Bashing a Wool Dobbs?

[quickerNu]

Won this Dobbs on ebay a while back. Love the looks, but when it came in I found out it was pure wool. I really don't have any experience with wool hats. It looks pretty good like this (how it came):

But I think it would look more "my style" like this:

How do I safely change up a wool hat? Am I stuck how it was manufactured?

 

[AlterEgo]

Wool felt is, and comes from, a totally different animal than fur felt, so it behaves completely differently. When it comes to hats, sheep just don't have the hop of rabbit.

You can probably marginally change the as-is bash, as it appears you've done in the second photo. Just don't expect it to stay; you'll pretty much have to re-do it every time you put the hat on. And forget about putting a teardrop or diamond bash in it--ain't gonna happen.

Wetting wool felt, shaping, and then letting it dry to hold the bash does not have anything like the same effect as the same procedure on fur felt. In fact, wool felt hats will often shrink dramatically, and not in any kind of predictable way. The sweatbands are generally inferior, as well, far less tolerant of moisture--both water and perspiration.

I pray you didn't shell out over ten bucks for this hat.

 

[quickerNu]

Actually, I bought it for the Borsalino box it came in ! Thanks, though!