Looking for a Fedora that will stay snapped down in the front

[Beachhead]

I've been trying to find a Fedora that will stay snapped down in the front but many websites that show such pictures of this are not really shaped like that and have a flat brim when they arrive. I have one that i bought at a hat shop in san diego that is perfect in size and shape except for the brim will not snap down and stay down in the front. Looking for color black for a fairly cheap price, this is not anything formal that i am looking for so i don't want to spend alot of money. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks.

 

[tonyb]

Any hat makers/refurbishers in your vicinity, beachhead? I ask because it sounds like a flanging might correct that lack of brim snap you object to. Such a job would be a snap (har har) for any competent hatter with the proper equipment.

 

[RBH]

Welcome to the Lounge BeachHead.
MOST hats with enough coaxing on the brim will stay down, sometimes it just takes a little more of the coaxing!
Good luck and keep us informed with your progress.

 

[Dinerman]

Fur felt, with a flanged brim. A lot of wool felts have a problem with their brims staying snapped down, especially wool felts with over or underwelts.

What are you wearing now?

 

[indycop]

Worst case scenario just spritz a little distilled water on iy and shape it how you want, but you will lose the snap.

 

[Beachhead]

I believe this is the hat that i have:
http://www.villagehatshop.com/jaxon_crushable_c_crown_fedora.html

It's a Jaxon but the tag just says "Jaxon" wool, large.

It was only about $30.00 a few years ago at village hat shop in san diego when i was there for an event. I've tried creasing the front down but it just won't stay. We don't have any hat shops in our area and the only places that sell anything but baseball caps are western stores and they don't have any Fedoras. I was told you could possibly steam it, hold it over a pot of boiling water and try to mold it down, but how do you mold it to the right shape, what techniques should i use? Thanks.

 

[kaosharper1]

All the "stiff" fedoras, like Akubra Federations, arrive with a flat brim that is very stiff. Wetting it will allow you to shape it and when it dries, it stays snapped down.

On a floppy hat, you could always use stiffener.

 

[reetpleat]

Wet the hat brim down all the way around. You don't have to soak it, but pour a little bit and rub it around until it is thoroughly wet under and over. Don't get any on the ribbon or it might leave a mark when it dries.

Flip it up and let it dry. with any luck it will shrink a little so it becomes more bowled when dry. If so, it will stay snapped down. That is what gives it the snap, the difference between snapped up and snapped down, held by the bowl of the brim. sadly, many new hats have very little.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

It sounds like you're working mainly with wool felt. Unpredictable and generally uncooperative stuff. It takes a lot of work to change the shape of a wool hat, especially those crushables. If you're willing to go through a bunch of inexpensive hats to find what you want, why not upgrade to fur felt? Easier to work with.[huh]

 

[CaddyKid21]

A trick

I learned a trick, wet the brim slightly, then put it on a pile of books against a wall, brim down. Leave it like that overnight and it should stay in shape.

 

[warbird]

He said it is wool. All this advice pertains to fur felt, except where so noted by the poster. The advice can be thrown out the window if talking fur. Most wool is what it is, unless it is vintage very high quality wool, it will simply be what it is. Do not soak the brim in water! Do not wet it down. It could ruin it and won't help your situation.

Wear it and enjoy it for what it is and buy a nice fur felt to have your snap brim.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

The problem may well be that you have a very round shaped head. I have a Long Oval shaped head and due to the narrowness of my cranium, which puts pressure front-to-back on the hat, the brim swoops down a lot. If the reverse is true, then the side-to-side pressure of a wide head shape would tend to bring the brim up when worn. It's true that wool is not going to cooperate with re-shaping in the way that fur felt does. I have, however, gotten some of my wool hats to reshape some using steam from a kettle.

G'luck!

 

[Nolan]

Is there one commercial stiffener that is better than another?

All the "stiff" fedoras, like Akubra Federations, arrive with a flat brim that is very stiff. Wetting it will allow you to shape it and when it dries, it stays snapped down.

On a floppy hat, you could always use stiffener.