Fedora with a couple of problems - Advice needed

[Warbaby]

I recently scored a nice dove gray, wide brimmed Resistol fedora in very clean condition - but it has a couple of problems (photos below). There are some little spots of moth or silverfish damage on the crown. Is this repairable? If so, is it worth the cost?

The other problem is that, while it's marked in my size (7 1/8), it's a bit too tight for comfort and/or sits a bit to high on my head. Can it be stretched or would it be better to leave it alone and sell/trade to someone with a slightly smaller head?

Here are a couple of close-up of the bug bites:

 

[thunderw21]

Those marks don't look too bad. One thing you can try is to take a needle and carefully move some of the bordering felt over the holes to conceal them.

As for the size, a hat can be stretched some but not knowing your head size I couldn't tell you for this specific hat. Hats can usually be stretched 1/8", maybe a little more.

It's a nice hat and I think can be repaired.

 

[KY Gentleman]

It looks like a keeper to me, too.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Repair & Resize

Hmmmmm. That does look like a nice hat. I too am interested in learning about "professional" repair services/techniques for moth damage. Until then, here's what I've done on a couple of hats which were of lesser importance than that Resistol of yours:
I use 150 grit sandpaper to scuff up some fluffy extra felt somewhere under the brim near the sweat band where it doesn't show. This is material for a "skin graft". Then, using a magnifying light and steady hands, I use a toothpick and get a very small amount of silicone glue on the tip of the toothpick and dot it into the deep parts of the divet. Then I pinch up some of the graft fluff and start lightly pushing it into the divet with the clean, dry end of the toothpick. Usually takes a couple of passes with this process and dry time between. The last pass, I don't use the glue - I just bring some of the fluff over what's left of the divet with my finger and spread it around the area trying to blend it all in to the rest of the hat.

Only problem I've noticed is sometimes it has a slightly darker appearance from handling the fluff, and the graft is not necessarily following any particular grain. I personally, wouldn't feel confident doing this on as fine a hat as yours, also considering the light color and location of the problems, but this has worked fairly well on the brims of medium to dark hats of mine.

Stretching should be done with one of the available tools, some leather condtioner on the sweatband to loosen it up and an initial application of steam to the felt so it relaxes and doesn't deform irregularly. Patience is a virtue too. Sometimes it's a few days - checking it daily - before it gets cooperative.

G'luck!

 

[Warbaby]

Thanks for all the tips, guys. I think I'm going to leave the eaten spots the way they are for now and practice those techniques on the next ratty hat that I find at the thrift store. I know someone who has a hat stretcher so I'm going to give that a try, though. Is it better to use a little leather dressing on the band or just dampen it slightly with water? The leather has never been sweated upon and is soft and supple, and seems in no danger of cracking or tearing. It doesn't have to go much bigger - just enough that I don't have to push it down tightly to get it to the right place. I'll let you know how it works out.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

That looks like some pretty serious mothing. Myself, i'd wear it as-is, warts and all . . . but i know most people wouldn't. I would be skeptical about being able to deal with this damage using the pin method. I've only ever been able to adequately deal with a very shallow, very small moth nip in this way.

bk

 

[RBH]

That looks like some pretty serious mothing. Myself, i'd wear it as-is, warts and all . . . but i know most people wouldn't. I would be skeptical about being able to deal with this damage using the pin method. I've only ever been able to adequately deal with a very shallow, very small moth nip in this way.

bk

I agree with the Baron. I have had great luck covering small nips but have never taken on ones such as you show.
One thing I have heard is if the bottom side of the brim is not eaten up is that a hatter can turn the hat inside out and give it a new lease on life. A fine hat like that I think would be worth it.
Good luck!

 

[Feraud]

Practice any repair on a beater hat before you touch the Resistol with a needle. It is a good looking hat as is. I would wear it w/out a worry.

As for stretching, I first suggest trying to wear the hat a while to stretch it. If this does not help a wooden stretcher should open it up a bit.