Help-Crushed Hat

[TomS]

Hi Folks:
I have a nice vintage felt that a guy sat on; Pretty much flattened it. So, can it be "steamed" at home, or does it need a hatter's attention? I appreciate any suggestions...
B/R,
Tom

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Pics would help.

 

[VetPsychWars]

...and some description of the felt. Depends on how badly it was crunched and your level of patience. You could probably do it without a block (I have) but it can take up to an hour to do it well.

Tom

 

[mattface]

Must be crushed hat week!

Yes it can be steamed out, and should come out fine. I just received 2 hats crammed into ONE padded envelope last night, and a few minutes with my handy dandy little Rowenta handheld steamer put them right, or mostly right. More time and practice likely would get them even better, but I'm pleased with the results.

From the ebay thread:

I got these two 6 3/4 hats for my sweetie on ebay, A Knox and an Adam, for $20 shipped! Wasn't too impressed with how the seller packaged them. :eeek:




Turned out to be pretty nice hats though!

 

[Earl Needham]

Wow, that's some MAJOR improvement! Don't you get the impression that they were packed by someone who thinks all headgear is cloth like baseball caps?

 

[mattface]

Wow, that's some MAJOR improvement! Don't you get the impression that they were packed by someone who thinks all headgear is cloth like baseball caps?

Well now that you mention it the sellers name WAS "baseball-for-sale". That might explain a lot.

 

[Sam Craig]

Matt

Man, what can you say.
You Da Man!
But the dweeb who mailed hats like that ... wow, I mean, wow. Time to hire some drovers to stop by and pay him a visit!

You did great, though.

Sam

 

[johnnycanuck]

Depending how stiff the felt is I would just knock it out and use a little bit cool water if necessary. If you have a hat shop or a tack shop in your area they would have a nice steamer you could use as well.
My two cents worth.
Johnny

 

[TomS]

A little steam worked like a charm. Thanks for all the ideas!
Tom

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Not to hijack the thread, but Mattface, I would of left negative feedback about that one!

 

[Edward]

I had a hat squashed pretty much flat at a Pogues gig a couple of years ago (I realised I was going to lose it in the crowd, it was so tight packed and moving, so I stuck it in my bag....). An Akubra Rap (pork pie) in rabbit. Fifteen minutes with the kettle when I got home and it was fine. Softer in some areas than it started out, but it holds its shape just fine and if anything simply felt more "broken in " than before.