Silicone reinforcement inside hat crowns???

[Torpedo]

Hello,

The other day, in the Spanish Indiana Jones Fan Club forum (the local equivalent of COW, more or less), a member put some photos of how his fedora had developed crown damage because of handling it by that area. I posted the usual advice about trying to avoid that by handling the brim instead, as we all know.

Well, an alternative was suggested, consisting of reinforcing the relevant areas of the inside crown with silicone, so providing it with a sort of "structure". It is "specially recommended" for straw hats and soft felts. There is even a sticky article in the web with this advice, here (in Spanish, but there are photos):

http://www.indianajones.es/manualidades/fedora-cuidados.php

Yes, I know not a few weird advice, ideas, interpretations, or concepts, regarding hats, often appear in the Indy-related forums. But, have you heard of this before?

Regards!

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

HA!!

Sonofagun: I thought I invented that.

Really, I came up with that one on my own to shore up a couple old Cuenca Panama straws that were cracking at the top pinch.

It works great for that and I kept meaning to take pix and tell the Loungers about it. I've never tried it on a felt hat.

For those who just want to save a serviceable hat, this is a good tip. Thanks, Torp'.

 

[donCarlos]

This may not be exactly what you´re writing about, but I think it´s relevant to the topic.
I´ve found this item in one of the hats I bought recently, it is meant to hold shape of the crown. Never seen something like that before. In fact, I think it works quite the same way as the silicone.

 

[RBH]

I have used that treatment for years on straws, it works very well.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

From the days before they discovered stiffener?

I was also, Dear Kabuto, going to jest about stiffener. But, in all truth, I've seen panama hats with those silicone reinforcements and, in my view, they do provide a solution, by which I mean they shouldn't provide the means of being complacent and grabbing the hat there merely because "it's reinforced", but because that area of a panama hat is quite sensitive to damage. So, it's not a bad idea.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

That is so cool.

 

[MrHughes]

That is so cool.

Agreed! I wonder if that can be purchased somewhere? I'm going to look around.

 

[indycop]

I have one of those panamas with the "pinch proof" thing in the crown from the panama hat store in St. Augustine. Tho it may be effective in reinforcing the crown I don't like it becaue it makes it hot and I can't tighten up a way too loose pinch!