My Johnny Depp Hat!

[Lonny]

Here it is!
My first really nice hat.
I spent 250 bucks on this Czech furfelt beauty and bought it off an eBay member in Quebec.
I believe the name of their store is Caliqo.
Unfortunately a week and a half ago I wore it out in the rain and its brim has become a mangled pancake... There is not even a hatter in the city that can lend a helpful hand to fixing it, the only milliner in my city was an old woman who tried to fix it but couldnt do it...

 

[kaosharper1]

If it's furfelt rain shouldn't hurt it. Is it wool maybe?

 

[airforceindy]

If it IS wool, I'd say you spent about $210 too much. From that picture the felt itself doesn't look too bad. The ribbon appears to be of decent quality, but it's poorly sewn, as is the brim binding on the back side by the seam. I paid $250 for my Adventurebilt and had to wait for 18 months; if it came to me like that I would've sent it back because it wasn't what I paid for.

Sorry, Lonny, but it just doesn't look like $250 to me...

-AFI

 

[Garrett]

Perhaps some felt stiffener, steam and hand re-shaping will do the trick?

 

[airforceindy]

I'm sorry, Lonny, I don't want to totally burst your bubble here. Opinions are like ^$$#oles, and all that...

Welcome to the Fedora Lounge!

Check out your local antique store(s) and look for a brim flange. I kicked one over in South Dakota last year and got it for $10. A lot of old ones get turned into mirror/picture frames, and you may be able to score one cheap. Happy to give some pointers about reshaping via pm, if you like...

-AFI

 

[scottyrocks]

Any pics of the underside? We might get some clues as to what this hat is actually made of.

 

[Colby Jack]

Or perhaps a tag inside the sweat may add more info....

 

[Goose.]

How messed up is it? I had an Akubra Sydney made from bunny that I fixed up. Rain didn't hurt it at all...heck, wore it several years in the rain. Poor storage (care) messed it up...crammed in a box with other stuff for too long. That hat is how I ended up here. Was looking for tips on getting it back in shape. So, if rain alone messed up your lid, I'm thinking you got a poorly made lid. But, I don't know what I don't know.

Maybe you could post a pic of the victim?

EDIT: Should've mentioned that I'm sorry for you. Truly is a bummer Lonny. I do hope you can get it back in shape to wear with a smile

-----------------------------------------------------------
From the web site: http://www.caliqo.com/

Johnny Depp Style Fedora Hat - Caribou Grey Fur Felt
This hat has a distinctive "Cool" look that is hard to find!
This hat is comparable in style and design to the one worn by Johnny Depp, when he's at play, not at work!
The specifications are:
Made from a very High Quality Czech Hare or Rabbit Fur felt in Caribou Grey color.
It has a vintage 1920's - 1930's side pinch teardrop crown, 2 3/4" inch flanged brim with a 9 line steel gray grosgrain binding on the edge and a 16 line steel gray grosgrain hatband with bow and feather. There is a satin lining and leather sweatband inside.

Very HQ (Hare) Rabbit FurFelt Johnny Depp Style Fedora Hat - $229.00 each

 

[johnnycanuck]

I have had a few hats that could not take a rain shower either and they were made of rabbit felt as well. However it did not take much to get them back into shape. I just wet mine down and worked on it till it got back into the shape I wanted. Then let it sit to dry. You could try some hat stiffener, it should be available at any Lammles or tack shop in your area. That should make it easier to shape it and hold that shape when you are done. When you get it back to where you want it to be you can use Scothguard to help protect it from the elements. Remember to reaply it a few times a year.



With that being said, If you are like most people on the Lounge, this will not be your only hat, it will be your first. If and when you decide to go for another hat I will recomend two brands


#1 Akubra - They are cheaper then most, more durable then anything else in its class (rain, snow and sleet this hat will never loose its shape or colour as long as you let it dry properly) and you have a lot of choice. http://www.hatsdirect.com/ is very popular with very fast shipping. Do a search on the lounge and you will see what I mean.


