stiffening issues(not medical!)

[egan]

hi
I've got a champ fur felt pork pie,probably early 60s supplied by Edison hats of New York.lovely condition,has an extra wide ribbon with back bow,and it fits(first hat I've owned that does!)the only problem is the brim has dropped a bit at the points where you would normally snap it down.I want to steam it,but I'm assuming with its age there may not be much stiffener left(hence the dropping).I live in the UK where buying hat stiffener is near to impossible.can anyone advise if there's anything else I can use.I know shellac is used for hats but the only spray shellac I can find is for furniture.any suggestions greatly appreciated

 

[tonyb]

The heat from steam may reactivate the stiffener. It's certainly worth a try. Just be careful! Don't cook the sweatband!

 

[tonyb]

And another thing that might be worth trying is to spray the brim with denatured alcohol. Turn the hat upside down, fill the crown with rags or whatever (so you don't get the alcohol on the liner and the sweatband, as it might do undesirable things to both) and hit the underside of the brim kinda liberally. Don't soak it, but put enough on there so that it's at least damp. That may get those micro-bits of broken-down stiffener to flow and reunite.

 

[pbekkerh]

Can you really apply shellac to a hat yourself without ruining the hat!!?

 

[Rogera]

The heat from steam may reactivate the stiffener. It's certainly worth a try. Just be careful! Don't cook the sweatband!

This was my first thought. I've had stiffener react nicely in several hats just hitting them with some stream.

 

[egan]

thanks for the suggestions.I'll try steaming it and see if that does the trick.should I steam the bottom of the brim,or the top or both?

 

[Rogera]

Personally I would hit the to first and see how that does to help avoid hitting the sweatband with too much direct steam. The stream well penetrate the felt.

 

[Bad Co]

Spray starch and steam works every time for me
I wouldn't do the shellac I read that on a post here a few years back and ruined a hat

 

[suitedcboy]

I recently used shellac/denatured alcohol mix and spritzed it on a limp hat I have. I am extremely pleased with result. I sprayed it heavy until the felt soaked. I got a helmet hard hat that I wanted. It is a 100% beaver western. I did have to use a cloth soaked with denatured alcohol to get residue off. Likely due to the heavy application.
I have worn the hat in the rain and worn it a lot since I stiffened it and it has stayed stiff.
The approach you use will vary with what result you want.