New Guy....Hello and Questions

[matt]

Hey everyone! I've been lurking around for the last few weeks and finally had time to join. I do have a few questions;

1. I have read several threads about rebashing and I thought I knew what to do however, I just won a homburg that has an off center bash. I'd like to fix it but, it's not working. Are there any explicit directions?

2. There seems to be a small aversion to black hats on this forum....sorry to say all I have are black hats. That being said, I was thinking of buying a feltlite black fedora. Anyone know about this brand?

Thanks Guys!

 

[dr greg]

my method

A lot of people recommend steaming to reblock a hat, but you run the risk of wrecking the sweatband, I prefer to take it into the shower and soak it in the warm water, then remould it to your liking while wet and then hang in the bathroom until dry...DO NOT let it dry in the sun, as to black hats...I'd wear one, with a black coat naturally, but have never seen a good one that fits me, apart from a black homburg, but it made me look like Woodrow Wilson, so the missus told me it had to go.

 

[RBH]

Welcome to the Lounge Matt!
The good Dr gives great advice!
Try what he suggested it should work.
For small changes I usally just spray a little water on the area you wish to modify.
GOOD LUCK!!! And please let us know how it turns out!

 

[tandmark]

Hi,

Welcome, Matt!

Most of my hats are black or nearly so. Maybe you're not is as small a minority here as you think.

Dr greg's advice sounds good to me. The most popular alternatives are probably:
1. Try, try again on a dry crown.
2. Steam the crown in the jet from a boiling teakettle.
3. Soak the crown in water, preferably warm or hot water.
4. Spray the crown with a mist of water from a spray bottle (RBH's fave).
5. Set the hat somewhere in the bathroom while you take a hot shower and get it damp that way.
6. Wear the hat in the rain and re-shape it when you come inside.
7. Take the hat in for restoration and have them re-shape it as part of the job.
8. Give up and get another hat.

I tend to favor alternatives number 4 or 6, but dr greg's favorite (#3) is probably more efficient for re-shaping crowns. Not to mention less risky than using steam, as some hats have weird plastics and glues and such on the sweatband that can melt in really nasty ways.

Only reason I favor the teakettle method for this kind of thing is that I have a large hat size & have to use steam and a hat jack to stretch almost every single eBay win. So it's the habitual go-to method for me, even in some cases where it might not make the most sense. [huh]

Feltlite isn't ringing any memory bells with me. Sounds a little like the "lite felt" that Cabela's advertises as a feature of their hunting hats. If that's not what you mean, I'm drawin' a blank.

Who sells Feltlite hats? Do they have a Web presence, or are they sold by some well-known retail chain? Maybe by some Kentucky-based chain? The more info of that kind, the more likely that someone here will come up with something about the brand.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[matt]

Thanks Everyone!

Thanks for all the great advise. I got an interesting bash using steam before anyone posted a reply. I thought I'd post a pic and see what you guys think.

Seems like that's not as easy as I first thought. It'll be coming soon!

 

[Art Fawcett]

Welcome to the Lounge Matt

I prefer steam only, especially on black hats that many times have finishing powders in them ( leaving purple hands). If you choose steam as in tandmark's suggestion, steam only the outside of the crown. Don't worry, hats can come back almost without fail, so practice away.

 

[matt]

Final Bash?

Ok This is the bash I got using steam. What do you think?

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee15/matt1779/IMG_2704.jpg

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee15/matt1779/IMG_2703.jpg

 

[fatwoul]

Hey matt, welcome.

The real question that you should ask yourself - and others here will ask you - is what do you think? Newbie or not, you are the one who will spend time underneath that hat, so if you like the bash you have given it, that is, without question, all that matters.

So, what do you think? How do you feel it looks when you wear it? As DOUGLAS famously reminds people, wearing any hat with confidence is the key, and if you feel you can do that with this or any other hat, then what we think really doesn't matter.

Having said all that, I think the bash looks fine anyway. Perhaps a little sharper than I have seen on homburgs around the Lounge, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Enjoy your new hat.

