Looking for a Felt Miracle Worker

It's a sad day that has drawn me to this forum, seeking help.

I have a felt Cervo fedora, I've had it for 7 years. I love this hat, it's been my most prized possession. It's extremely sentimental, I'm sure people in this forum can relate.

Last weekend, my sister's dog got it down from the shelf I kept it on and did a huge number on it. I walked into the room and saw leather pieces everywhere, and at first thought he had gotten one of my belts. But when I picked up a half-chewed chunk with the gold-printed letters of the name and address of the store I got it from in Italy, the full reality of what happened hit me. I literally dropped to my knees and screamed.

Here's the condition: Bad. Very Bad.

Specifically, he tore out and ate most of the leather band, tore off some of the exterior cloth band, and tore out the lining. I know these things are replaceable. However, here's where it gets bad. He chewed through the side of it. Not torn, not punctured, but the little ba***rd actually removed a 3-4" chunk from the side, in the spot where the bow to the cloth bad falls. I can't find this piece, so it's presumably digested. There is a smaller missing chunk on the top of it, a tear spot, and about a 1" jagged chunk removed from the edge of the brim at one spot.

Can anyone rebuild this? Please, please, tell me there's an expert out there in hat reconstruction. What it means, I assume, is that new sections of felt will have to be molded to fit in the places where there are now holes and somehow made to adhere to the existing felt around it. Is this possible to do? Additionally, it would have to be color-matched--my fedora is dark gray. I'd be willing to accept slight color variability in the patches just to get my baby back whole.

I also have another fedora, the exact same model and size, but a different color, that is practically unworn, so maybe that could help as far as figuring out what dimensions would be needed for the replacement pieces.

I don't want a new hat, even if it's cheaper. I want my precious back.

A pic of the carnage follows below. Beware, it's not for the weak-of-heart.




Thanks for any advice you can offer.

-n

Can anyone rebuild this?

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No! The hat is dead.

:cry:

You need an *EXPLICIT CONTENT* warning label on this thread.

Sir, your hat has clearly been savaged in the most obscene manner by that cur. My most sincere condolences.

Time to...

Cremate the hat, with honors. Shoot the dog, several times.

A thought just occurred to me. Recognizing the hat is gone, what else could it become for you? I don't mean to trivialize the loss. The picture is gutwrenching. But there's enough felt remaining that it could be made into something, if it would retain meaning for you. Dunno what, small change purse, bookmarks, line a special box in which you keep items close to your heart.

I never thought I could be moved to pain by a photo of a hat, but this one did it. This has to be every hat lover's worst nightmare...my sincerest sympathy for your loss. While I understand that a dog is incapable of malicious intent, he would never set foot (or paw, as the case may be) into my home again. I'd be too sorely tempted to send him the way of this hat.

Sigh. The vague hope that it could be repaired was the only thing that kept me from killing the dog. Looks like he's doomed now.

I guess I now have to deal with my loss. I guess like at a funeral, you talk about all the life of the deceased, not that they are dead. You remember the great times and the moments you shared.

So here’s my eulogy.

Oh, fedora, my beloved companion for seven years, you brought such happiness to my life. I remember when we met. I had always loved fedoras since I was a teenager, and after the loss of my first, a brown vintage Stetson, I thought I could never find love again. But there I was, my first time abroad, in Florence, Italy in the spring of 1998, walking down Via Calzaiuoli, when I came upon the hat store where you resided. The kindly, old gentleman who ran the place smiled and reverently brushed you off when he retrieved you from the back in my size. It was love at first sight.

In college, I wore you so much you earned me the nickname “Matt with the hat.� Whenever I traveled, you were with me. I learned how to flip you so you landed on my head, and you earned me countless compliments. The time we shared together so closely molded you perfectly to the contours of my head, a natural, comfortable extension of my being.

And sometimes when you were on the shelf, I would gaze lovingly at you, just admiring your simple elegance.

Most recently, you accompanied me on my backpacking trip through Europe, where I returned to the country of your birth with you, seven years later. You helped me pick up European chicks with your stylish and distinctive look. You were with me for the best time of my life, and I’m glad we shared that.

Look how happy we were together in the Scottish highlands. This is how I will always remember you. I will miss you, my dear fedora. May we both find peace.

I am sorry about your hat. It is not salvageable.

Enjoy the other one that you have - it will soon become your precious. Perhaps, it could be dyed to the color of the one that was ruined. ALternatively, you could send your remaining hat to someone good to reproduce its feel. You may think it wont be the same, but it will turn out better than you think. I have found that when I have something special and deliberately replace it, the new item, over time picks up the feel and continuity of the old one - it sort of shares the emotional DNA of the original. An example is my wedding ring - I am on my third or fourth but they new ones mean no less to me than the original.

If there is an upside...

think of the new memories waiting for you as you continue your travels through life with a new companion on your head!

As for your sister's dog...does he ever drink from the toilet? I've heard tell that more than one dog has met with an untiely demise from a falling toilet seat.

Don't throw it away yet.

Send the hat and the pictures to Art once he's up and running and he can make you one just like it.

In the words of....

