Reshaping a wool Fedora

Mendy · Sep 4, 2017

Hi,
I have a wool fedora with a 2" brim, the brim got damaged in shipping and is bent weirdly and also wont really snap down, what can do to fix it? Is there a block I can get or something and what would be the proper method? Kinda desperate any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

TheTallWhiteGuy · Sep 4, 2017

Mendy said:
Hi,
I have a wool fedora with a 2" brim, the brim got damaged in shipping and is bent weirdly and also wont really snap down, what can do to fix it? Is there a block I can get or something and what would be the proper method? Kinda desperate any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

In my experience wool is very difficult to shape, I like it because it's much cheaper than fur so it doesn't matter as much if it gets ruined, I have a tendency to put my hats through the wringer.

Anyways, here's what I did to shape a flatbrim I was having trouble with.
I found another hat I owned with the proper brim shape that I was looking for and turned it upside-down, on it's crown. This way, the underside of the brim forms a sort of mold that I can use to shape other hats. I then took the hat I was trying to shape and pushed it down into my makeshift mold and held it with clothespins. I recommend putting a piece of cardboard under each of the clothespins so as to not leave unsightly indentations in the hat. With the hat in place, I steamed it and let it dry a number of times, more than seven if I remember correctly. When I was finished, I separated the two hats, and the hat I was trying to shape had taken the shape of the other hat.

I did this a number of months ago, it has still retained its shape, although I must recommend against wearing it in humid areas.

Lean'n'mean · Sep 5, 2017

Mendy said:
Hi,
I have a wool fedora with a 2" brim, the brim got damaged in shipping and is bent weirdly and also wont really snap down, what can do to fix it? Is there a block I can get or something and what would be the proper method? Kinda desperate any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Just hit the area you want reshaped with steam & hold it in place until it cools down. May have to give it a few tries & if you want it flat then simply press it down on a hard surface until cool. If a brim won't 'snap' then it may because it hasn't been flanged, hard to tell from your photo but the brim does look flat rather than flanged.

RJR · Sep 5, 2017

Lean'n'mean said:
Just hit the area you want reshaped with steam & hold it in place until it cools down. May have to give it a few tries & if you want it flat then simply press it down on a hard surface until cool. If a brim won't 'snap' then it may because it hasn't been flanged, hard to tell from your photo but the brim does look flat rather than flanged.

I agree re the flanging.

Mendy · Sep 5, 2017

Lean'n'mean said:
Just hit the area you want reshaped with steam & hold it in place until it cools down. May have to give it a few tries & if you want it flat then simply press it down on a hard surface until cool. If a brim won't 'snap' then it may because it hasn't been flanged, hard to tell from your photo but the brim does look flat rather than flanged.

How does one flange it? Is that when you steam it while kinda bending it back up ?

DOGMAN · Sep 5, 2017

Mendy said:
How does one flange it? Is that when you steam it while kinda bending it back up ?

Block on the right flange on the left

T Jones · Sep 11, 2017

Here's a fur/wool blend Anthony gave
me that I'm tinkering with. This one I reblocked and put a cattleman crease into it. I did wet it down with hot water before I put it on a block. It took the block shape nice enough. Then I used water from a spray bottle to get it wet for shaping. It took a little work to get it there being mostly wool but it came out pretty good though. Honestly, I'm not sure how much more effort I want to put into it. Fur is so much better. Wool just doesn't have that kind of quality.

Mendy · Sep 11, 2017

Yea I hear ya....on another note, what do you think of this fedora travel case:

Milpro · Nov 4, 2017

My only "new" fedora is a Scala classico New Yorker I purchased online. The way they shape the crown is so crisp and perfect it looks unnatural to me. I haven't had it long but that "stamped out of plastic" look of it kept me from wearing it.

So, today I steamed it out and worked it into a shape I feel suits me better. I don't know if the crown shape I went with has a name. There are so many it's hard to keep track.

I also cut about 1/4" off the brim so it would better suit my face and shape. This removed the binding on the edge. I prefer the raw edge look, frankly. This is the first time I took a blade to a hat and it isn't perfect. I sanded the edge with an emery board to straighten out as best I could. Overall, I'm much happier with this Scala now. I'll wear it Monday.

I'm always open to advice. I'm new to this whole thing, after all.

Milpro · Nov 4, 2017

The Scala is the one on top. Sorry, should have mentioned that.

Milpro · Nov 5, 2017

I did put a shallow pinch in the front this morning as well.

Davidannon · Jun 2, 2018

Hello all,
This morning I found that after some wear (3 months) that the crown of my woolfelt hat had lost shape a bit.
Is there any way I can reshape the crown back into its original position or a completely new position so that it doesn’t look uneven anymore?
I appreciate any recommendations on solving this “issue”

deadlyhandsome · Jun 2, 2018

Davidannon said:
Hello all,
This morning I found that after some wear (3 months) that the crown of my woolfelt hat had lost shape a bit.
Is there any way I can reshape the crown back into its original position or a completely new position so that it doesn’t look uneven anymore?
I appreciate any recommendations on solving this “issue”

It would help to see some photos.