 

[tandmark]

Howdy,

I'm liking what I can see of your handiwork. Very smooth.

Can't see down the crease in these snaps, but if you've done the whole job as smoothly as what's showing so far, you're better at this than I am.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[woodsie]

Well done indeed.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Matt, I notice your Homburg is a Tonak. I only know of one source for these, in the US. That would be Burlington Coat Factory. We have had a long thread (with considerable following), about BCF hats, especially Tonak. That said, I suspect your question about "Feltlite" is really about "Lite Felt" hats sold at Burlington Coat Factory. I have one. They are 100% wool (not fur), but are well made and look good on the head. A great starter hat! The black does act like a lint magnet, so you will want to brush it often. You should be able to get the hat at BCF, for less than $20.

 

[matt]

J.T you were absolutely right the "lite felt" is from a small men's store here in Richmond. The Tonak was an ebay win. I was looking for a different look and the price was right. I have heard of the BCF hats, but there isn't a BCF in my area. Next time I'm in Chicago I'll stop at the one by my parents home and maybe Optimo also.

I do have the say I like the bash on the Homburg and I'm very thankful for all your comments and ideas. I'm already on the lookout for the next project.

Matt

 

[KObalto]

From one new guy to another, I think you did a great job. I don't know if I would of had the guts to try.

 

[ScottF]

Another new guy steaming his first hats

Okay, still managing to avoid starting a new thread

I did a lot of forum-searching and studying before attempting my first steam-bashing, and I cannot for the life of me dig up the old thread where someone recommended putting foil over the top of a pot of water, then poking a pencil through it to aim the steam....but that's what I did, and it worked well enough.

My first honest re-bashing attempt was the result of wearing a 2-week old new Stetson in the rain - I didn't realize it would lose most of its form, as none of my old hats resulted in that. In any case, it gave me the opportunity to re-bash it the way I really liked it.

But here are the two vintage hats that I steam-bashed - a '40s Portis O.R. clone and a Dobbs of unknown vintage. The Dobbs had stiffer felt and took some work (never quite got the back smooth). The Portis had very pronounced and dirty creases, so I first soaked it in water to re-block, then steamed it. I'm pleased, but I look like hell wearing it. Sadly, my head is not open-road material.

 

[Goose.]

Too cool for school!!! Wow, great!

I did post about the foil and hole gig, I learned that from a buddy before I found this watering hole...however, I am certain others have posted as well.

Don't matter, we are all here to share. As you have done with the results of your bash work. Top shelf ScottF :eusa_clap

 

[Lefty]

Nice. What you'll discover is that you're either a guy who strives for the perfect crease or a guy who likes a bit more personality (read: messiness) to his crease. Either is good.

 

[Goose.]

... a guy who likes a bit more personality (read: messiness) to his crease. Either is good.

Hey Lefty...I'm sitting right here. Quit talking about me. lol lol

.

 

[Mr. Paladin]

I think Selentino hats are made using Tonak bodies as well. Here is a website for a US company that carries them. I purchased a homburg from them last year and it is quite a nice hat. I believe they list a lite felt model here, in case it helps.

http://www.themenshats.com/classicandlight.aspx

 

[Daoud]

2. There seems to be a small aversion to black hats on this forum....sorry to say all I have are black hats. That being said, I was thinking of buying a feltlite black fedora. Anyone know about this brand?

Thanks Guys!

I wouldn't say I have an aversion to black hats at all, I just don't find myself wearing any of the three that I own very often. I guess I find that the various brown and tan hats I usually wear harmonise better with my wardrobe in general. I like grey very much since it goes well with most things, but at the moment I don't have a grey hat.....but I've always felt that it's good to own at least one hat in dark brown, medium grey and black. Some like green and blue hats as well, but they aren't my kind of thing really.

 

[Lefty]

Hey Lefty...I'm sitting right here. Quit talking about me. lol lol

I'm in the "personality club" and your creases are looking pretty even to me.

This is the kind of thing I'm beginning to appreciate.