America’s most famous laureate “Al Bundy�: Why me??? Isn’t it bad enough we men are destined to receive crappy gifts for the rest of our lives? Leave this earth 10 to 15 years earlier than most women. Last but not least, must let women and children leave before us and doom ourselves to certain death in all life threatening situations. I say we must stand fast and protect our most treasured possession from all who seek to harm it. Ban this mangy mutt from your premise for life (hopefully a short life) and after a proper period of mourning, introduce your hat’s twin to all. Remember, we live in a rainbow society, color is unimportant.

I mourn with you.

Johnnysan said:

I've heard tell that more than one dog has met with an untiely demise from a falling toilet seat.

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...especially when someone is sitting on it.

Jeeze what a horror show! I would be severely tempted to shoot the dog that did that to my hat!
In fact, I might shoot my sister for it too!
You have my deepest condolences.

OK, here’s some correspondence I wanted to share. In searching for hat repair on the internet, I came across a company called Hats by Haber in Maryland. I emailed to ask about repair possibilities, and here’s the conversations we’ve had. The lady, Gilda, has been doing hats for a long time.

---

Gilda:

This sounds like serious surgery. All but the brim, from the sound of it, can be covered, or covered from the inside so the rip does not show. Edge of the brim repair is going to
show, if it is really at the edge. A picture of the damaged hat would help.

Me:

OK, here's the pictures of the carnage. Let me know the prognosis, doc.

Gilda:

Lining and bands are no problem, but rips in the felt replaceable only with observable differences. Cost nearly $100.

Me:

With observable differences, do you mean color differences, being able to see a line, or both? I did recover two small felt pieces that should be large enough to cover the missing section of the brim and the smaller holes up top, can you use these as patches so the color matches exactly, and just leave the big hole as the section with the noticible differences? Will the repaired sections be as durable as uninjured sections? That's to say, can I wear it as normal again without worrying that the felt patches will come undone by getting bent, stretched, wet, or anything else? Thanks again.

Gilda:

If large enouogh, your patchess will cover holes. Small holes will be barely noticeable. If larger ones need stitching and the stitching cannot be covered by the hat band (I understand part of the hole is where the bow goes-this part will not show.) Parts of you material should be added at the side where the hole shows most. Tiny stiches may show, but can be made to look like decoration stitches. All work is durable. Also, paid in advance. Cost from damages seen, could be $125 -$150.

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“Decoration stitches?� My lord, I could own FRANKENHAT, a reanimated patchwork that angry villagers would want to destroy, by fire. Even if it’s mismatched, at least it would be in one piece, and I could still have it as a keepsake and not the butchered corpse it currently is. What do you crazy kids think about all this?

I think your best bet would be to take the hat as you have it now and send it off to a good hatter, who can make you a duplicate of your beloved friend. Keep a swatch -- you might even want to take a small swatch of the original hat and have the hatter sew in on to the inside somewhere, thus you will always have a piece of your original hat with you!

We who are not used to pets in our home (or children, another destroyer of nice things) don't exactly know how to child- or animal-proof our homes and so we meet with disaster.

Dogs, especially, big dogs, can reach lots of places you wouldn't expect. Cats can climb to the ceiling and, the biggest destroyer of personal items I ever lived with was a tiny 1 1/2-ounce lovebird named Luna. She could have worked for Hallmark as a paper deckler, I kid you not. I have many books "autographed" by her and more than a few shoes and stuffed toys were chewed by my late chihuahua (no, I did not kill him; he was a beloved pet, but he did get into things).

Several years ago I lost a small keepsake stone that had the word "Imagine" imprinted on it. I was fond of the stone and feared it had accidentally been thrown out by my housekeeper. I recently found it -- stuffed down in a pencil container. It had been marked up with crayon. Yes, the housekeeper's son had scribbled on it, realized what he had done, and hid it. I was able to get the crayon off.

Sorry for your loss. Don't kill the dog, it will make you feel worse. Banish it from your home and, build higher shelves in case animals (or children) visit your home in the future.

karol

nebber said:

Sigh. The vague hope that it could be repaired was the only thing that kept me from killing the dog. Looks like he's doomed now.

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To make the punishment fit the crime, you might want to consider rubbing the little SOB with bacon grease and tossing him to a pitbull....just a thought! :cry:

Cervo is still in business and quite a good hat maker. Since you know where the shop is and even remember the gentleman, would it be possible to get the exact same model sent to you? Check with Cervo also. The address of their company and their distributors in the US is at the end of this article by Cigar Affficianado:
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Archives/CA_Show_Article/0,2322,556,00.html

Regards to all,

J

Train the dog, get a new hat.

Like The Parrot

It is a late hat.

Are you sure about Cuervo

jamespowers said:

Cuervo is still in business and quite a good hat maker. Since you know where the shop is and even remember the gentleman, would it be possible to get the exact same model sent to you? Check with Cuervo also. The address of their company and their distributors in the US is at the end of this article by Cigar Affficianado:
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Archives/CA_Show_Article/0,2322,556,00.html

Regards to all,

J

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JP: Are you sure about Cuervo? Any hats they make are likely to be Mexican style sombreros and come with a bandolier of shot glasses. I hear Cervo makes nice hats, though