#2 VS Custom Hats by Art Fawcett. http://www.vintagesilhouettes.com/ It is in the higher price range but is is 100% beaver 100% custom fit and from my experience 100% satisfaction.



All said and done. Welcome to the lounge. I am sorry about your experience with this hat and I hope it turns out well for you.

Johnny

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Welcome, Lonny. Sorry about the rain hurting your hat.

Maybe there is someone on the lounge who can fix or shape the hat for you. I know Art used to do that.

Is there any hat dealers near where you live who could tell you if you have felt or wool? An expert would know.

If it turns out the hat is wool, then you need to contact the folks who sold it to you, make sure they did not mistakenly (?) send you the wool hat they offer instead of the fur felt. Even if the label states that it is fur felt, there could have been a manufacturing mistake.

Anyone know someone out there who can assess the hat? Does Art still redo hats?

karol

 

[johnnycanuck]

Two more thoughts



1. If the brim is really far gone you can also try flattening it by soaking the brim and putting heavy hard cover books on it. With the bound brim, just leave one side of the brim free to curl up (if that makes sense).



2. If you want to send it to someone to get it worked on "in Country" try Smithbilt in Calgary, Alberta http://www.smithbilthats.com/ Restoration page http://www.smithbilthats.com/hat-maintenance.htm I would say Stiffen and shape for $30.



Johnny

 

[Lonny]

Thanks for the advice guys!
When I get a camera I'll put up some pics of the inside brim, but it has a leather sweat band with writing on the side saying "Genuine Furfelt".
It was drenched by the rain so maybe that had something to do with it.
The brim was also turned up all around on all sides but now its just badly mis-shapen and ugly.
I need me a hatter! And a good one!

Lonny.

 

[RobFedoraField]

wobbly brim

I know the feeling, I got a Fed IV and it recieved some abuse and now the brim is uneven. I've done my best but somethings are better left in the hands of professionals.

one other thing you can try is to spritz it with cold water so it's moist, not soaking, then snap it up all the way around, use you hands to make it look even, let it dry that way, then snap the front back down.

welcome to the lounge,

Rob

 

[Lonny]

Oh its not a snap brim, it was turned up all the way around the brim making it damned near impossible for me to fix by my lonesome.
...Well Im gonna get another and Im gonna try to get a decent price on it, a dress hat and a hat to bum around in.

 

[shortbow]

What hat size are you Lonny?

 

[Lonny]

Metric - 61
7 5/8

Too bloody big hahaha.

 

[airforceindy]

Metric - 61
7 5/8

Too bloody big hahaha.

Don't worry, you're not the only big-dome owner around here! lol Is it JUST the brim that's messed up? You may be able to spritz with water, run an iron over it (with a thin dish towel in between of course) once or twice to create some steam, then let off. It should maintain or regain that turned up shape, and you should be able to train the brim into the right form. I've managed that with my Federation after an unfortunate rain encounter and bad drying.

-AFI

 

[bolthead]

If it's furfelt rain shouldn't hurt it. Is it wool maybe?

$250 smackers for a "Wool hat"? :eusa_doh:

 

[handlebar bart]

Someone posted a thread awhile back about a place in Canada that offered the 'Johnny Depp' fedoras in wool or felt. This must be the same 'hatter'

 

[Dewhurst]

$250 smackers for a "Wool hat"? :eusa_doh:

One should specify wool felt hat. You wouldn't want to give people the impression that wool hats, in general, are not good. Wool is wonderful in flat caps, 8 panels, etc., and can become quite expensive and completely worth it when you get in to the really nice wools (Merino, Cheviot, Worsted, Cashmere, etc.).

I may, perhaps rightly, be accused ofof nit-picking. But since wool felt gets a somewhat deserved trouncing at every opportunity here and people have a tendency to short-hand this to simply "wool hats", we should strive to avoid confusion.