How tough is it to re-shape pre-creased crowns?

[H Weinstein]

Talking about a good quality furt-felt hat, like an Akubra... I'm guessing the answer depends at least in part on how much stiffener a manufacturer adds to a hat..?

Does the ease of re-shaping a pre-shaped hat also depend on the sharpness of the original creasing?

Or does judicious application of steam trump everything else?

Thanks for any input, opinions, experiences (says the rookie with many questions)!

 

[Dewhurst]

Getting a machine creased hat to accept a new crease can be extremely difficult. I have accomplished it on a single hat whose crease I did not like, but it took monumental amounts of work and certain attributes of the original crease could never be removed.

However, this was with the tools and temperament of an amateur. A professional may be able to do quite a bit more, if you are willing to pay for it.

This summarizes my entire experience with reshaping pre-shaped hats. I usually do not have to or simply purchase an open crown model.

 

[gtdean48]

Look in Stetsons in the Modern Day thread & see what I did to a Stetson Roadmaster. I have changed factory crease out of an Akubra Dallas = went from round telescope to a Snowy River style teardrop.
My best results have been to go to open crown from the factory crease then to whatever new crease I want. HTH

 

[BanjoMerlin]

With enough steam you can change any crease to something else. If you have a hat block of the correct size it helps but if you are only doing a hat once in a while you can get by with a tea kettle. The really thick, stiff western hats take the most steam and patience.

I find the best thing is to go to an open crown, let the hat rest and then go for the shape I want.

And sometimes the hat just doesn't want to be what you want it to be.

 

[jwalls]

I have found it possible to change the crease of a factory stamped hat, but it is not easy for the hobbyist who does not a lot of equipment. :eusa_doh: :eusa_doh: :eusa_doh:

 

[gtdean48]

Also for major rework like this, I soak the felt with distilled water in a spray bottle. It'd be too hot & take too much steam using my steamer or a pot on the stove...

 

[Richard Warren]

My experience is that if you want to remove all traces of the original crease, it is practically impossible. It is also probably not worth doing because modern factory creases (it seems to me) seek to achieve a certain profile with the least amount of material possible. Once you take out that shape, you might be left with a crown that is not really suited to the crease you want (that is to say the crown might be disappointingly low and tapered).

 

[Undertow]

My experience is that if you want to remove all traces of the original crease, it is practically impossible. It is also probably not worth doing because modern factory creases (it seems to me) seek to achieve a certain profile with the least amount of material possible. Once you take out that shape, you might be left with a crown that is not really suited to the crease you want (that is to say the crown might be disappointingly low and tapered).

Although I disagree in theory (I can't attest to what you've experienced first hand), I would like to build off this statement.

Yes, getting a new crease into a pre-creased hat takes a little work, but it's not all that difficult. You need to factor in a number of variables.

1. Does the hat have a silk liner? Most fine quality hats do, and you probably don't want to go shooting hot, wet steam through your silk liner. I've only recreased modern Stetsons, and my experience shows that those liners are relatively easy to remove. There is a dab of weak glue on a few key spots which you can successfully pull off without damage to band, hat or liner. In other hats, in any case, I would recommend removing or at least partially removing the liner prior to steaming and wetting. (see some other threads on sewing/gluing your liner back in if you have difficulty doing so).

2. How tall is the crown? Most modern hats have a shorter crown than some of the older, vintage ones. If you're thinking about going from center dent to full teardrop, you'd better make sure you have plenty of crown to accomodate the change. Otherwise, you're left with an open crown and either an oddly disproportioned diamond crease (lol if you're lucky), or back to a center dent.

3. How wide is your brim? Assuming we're not also thinking about cutting the brim down, brim size isn't usually a factor. However, certain brim sizes don't aesthetically lend themselves to certain creases. Could you imagine a 1" brim with a four-point crease? Hey, crease it how you like - sky is the limit, but some don't always work with others. I have a great Stetson Imperial with 1" brim and center crease, no pinch. Looked stupid, hated wearing it. I steamed it to an open crown and now I love it. [huh]

You can use a clothes steamer if you have one, or a tea kettle if not. Watch your hands! I burn myself every chance I get! :eusa_doh: Experiment a while, see what you can come up with. There are a number of threads out there with links on YouTube videos or step-by-step guides. In fact, I recommend creasing the hat to your own taste - that's part of what makes it yours!

 

[navarre_au]

My experience is that giving the hat a good soaking (punch it out open crown and fill with water - then wait - and wait until thoroughly\almost waterlogged) - As BanjoMerlin says - going open crown as an intermediary step definately helps.

Let it dry out for a day or so - then come back and follow the std practice of steaming into shape - leave it for another day or so - and tweak as needed.

Dont try and force it - it has its own time and wont respect our desire for it to spead up at all.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

This is what I mean when I say sometimes a hat doesn't want to be what you want. Stetson Roadmaster that has a very short, extremely tapered crown. I got it for short money to use as a rain hat.

I already have enough projects but someday I might rebuild it.

 

[gtdean48]

My work on a Stetson Roadmaster...
I sprayed the Roadmaster with distilled water & put it on the shaper to get it to the way it SHOULD come from the factory!!!
I used an iron with a handkerchief between it & the felt to smooth out the previous crease lines.

Using my tea kettle & steamer attachment...

I redid a teardrop crease & did some brim shaping...

 

[BanjoMerlin]

Nice job! I might get around to doing mine this winter. I need to replace the sweatband with real leather and I'm thinking about changing the ribbon and binding. Or... maybe I just talked myself out of it again.

 

[Richard Warren]

What is this "shaper" of which you speak?

 

[jwalls]

Nice work, Tom :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[gtdean48]

What is this "shaper" of which you speak?

One of these =
http://www.hatshapers.com/Product Pages/Straight_Sided_Dome.htm

Thanks Black Jack. If I could sew in a sweatband, I'd be really dangerous..!

 

[tonyb]

Lotsa good observations/suggestions here.

Our Mr. jwalls is right: these jobs are fair easier and far likelier to come out well if you have the right equipment, in this case the block (and the "right" block at that -- meaning one in the desired size and shape and height).

And gtdean48's suggestion for using distilled water is a good one as well. (Depending on your source of water, you may not have to go so far as using distilled water; water out of the tap may be just fine.) Steam is good for a lot in the hat shop, but know that it can cause the hat to shrink and taper. This isn't a problem if you expect to be putting that hat on a block anyway, but if you aren't, well ...

Dewhurst hit that nail square on the head as well. Those stamped-in-at-the-factory creases usually won't yield to anything short of a proper reblocking. You can make 'em all but disappear without going to such lengths, sometimes, depending on the amount of stiffener in the felt and how long those creases have had to get used to being there, but it can be all but impossible to be rid of all signs of them.

 

[57plymouth]

Would reforming an entry level hat like my Stetson Saxon be possible? I like the hat, but not the center dent. My other Stetson is a teardrop that I like much better. I'd love to have a green and a brown teardrop that both look good on me instead of a brown center dent that is marginal.

 

[tonyb]

Would reforming an entry level hat like my Stetson Saxon be possible?

Yes. But with all the caveats.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

Would reforming an entry level hat like my Stetson Saxon be possible? I like the hat, but not the center dent. My other Stetson is a teardrop that I like much better. I'd love to have a green and a brown teardrop that both look good on me instead of a brown center dent that is marginal.

I did it to mine. WAY easier than western hats.

 

[57plymouth]

Yes. But with all the caveats.

What caveats?