A question on steaming

[The Lark]

Hullo!

I joined this site after getting my first proper hat a couple of days back (a carbon grey Akubra "Bogart"), yay!

After I took it home I realized that the brim wasn't quite as symmetrical as I would have preferred and the front might have look nicer at a lower angle, so I took it over to the kettle for some steam

The only problem is the curve of my hat has lost that nice regularity at the front. The edge looks ever so slightly wonky from the efforts of my thumb and forefinger. The difference is probably only noticeable at close inspection but I feel that something is lost.

How do you guys get around that issue when tweaking the brim? Or do you just relax and accept that the curve will never be quite so regular?

 

[Goose.]

Hi The Lark...

Recently, I have aquired two Bogarts. Agree with you, the brim is too "flat" for me. The carbon I have had for a few weeks and was able to work the fron of the brim w/o steam or spraying with water.

Do you have pic of your "wonky" lid that you can post?

And, welcome....

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

Hi Lark,

Is that the Bogart in your avatar? That's a great looking hat. Great shape and nice brim width. Have you tried spraying a little water on the brim? Shape to desire and allow to dry naturally.

 

[The Lark]

Maybe I'm just being pedantic since its my first expensive hat.



Its really just a series of small irregularities in the brim as I was trying to tilt it. You can't really see them in a single photo, you'd need to twist the hat around in your hands. I was also hesitant about working the brim too much in case I over-softened the felt.

Maybe spraying water instead of steaming is the way to go if I want to tilt the brim some more and get those little kinks out of it.

Also, I've been reading that people beat the crown of their hats into new shapes if they want to, but the salesperson at the hattery said I shouldn't ever touch the crown because it has been machine pressed.

 

[kaosharper1]

I wouldn't worry about it. It works out over time. The hat should not be too symmetric. It won't have any personality!

 

[Dewhurst]

Also, I've been reading that people beat the crown of their hats into new shapes if they want to, but the salesperson at the hattery said I shouldn't ever touch the crown because it has been machine pressed.

Aggressively working a pre-bashed/creased crown can be more hassle than it is worth. Rule of thumb: if you want to experiment with different crown shapes, just get an open crown hat. Many people claim to get good results by steaming out the crown on many pre-creased hats, but I have simply never had their great fortune with the pre-creased variety. I just make sure to purchase one that has a pleasing crown shape in it (or just get an open crown).

 

[Corky]

One suggestion: Get a big towel...

One suggestion: Get a big towel or two and put them on a table. Then arrange, roll, or fold the towels so that the leading edge of the towel approximates a negative of the curve you want to see in your hat brim. Put your hat on the towel with the brim overhanging your selected curve. Apply steam or a light spray of water. Lightly press the brim down on the curve as desired. Let it dry.

Also it looks like you may have created the irregularity in your photo by using one hand to tug the center of the brim down on one point in the middle of the front, I suggest gently rolling the brim down on both sides of the brim with both hands at points just outside the orbits of your eyes.

Experimenting on an expensive new hat too quickly is an understandable rookie error. Get a decent felt project hat and see how the felt reacts when you work it a.) Dry or b.) with Steam or c.) with Water. It is possible to work the felt of a hat too much; but if you think you have screwed it up, you can always find some felt stiffener on the internet or try to flatten the brim again with a steam iron.

Similar to working with leather or some metals, to get a desired curve on a hat brim, sometimes you have to press down some place to get it to come up or go down somewhere else.

Also, you might want to read up on a technique discussed elsewhere on these posts about how to use a wineglass to put a curve in a hat brim.

Your hat sales person may be uninformed or just reluctant to give you advice which might result in your ruining the hat and getting him fired.

An off-the-shelf hat is only a starting point for your experiments.

Best of luck

 

[Goose.]

Hey The Lark...

Thanks for the pic. I see what you are referencing. Doesn't look as bad, if bad at all, as I thought it would based on your OP.

Have never steamed or sprayed a bound hat. That due, not just to my concern of, to use your word, "wonking" it, but because I have not found that I have had too.

Here is my Bogart carbon. Using just my mitts, I dry curled, front and rear, in less than a half hour...

Also, a link to the Bogart black I received two days ago. Just curled it. http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=778878&postcount=215

As others have stated, my opinion is not to mess with the bash. Get an open crown to do that with.

 

[The Lark]

Hey, I fixed it by taking Corky's advice of rolling the brim with my two hands on either side of where my eyes would be instead of tugging straight down the middle. Now the curve is much nicer. Still, I really was being pedantic in the first post. It doesn't need to be perfect

I'm tempted to see what else I can do with the brim, but using a less expensive hat for trials might be the way to go.

Do you always find the front of the brim to be softer than the back? Or is that just the result of rolling and steaming into different curves?

 

[Goose.]

Good for you The Lark :eusa_clap
Yeah, when I think about it, what I do, like this AM with the black Bogart, is what Corky stated. I work the sides near the peepers and not focus on the center point of the front. Start at about 10 o'clock and push down to about 2 o'clock (Pacific Standard Time...HA HA HA...crack myself up).

Plus, I don't "bend" it or really roll it, I actually gently pet the top of the brim downwards repeatedly. Helps it take a more natural curl rather than forcing it...if that makes sense.

As for the stiffness front or rear, sure, there will be a difference from where you worked it and where you didn't. When you curl, you are wonking up the stiffner. But my hats are failry the same all around as I curl the rear as well.

Glad you are feeling sporty about your Bogart. Please post pics of the curl work

 

[ScottF]

Aggressively working a pre-bashed/creased crown can be more hassle than it is worth. Rule of thumb: if you want to experiment with different crown shapes, just get an open crown hat. Many people claim to get good results by steaming out the crown on many pre-creased hats, but I have simply never had their great fortune with the pre-creased variety. I just make sure to purchase one that has a pleasing crown shape in it (or just get an open crown).

I've had great luck with old hats from ebay, that never had a factory crease. Re-bashing hasn't been an issue except in one case - it had an ancient, very tight crease, with wear and dirt along the crease. I re-blocked by filling with water, then air-drying - it re-bashed fine. Recently I tried re-blocking with steam, but that seems to get easier after you've learned to crease with steam, but it works. Factory creases are tough, but I did re-block one using the 'fill with water' method, and it worked well - only faint signs of the original crease. I've really had a lot of fun refurbishing old hats, all ideas courtesy of the people contributing to this forum - thanks!

 

[The Lark]

I haven't done much more with this hat apart from bring the front down widely. I had a go making a sort of side tilt but that really didn't work so I quickly fixed it. There's so many things I want to try and I've only had the hat for two days. I better not get over eager.

 

[Goose.]

Looking good. Interesting how people with the same hats do things. For example, I rear curl my Akubra lids. Well, I can't on the C.E.O, but I would. Like how your's look...may give that a shot.
Are you going to leave that crease in the ribbon?

Anyway, thanks for the pic

 

[Dewhurst]

Are you going to leave that crease in the ribbon?

Mmm, I like the crease, personally. Only wobbliness really looks bad, in a ribbon. Creases always look fine to me. Go figure.