How to repair a fedora's brim?

[EstherWeis]

You can just wet it a little and put a cloth on the brim and iron it flat. No high heat.

I have never experienced any shrinking with my felts so I would be highly surprised if you would have.
It will flatten out in no time. Just let it dry naturally on a flat surface.

And I wouldn’t advise you to use a starch stiffener.

 

[Moviehats]

Iron it flat.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Make one yourself. Its made with 1/8" hardboard, same as pegboard but without holes. A flat base layer. Thin u-shaped piece for spacing. Then a top piece that has the cut out of it for the hat crown. I cut the hardboard with a jig saw. Used my hat as a guide for the shapes. Used a staple gun to secure it together. I will take pictures of mine when I get home so you can see what I mean.
Johnny

 

[scottyrocks]

When a brim gets wonky I use either water from a spray bottle or steam on it, put the hat on my head, and then smooth the brim front to back with my hands on the bottom side of the brim. I vary pressure and location by sliding front to back, and edge to crown until I get a shape I like.

Water gives more time to get what I want, but steam evaps quicker and lets the felt more quickly hold the shape I just forced it into. Lately I've been using steam more than water, and working quickly, sometimes re-steaming if the results are not pleasing to me.

This method works especially well on raw edged brims, which is what you seem to have there.

 

[RJR]

When a brim gets wonky I use either water from a spray bottle or steam on it, put the hat on my head, and then smooth the brim front to back with my hands on the bottom side of the brim. I vary pressure and location by sliding front to back, and edge to crown until I get a shape I like.

Water gives more time to get what I want, but steam evaps quicker and lets the felt more quickly hold the shape I just forced it into. Lately I've been using steam more than water, and working quickly, sometimes re-steaming if the results are not pleasing to me.

This method works especially well on raw edged brims, which is what you seem to have there.

+1

 

[glider]

I tried some Bickmore hat stiffener on a fedora, worked really well . I like that you can adjust how stiff you want your hat by how many times you spray it with the stiffener. I just sprayed it once and it's just stiff enough to hold it's shape . It's available on amazon.

 

[Redfokker]

I personally avoid steam. Cool water does just fine for me and has very little risk or shrinkage. I would get the brim wet, towel dry, place it on a flat surface and put heavy books on the brim. Leave it for a day to dry naturally. If you want to maintain the flatness of a brim you may want to buy/make a "Scout Hat Press" do a google search and you will see what I am talking about. I have one for my scout hat but have used it for "new to me" hats I want to knock out its original shape.
hope that helps
Johnny

+1

 

[Willybob]

I have re blocked many shrunken rabbit hats. I flatten a brim by spraying it with distilled water , cover it with a piece of white t-shirt material Ive cut to fit over the crown, and use an iron that I don't put water in. water stored in an iron can produce rust over time. I use the cotton setting. It is best to do so on a hard smooth surface that can handle the heat covered by another piece of old t-shirt larger than the brim, not a padded ironing board. Too much flex. The concern with high heat is that you can burn the felt, but the t-shirt material resolves that issue. Ive never found high heat to be determental when not directly on the felt. I have ironed directly on the felt before but I scub the iron face clean first and never iron on dry felt.

 

[buler]

Wow, of all the threads to be resurrected. Why couldn't those pics have disappeared. I was a complete hat newbie back in 2009 when this was posted. A lot has been learned in 9 years.

B

 

[guillaumeb]

Thanks for all your replies. I ironed it and it did the trick.Feeling much better