My Stetson lost it's 'snap'...

[Randal]

This may have been covered already, but I couldn't find it. One of my hats got wet when I was on a business trip in Memphis, TN a few months ago. Well, not knowing exactly what to do for a soaked hat (and not being a member of the FL yet), I just let it dry setting on it's crown. My problem now is that the brim is out-of-wack. It's lost it's 'snap'. I guess what I want to know is: How do I get it to look and act similiar to the way it did before it got soaked? I have the brim "snapped up now, but the front looks the same when the back is up or down. It's just kind of there. I don't know of any hat shops near me that could help. Is the 'snap' lost forever?!?!? Please help!

 

[reetpleat]

Most newer stetsons don't have a lot of snap to begin with unfortunately. I had one and also another that I had ironed for an expiriment. In both cases, I wet the brim gently, but soaked through, and flipped the brim up all the way around and let it dry. It bowled it a little bit, thus giving it some more snap.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

In my experience, Stetsons don't usually get their snap back without professional care. Not modern ones, anyway.

I solved this by wetting the brim intensionally and hand shaping it to how I wanted to wear it.

 

[rrog]

I bought a new Stetson Fargo about a year ago and even brand new, it didn't have much "snap" to it. It will fold/roll up or down and hold position, but not anything you could describe as a snap. Maybe some steam will get it back to where you want to go. Others have tried brim stiffener and recommended it. I've never tried it so I couldn't speak to its effectiveness.

rrog

btw, the hat I'm referring to is in my avatar.

 

[Dewhurst]

Does anyone know what it is about these modern Stetson hats being talked about that causes the less than appropriate amount of "snap" in the brim?

I have a few Stefeno (Stefano) fedoras that were relatively inexpensive that have so much oomph in the brims you could decapitate yourself if you aren't careful when snapping the brim up or down.

[huh] [huh]

Oh right, about the original post. Typically, my first thing to attempt will be ample steam and hands to get the correct shape back. If I need some extra snap, I will use a light amount of brim stiffener. But if you are looking to get that downward "dip" back where the brim seems to plunge downwards rather than shooting out straight, you may need to train it back up first, and then stiffen and shape back down.

 

[Feraud]

From my understanding of the terms there is a difference between a snap brim versus a regular raw edge.
It seems like the OP is referring to his brim having gotten wet and lost it's shape.

Someone will clarify this if necessary.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

A snap brim is one that is flanged with an even upward curl all around, but with enough give to easily flip it down and back up by hand. Front, back, and/or sides. If it is not a snap brim, then the "wearing shape" is flanged into the brim to start with and is generally stiff to the point that it won't change (like most westerns styles, or bowlers), or lacks enough spring to do anything by return to true (like many wool crushable outback styles).

 

[Randal]

So the only solution is to shrink the brim, which will tend to return it to the original shape of the felt hood the hat was made from, which is usually done though flanging it, but you could try steam or the like.

How do I get it to shrink with steam or water? Just steam (or wet) and let dry, and repeat?



Here's pics with the brim up:

 

[Dewhurst]

From my understanding of the terms there is a difference between a snap brim versus a regular raw edge.
It seems like the OP is referring to his brim having gotten wet and lost it's shape.

Someone will clarify this if necessary.

A "raw edge" is just a way to say that nothing special has been done to the edge of the brim after it is cut. Brim edges can be bound, have an underwelt, overwelt, and many other things. Whether raw, bound, welted, etc., the brim can still be a snapper.

The "snap" when mentioned for a brim describes the quality of being able to "snap" the brim up and down.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

You might be well recommended to try www.snap.com
I said MIGHT... lol
This is my 200th post.
Not the most useful one.

 

[Woodfluter]

Ditto on what Kabuto said.

Adding to that, steam only the outer inch or thereabouts of the brim, and steam it hard. Get it plenty hot. While it is still soft, use your fingers and work your way around the brim edge, turning it up and taking out the slack by pushing inward slightly - scrunching it together. Do that enough times to get the effect as even as possible. It will be sort of wavy there, but keep it up until it is less wavy, more uniform.

Then hit it hard with a hair dryer (just the outer edge), and get that totally dry. Most shrinkage will take place at the very end of the drying.

After all that, the edge will be upturned but still sort of wavy. Steam that lightly, a bit at a time (maybe a quarter of the way around at most) and then promptly press it against a kitchen counter with a rounded glass, such as a stemless wine goblet, rolling rather than dragging it. Keep the rest of the hat lifted so you are keeping the upturn intact rather than undoing that. When I did that, it removed all the residual waviness but retained the cupping upward.

