and work with fingers, iron, sit on it, or ...)?

thanks very much!

 

[Anders]

I've found my akubra to be very responsive to steam, just a little moisture and finger smoothing should take care of any brim warping.

 

[fatwoul]

Yep ditto the brim on my Federation reshapes very easily with a little steam, or even a misting bottle of water, if you want to work on smaller parts of the brim at a time, which you might find easier to control, rather than the whole brim bending about at the same time.

Either works fine - let us know how you get on, and post some pictures of the hat!

 

[indycop]

I used distilled water from a mist spray bottle for the front and just worked the back.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I find Akubras respond best to distilled or spring water. Less chance of steaming the crown, too - which you want to avoid. I think I've gotten a few former steamers here to change over to the water method. I love it.

 

[tm3]

thanks for the help -- distilled water it is, as soon as i can get some.

i'll try smoothing the brim first. i'm still undecided about trying to change the look of the brim in the back.

 

[Slugwart]

I have the Lawson which is basically the Banjo with a slightly wider brim. I accidentally left it sitting in the back of the car in the sun with the rear of the brim curled up against something. The heat in the car put the brim into a very nice permanent upwards curve at the back. Don't know if it would be a recommended restructuring technique but it worked.

 

[tm3]

if i decide to modify the rear part of the brim (upturn), do i just wet that part of the brim and shape it?

or, do i wet the whole brim, shape it to turn up, and then after it sets bring the front part back down (like a typical fedora)?

thanks again!

 

[RBH]

if i decide to modify the rear part of the brim (upturn), do i just wet that part of the brim and shape it?

or, do i wet the whole brim, shape it to turn up, and then after it sets bring the front part back down (like a typical fedora)?

thanks again!

I would try it dry first, just work the brim felt in your hands. Do it in the shape you wish the brim to be.
It will not stay the shape at first, just keep working it and soon it will be where you want it. After that a little water would not hurt.

 

[Bebop]

I have used plain tap water steam on every single hat crown and brim I have ever owned and never experienced anything unwanted. Why is it that so many people do not want the crown steamed and why use distilled water instead of tap water? Am I missing something that I wouldn't know I was missing unless I missed this post? (jaw twister).

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Why? We all develop a theory before we go into action. We naturally select what we believe will be the safest (least damaging) method. When that works, we see no need to try other methods. Many people theorize about the effect of minerals in the water being left in the hat, or about the hat shrinking, or about... Most of those theories never get tested, just believed. I personally dunk (entirely, in tap water) almost every used hat I acquire. Others theorize as to why that is not good. All I know is (1) Many, if not all, hats were made that way, and (2) It works beautifully for me.

Do what you have the courage to do.

 

[Bebop]

Thank you J.T. Marcus. It's good to know you have not noticed any ill effects on your hats either. I had a feeling it was more theory than anything else. I think leather jackets get the same amount of theories thrown about.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I have used plain tap water steam on every single hat crown and brim I have ever owned and never experienced anything unwanted. Why is it that so many people do not want the crown steamed and why use distilled water instead of tap water? Am I missing something that I wouldn't know I was missing unless I missed this post? (jaw twister).

I used to use tap water steam, when I lived in a house with great water that I trusted. I don't trust my current water at all, for steam or for directly wetting the hat! I have stained hats with tap water in the past, so I favor distilled because it's generally cleaner. My guess is, you have good clean water.

As for steaming the crown, it will (by experience and the testimony of others I know) make the crown shrink and taper more quickly over the life of the hat. The effect won't be immediate (in most cases), but it will make a reblock necessary sooner.

For those who have been lucky enough not to experience problems, I am happy and relieved for you. But my personal misadventures are lesson enough for me.