Shrinking nutria quality felt

[Fedora]

I gotta tell you, sizing down the Stetson Nutria Quality felt is a job indeed. The stuff just does not want to shrink!!!!! I just tore the hat apart again, and back on the block she sits. I normally use cold water and woolite to reblock hats, and real hot water and woolite to shrink, or stretch hats, but even the hot water will not shrink the felt up by 1 hat size. Well, not yet at any rate. I guess I will know tomorrow after the hat dries on the block. It seems there may be a limit as to how small some felt will shrink. On using the woolite mixture, I got this from an old hatter who said it was excellent for cleaning dirty felt. It was made to use on another animal fiber, wool. It also adds some lubrication when you are stretching a hat over a block by hand in addition to cleaning it when you soak it. Of course, we are just talking about cleaning out dust here. I have discovered that the nutria and beaver hats are more shrink resistant than the rabbit. Rabbit it seems shrinks rather easily, and this makes it a whole lot easier to size down than the others. My experience to date, but this may change as I work with other blends of felt. BTW, the 3x vintage Stetson that I bought recently is some of the finest felt that I have seen. The modern 5x felt looks more like wool when set beside this vintage 3x. Different animals completely. And what a shame. Why can't anyone make a 3x felt like this anymore? I do not understand. Fedora

 

[Art Fawcett]

Fedora, I agree that this felt is tougher to shrink, but try steam. Put it over your teapot if you don't have a steamer until you can hardly pick it up ( I use a glove) then put it on your block. Trust me, if it's hot enough it'll shrink.

 

[Fedora]

I will try that Art, but normally I use a steam iron to downsize a hat while it is still on the block. It helped, but not enough. I will pull out the tea pot and give it a go if the hat does not shrink some more as it dries. Thanks, Fedora

 

[rayk]

My Akubra Fed D should arrive within a few days, and I've been referred by forum members to sites that provide instructions for how to shape this hat by use of steam. Someone informed me that this particular hat was made of rabbit, which I guess shrinks quite readily (?). Should I be concerned that the shaping process will shrink the hat in undesired ways, or should careful application of steam to the brim during shaping obviate my concern? Needless destruction of a fine hat is inexcusable.

 

[Fedora]

Use the steam carefully when you style the hat. We have heard quite a few horror stories, not with just the Akubras, but even the Optimos as well. I seldom use steam. Just cold water. Fedora

 

[fedoralover]

On the shrinking of quality felt, I had a 10X cowboy hat with a too high of crown that I wanted to shrink down. I actually boiled water and poured it over the crown to try and get it to shrink, it didn't shrink. So I sold it to a cowboy.

On the Akubra, I've had mine shrink from steaming, if I were you I'd shape it the way I want it and then mist it with water and then let it dry naturally.

fedoralover

 

[GCR]

Originally posted by rayk
My Akubra Fed D should arrive within a few days, and I've been referred by forum members to sites that provide instructions for how to shape this hat by use of steam. Someone informed me that this particular hat was made of rabbit, which I guess shrinks quite readily (?). Should I be concerned that the shaping process will shrink the hat in undesired ways, or should careful application of steam to the brim during shaping obviate my concern? Needless destruction of a fine hat is inexcusable.

I had heard way too many horror stories about steam ruining (shrinking and/or tapering) so many different types of hats, plus I had my own bad experience with a bit too much steam and a modern Biltmore, that I totally avoided steam when I shaped my Federation Deluxe. Luckily, it had very little stiffener in it, so it was soft and flexible right out of the box. I shaped it dry, no steam, no water. I only used the moisture from my breath to loosen the felt up a bit here and there. It has held it's shape very well, with no stiffener, water or steam after the fact. Keep in mind that not everyone has had success, as it seems the amount of stiffener provided in the Fed. Deluxes can sometimes vary. Good luck!

BTW...Don't get the wrong impression about the Akubra Fed. Deluxe, while all hats can eventually taper, the Fed. D is in no way prone to shrinking and tapering because of it's rabbit fur construction. From what I understand, the Fed. Deluxes go through an extra process that helps prevent shrinkage. I have worn mine in the rain several times with no visible taper or shrinking. Hope this helps.

-GCR

 

[Art Fawcett]

Gentlmen, please use caution when using steam, period. When I talk about it please remember that I have been doing it a while and have "ruined" an uncountable amount of hats in the self teaching process. Also please remember that I have a pretty complete hat working shop so I can rebuild & reblock whatever I mess up. When hand shaping I just pass the hat over the steam a little at a time. I do not soak the hat with steam. The thread started with Fedora trying to shrink the body down OVER a block and that is the only time I would reccomend what I did. Every hatter I know uses steam to shape but the key is sparingly.

Cheers

 

[Sergei]

....
BTW...Don't the wrong impression about the Akubra Fed. Deluxe, while all hats can eventually taper, the Fed. D is in no way prone to shrinking and tapering because of it's rabbit fur construction. From what I understand, the Fed. Deluxes go through an extra process that helps prevent shrinkage. I have worn mine in the rain several times with no visible taper or shrinking. Hope this helps.

-GCR [/B]

Whao. Please read this thread at IG:
http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6193&highlight=federation+taper+shrink

You will see at least 3 people on that thread - with pictures, that have had shrinkage and taper issues with Federations. The one in that thread stated only after one rainstorm, the other I believe said two. BTW two very noted people had this experience: Band Director Jones and Pyro. There are more threads GCR. It happens to all hats, eventually.

Just trying to help.
-Sergei

 

[fedoralover]

One of my federations shrunk so bad I sent it to fedora for a reblock. I have learned to have a hat for every occasion. The hats I really like in shape and style I do not wear in the rain. Other hats I could care less about I wear in whatever the weather happens to be. Thats why I have 24 fedora's. About 4 of them are work hats that I got off of ebay at a good price.

fedoralover

 

[GCR]

Originally posted by Sergei
Whao. Please read this thread at IG:
http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6193&highlight=federation+taper+shrink

You will see at least 3 people on that thread - with pictures, that have had shrinkage and taper issues with Federations. The one in that thread stated only after one rainstorm, the other I believe said two. BTW two very noted people had this experience: Band Director Jones and Pyro. There are more threads GCR. It happens to all hats, eventually.

Just trying to help.
-Sergei

I in no way wanted to give off the impression that the Federation Deluxe was "invincible" or "taper-proof". But perhaps it is the very process I mentioned in my post above that helps the Federation DELUXE maintain a more consistent shape after exposure to the elements. The thread you cited seems to only mention problems with the regular Federation. This is not to say that other folks have not had taper issues with the Fed. Deluxe. I'm merely saying that I haven't, and I have worn my Fed. Deluxe in the rain several times now. I took all the necessary precautions when drying the hat, and it has not tapered at all. Does that mean it never will? No, I am well aware that all hats will eventually taper depending on the conditions they are subjected to. I just didn't want Rayk to get the idea that his Fed. Deluxe would taper or shrink horribly at the first sign of moisture. It seems that rabbit/hare fur and the hats made from it can occasionally get a bad rap. I merely wanted to offer my good experiences.
If I was wrong to do this, then I apologize.

-GCR

 

[rayk]

Gentlemen, thank you all. Your replys have without doubt saved me from the frustration of ruining a nice hat, as I would have steamed the hell out of it in an attempt to get the shape desired. I'll now proceed with caution and a gentle hand.