This has worked for me in adding snap to the rear of Akubra Feds. I hesitate to recommend it because I don't know whether there's stuff I haven't described well enough, but it worked for me!

Good felt is amazing stuff.

 

[Randal]

I'd try steaming the circumference repeatedly, yes. I'm not sure how fast or how far you can shrink it, but it's worth a try.

Thanks. It seems to be working although it's taking awhile. I'm working with it for about an hour or so a night. It's looking alot better than it did, now just alittle more to go. I also need to stretch it abit. Thanks all.

 

[Randal]

OK. I fixed the 'snap' and the waviness in the brim. But now the brim is flipped up too high in the back. Can you guys give me a tip or two to help with this problem?

 

[Matt Deckard]

Modern felts tend to be looser and they droop in a rain... specifically modern Stetson and Borsalinos.

Vintage hats like to keep their shape,though the felt is different... a lot different, read the felt hat basics thread. I'd say you really need to get it to a hatshop in order to get the right snap back. Try Optimo in chicago.

 

[warmentrout]

straw/felt brim stiffener ?

I'm new to the Lounge, although I've read for some time, I decided to jump in. I have a Henschel hat made of hemp, turn down brim all the way around. I'm a long oval and after I wear the hat for awhile the brim starts to take on a different shape than I like. My questions are will brim stiffener make the brim stay the way I like it ? Is there a difference between straw stiffener and felt stiffener ? Should I try to reshapr the crown to my long oval head and then work on the brim ? Or am I going to just have to learn to live with the hat the way it is ?

 

[Bird Lives]

Ditto on what Kabuto said.

Adding to that, steam only the outer inch or thereabouts of the brim, and steam it hard. Get it plenty hot. While it is still soft, use your fingers and work your way around the brim edge, turning it up and taking out the slack by pushing inward slightly - scrunching it together. Do that enough times to get the effect as even as possible. It will be sort of wavy there, but keep it up until it is less wavy, more uniform.

Then hit it hard with a hair dryer (just the outer edge), and get that totally dry. Most shrinkage will take place at the very end of the drying.

After all that, the edge will be upturned but still sort of wavy. Steam that lightly, a bit at a time (maybe a quarter of the way around at most) and then promptly press it against a kitchen counter with a rounded glass, such as a stemless wine goblet, rolling rather than dragging it. Keep the rest of the hat lifted so you are keeping the upturn intact rather than undoing that. When I did that, it removed all the residual waviness but retained the cupping upward.

This has worked for me in adding snap to the rear of Akubra Feds. I hesitate to recommend it because I don't know whether there's stuff I haven't described well enough, but it worked for me!

Good felt is amazing stuff.

Now THIS is a perfect example of why I love it around here so much....;^)
I have a new Sandown Trilby and went a little over board steaming it, trying different side dents and also steamed the brim too much.....The snap was gone...opps...
So I re-steamed and got it 'up' but it was droopy in front and "wavy" all around....

I was feeling 'sick' about it, and not knowing if there was anything left to do at home, when I read this....So armed with a "Worth a Try" attitude after reading Woodfluters post I turned on the teapot again.....Well after following the first half of his directions the hat was looking great...Then the wine glass treatment on the counter top.....and a little more finger shaping and this brim looks and snaps like it did the day it arrived....The whole brim is totally "wave-less" and snaps with an audible 'pop!'.... and I did get the Dents fine-tuned to perfection....

Thanks Fedora Lounge and Woodfluter....My instincts were telling me to leave the kettle alone and just wear it as it was....waves and all...Til I could have the brim re-flanged by a hatter....but this post definitely sent me in the right direction and you are right W-f.... "Good felt is amazing stuff..." I need to get hooked up so I can post pics...I will when I get a photo-server...This Sandown now is just perfect....

 

[SRDublin]

I've got this same problem with a modern (standard) Stratoliner. When I received the hat it had too much curl and was a little snug. After trying to work with the hat form and trying to shape the brim to my liking, it lost all snap and now hangs like a wavy, wet dishrag. I thought about sending it off to have it reworked as the ribbon is not quite in the right place either. It's almost like the ribbon on the bound edge has stretched or something. So, do y'all think Woodfluters process would work on a bound edge?