Softening a hard hat

[Ande1964]

Just got my special-ordered Akubra Campdraft. It is a lovely hat, and the Silverbelly color was worth the three month wait.

But, I'm having a few issues. It's not quite as large as I'd hoped (we all know they run big), so I'm fighting getting it to fit my long oval well.

The big (and related) issue, though, is the stiffness. This damn felt is thick, and very stiff. Thus, while I have a bash I like in the once-open crown, it's hard to tweak. And, the hat is quite slow to conform to my long noggin.

Is there a solution to a too-stiff hat? I steamed this a bit to bash it, and it actually seemed a little more stiff after it dried out. Can I dunk it to remove some of the stiffener? If so, do I need to remove the liner?

Or, do I just need to wear the sitffness out of this thing?

I'll come back with photos soon.

Thanks,
Anj

 

[Edward]

My Fed Deluxe is on the stiff side too; I'd figured it would soften up over time with wear....?

Silverbelly..... is that the really light grey colour? I have my Fed deluxe in brown, and a Regular Fed on the way in the Carbon Grey colour. I'd adore to have one in a light grey, though. What did special ordring it involve? Did you order through Hats Direct?

One of my fantasy hats is a Fed in Midnight blue.....

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I had the same problem with my Fedreation Deluxe. It pressed hard on my forehead (I'm a long oval.). I removed the liner, dunked it in cold water, tweaked the shape, and let it dry. I also tried it on several times during the three days it took to completely dry. Much better now!

 

[ideaguy]

Not a Fed., but some Western hats- how do you soften them up so that
when you try to convert them into fedoras, they'll have some of the pliability that on would expect? any hatters out there willing to divulge the secret?

 

[Uncle Vern]

One of the most direct ways to soften a hat is to simply grap it and maipulate it a lot, roll the brim under or over and out, and work the crown frequently. I've softened some very stiff hats that way.

 

[Ande1964]

Thanks for the tips, J.T.. I may screw up my courage and give the dunk a shot. Do I need to be careful about the band shrinking up after the dunk? Should I think about drying it on a stretcher? I know not to over-stretch a wet band.

I bought the hat from Everything Australian. The silverbelly is that biege color you always see in the Open Roads. Again, I'll get back with some pictures soon.

Best,
Anj

 

[rcinlv]

Steve Delk talked over on COW about how with all of his new hats, he takes the back of a hat brush and "beats the hat into submission" to soften up the felt... I'll see if I can find the link.

Cheers,

RC

 

[rcinlv]

Found it

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=12649&start=950

Cheers,

RC

 

[Ande1964]

Cool... thanks for the link. I'm not sure Akubra Kangaroo is as resiliant as AB's pure beaver, but I may try some massage technique before the bath.

Anj

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I may screw up my courage and give the dunk a shot. Do I need to be careful about the band shrinking up after the dunk? Should I think about drying it on a stretcher? I know not to over-stretch a wet band.

If you use cold water and put it on your head several times, while it is drying, you should not have any significant shrinking. If you feel that it has shrunk, dunk it again, and this time let it dry on the stretcher.

 

[ideaguy]

Why not two for the price of one? Take a shower with my hat on, of course:eusa_doh: :eusa_doh: :eusa_doh:

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Why not two for the price of one? Take a shower with my hat on, of course:eusa_doh: :eusa_doh: :eusa_doh:

It was recently reported that Roy Rogers did that.

 

[Ande1964]

Now with photos!

I ended up massaging the hat a bit, then dunking it, then trying it on some, and then leaving it on the stretcher over night. I know... overkill, perhaps.

Anyway, I'm pleased so far. It fits my long oval head better, and it's a little bigger overall. Thanks again, J.T.!

Best,
Anj

 

[Tango Yankee]

I've got an OR that was apparently refurbished by a western hat shop. It's incredibly stiff, like it was soaked in stiffener for a week! Whenever I get around to working on it I'm going to try the denatured alcohol route.

Regards,
Tom

 

[Benzadmiral]

I've just booked passage aboard the same boat. Not with a Fed, but with a vintage Champ Open Road clone with -- get this -- a 2" brim. Though it's a 7, it fits me kind of snugly -- I suspect I'll need to water it down and stretch it a little. But the brim, which I'd like to snap down in front, is pretty darn stiff. Some distilled water spray and some working of the felt should loosen it up, right?

(I suspect some of the stiffener has already come off of it. At the bottom of the original box, under the hat's crown, there are crackled bits of some translucent yellow material.)

 

[John in Covina]

The usual hat stiffner is a form of shellac and they are disolved by alcohol. So it may be possible to soak or rinse the hat with some denatured alcohol o move some of the stiffner. The other side is over time the stiffner shatters and the hat gets soft, manipulation thru use will soften the hat i just takes time..

 

[Benzadmiral]

Yes, that's just what it looks like -- the stiffener has shattered. The eBay seller said the hat was purchased new in the '50s and was worn once, and the hat and the box look very good. I'll brush, steam, and stretch it a bit, and work it some as well. It may even be possible to turn this in to a stingy-brimmed silverbelly fedora, if the cattleman crease can be worked out. . . .

 

[J.B.]

(...At the bottom of the original box, under the hat's crown, there are crackled bits of some translucent yellow material.)

Sometimes too, the cellophane lining protector at the inside crown-top of some vintage hats dries out, turns yellow, crackles and falls out to the bottom of the hatbox over time.

 

[danofarlington]

It was recently reported that Roy Rogers did that.

That must've sobered him up in a hurry.