reblocking questions

[RobFedoraField]

I'm sure someone has posted this information before, but I couldn't find it.

now that I have my two Akubras to start wearing, I can start fixing up / refreshing my old fedora.

it's a wool / beaver blend (probably more wool) and the sides are drooping (pictures to come)

I like a snap down in the back and the front, but I want the sides to be horizontal. very much like Indy in ROTLA

I'm assuming that there will be water / stiffener involved. do you just spray on the stiffener, or do you have to work it in somehow? any ideas on what I can sit it on to get that shape?

I was thinking about putting the stiffener on it and snapping up the brim all the way around, then when it dries, working the front and back down again, but I don't know what would stop the side from falling again.

Thanks,

Rob

btw, any Rochesterians around here?

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Wool/Beaver mix? That's a new combo on me.

Perhaps the pix would help for us to give advice.

Brim droop around the sides can be an issue of flanging (where the brim breaks its direction perpendicular to the crown) and may be difficult to overcome on your own.

[huh]

 

[RobFedoraField]

hat material

I'm pretty sure it's wool / beaver, but I guess I can't guarantee, it was $150 12 years ago when I bought it, I didn't think it was 100% fur, but it could be, it's really thick felt (twice as thick as my campdraft) but it feels soft, not like my wool hats.

 

[warbird]

You cannot always tell by feel. I have felt all fur felt hats that are quite rough, simply because they were not pounced and finished out like they should have been. I do not know of this combination, though it could have been done it wouldn't make much sense. I am not aware of any wool and fur blends since way way back and if wool is mixed with anything fur it would likely be rabbit.

You also cannot always go by thickness. It could be considered a western weight hat and that would make it much heavier and thicker than a dress weight, like the campdraft.

If it is all fur then steaming it will likely bring back much of the stiffness again. If it is wool I sure wouldn't put much steam to it. You can tell if a hat has wool when steam is put to it just by the smell. Wool hats put off a strong pungent odor when wet, especially steam.

Now that I think on it some, I do recall a company at some point making a hat from what they call beaver wool. It was supposedly the softest best wool you could find for a hat. It was a marketing gimmick. However, I don't recall that hat being very expensive, certainly not over $100.

 

[RobFedoraField]

pics

here's the "droopy" hat I tried wet shaping it, and it help some, but it seems that the body is just gone from the brim.

would you guys think some stifener would do the trick, or do I need to take it to a hat shop.

Is there any better ways of finding out what it's made of?