Wool felt certainly has its place, but if you have a soft fedora you will need to accept that the nature of modern wool is not conducive to maintaining a shape unless it has a LOT of stiffeners in it. With most hats you can steam the felt and use your fingers to push the crown out to an open or dome shape. It’s easy to them put in a new crease of your liking. There are several good videos on YouTube that can give you some direction. You might also need to add some stiffener to the hat to get it to hold its shape. Scout and Bickmore both make popular hat stiffening products and there are others if you look around.

Now I’m not a wool hater and some months back I started a thread dedicated to wool fedoras. They have a place. Still, if you’re wearing your hat a lot I’d say you should look at fur felt. There are bargains to be had and I’d bet that you’d be happier with fur felt. Good luck.

Davidannon · Jun 2, 2018

deadlyhandsome said:
It would help to see some photos.

Wool felt certainly has its place, but if you have a soft fedora you will need to accept that the nature of modern wool is not conducive to maintaining a shape unless it has a LOT of stiffeners in it. With most hats you can steam the felt and use your fingers to push the crown out to an open or dome shape. It’s easy to them put in a new crease of your liking. There are several good videos on YouTube that can give you some direction. You might also need to add some stiffener to the hat to get it to hold its shape. Scout and Bickmore both make popular hat stiffening products and there are others if you look around.

Now I’m not a wool hater and some months back I started a thread dedicated to wool fedoras. They have a place. Still, if you’re wearing your hat a lot I’d say you should look at fur felt. There are bargains to be had and I’d bet that you’d be happier with fur felt. Good luck.

Thank you for your reply,
It is a new hat and it is soft crushable so that might indeed be the reason to losing its’ shape.
I will try it with steam and stiffener first and see how that turns out and maybe I will need to look into a furfelt hat yes,
Thanks again for the fast reply!

deadlyhandsome · Jun 2, 2018

Davidannon said:
Thank you for your reply,
It is a new hat and it is soft crushable so that might indeed be the reason to losing its’ shape.
I will try it with steam and stiffener first and see how that turns out and maybe I will need to look into a furfelt hat yes,
Thanks again for the fast reply!

Good luck. Just remember that wool has its unique properties and embrace them. A soft hat without lots of definition or shape has a charm all it’s own in the right circumstances.

Hope to see you around nd the Lounge.

Mustang Mike's Hats · Jun 4, 2018

Just caught up to this thread. I agree, wool can be a real bugger. I spent too many hours fussing with my daughter's older (about 15 year old) wool Western hat. I'd bet I put close to a 1/2 cup of stiffener, for all the spraying and brush coating, and it was still difficult to get that darn thing to hold a shape. I finally ended up giving it to a friend's young daughter who was attending a Cowboy shooting event I was vending at. fur felt is just plain easier to work with and it holds a shape so much better. I sincerely wish you better success then I've had.

scottyrocks · Jun 4, 2018

I had a few wool fedoras many years ago. After a relatively short time (and shorter if moisture is involved), they would lose their crispness, and there was nothing I tried that would restore it.

My first fur felt hat was a machine creased hat, and although it was tough to reshape the crown, I could always bring it back to its original shape with either water from a spray bottle or steam, which only made my wool felt hats worse.

A block can also be a big help.

Not for nothing, but go for a fur. If all you've worn are woolies, your first fur will be an epiphany.

Davidannon · Jun 13, 2018

Used steam to try and reshape it a bit back into its’ original shape and am pretty happy about the result, I did however follow deadlyhandsome’s advise and bought a fur felt hat.
I have to say, it does feel and look a lot better than the wool hat.
Thanks again!

BPope · Nov 1, 2018

Hello - forgive me if this has been posed before, I didnt see much along the lines in my search.

I love this lid, but shes just a bit too tall, is it possible to shrink only the crown down? Not even a lot, just a hair. Ive seen suggestions like wear it in the shower (for the steam?) or dunking it in water and blowdrying. Has anyone had any success? Thank

hatsRme · Nov 1, 2018

BPope said:
Hello - forgive me if this has been posed before, I didnt see much along the lines in my search.

I love this lid, but shes just a bit too tall, is it possible to shrink only the crown down? Not even a lot, just a hair. Ive seen suggestions like wear it in the shower (for the steam?) or dunking it in water and blowdrying. Has anyone had any success? Thank

What crown bashes have you tried? Before attempting any physical alterations, I would experiment with that approach, which is easier and allows for further adjustments. Go slowly...

Reshaping a wool Fedora

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