drenched wool felt

[delfargo]

i have a nice fur felt porkpie i only wear on special occasions, and i have a cheaper wool felt porkpie for everyday just hangin' out wear. well, the other night i was at a cookout and a storm came up and to make a long story shorter, my hat (the cheaper wool felt ) & i got drenched - just soaked - dripping wet.
needless to say, the hat is now WAY out of shape. the brim is drooping and the top of the hat has bowed out or "rounded" - so instead of the flat-top, the top is trying to become like a bowler.
i have re-shaped the brim before useing the steam method, so i think i'll be able to straiten that out, but i'm at a loss as to what to do about the top. any advice? (other than "don't wear it in the rain") thanx alot for your help.

 

[Undertow]

I hate to say it, Delfargo, but this is exactly why so many on the Lounge recommend skipping the wool felt and going straight to fur. In the end, the value beats the cost. I totally realize wool felt is easier to find at stores and is cheaper, but I would say you should invest some time in local antique shops and ebay until you can find a fur felt replacement for this hat.

There are a couple things to consider while we attempt to fix your hat. The material, the current size, the previous size and what you would like it to look like in the end. You're working with wool, which is notorious for shrinking when exposed to water and heat. As far as my experience in wool hatting, it also has a tendency to deform when exposed to moisture like sweat, not to mention water.

1. Can you find something that has a flat top which is also similar in size as the original hat? Like an oatmeal can, or a small hat box, or - dare I say - a hat block?
2. Has the hat increased or decreased in size? If it has increased, you may be in luck because shrinking it is easy. Otherwise, you'd likely have to invest in a hat stretcher. Try places like Harbor Freight or Northwestern Tools. If you're in a rural enough location, your local stores will carry a hat stretcher. The websites do not, but I've seen (and purchased) inexpensive stretchers at both locations.
3. If the hat decreased in size, you'll want to moisten it with a spray bottle (moisten, not drench) and put in the stretcher. Every day for about three or four days, you'll want to gradually increase the stretch on the hat until you've reached your desired size. Be aware that if you're stretching past 2 sizes (7 to 7 1/2 for instance) you're going to get deformation, so if it's shrunk beyond 2 sizes, throw it away.
4. If the hat increased in size, or after you've stretched it to where you want it, pull out any hat liner and place the hat, sweatband flared out, onto your block. Now ready your steam. A boiling tea kettle often works well, but garment steamers are easier to manage if you don't want to sit in the kitchen. Let steam meet the felt and form the hat to your desired shape. Steam WILL shrink the hat, so be careful and use it sparingly.
5. Let the hat sit on your form overnight and it should be ready to wear.

Remember - wool does not take shape nearly as well as fur! You will likely find yourself quite frustrated with your efforts. The above is a best-case-scenario for saving a beloved hat. Wool shrinks easily, deforms easily, and often is ruined easily.

Good luck with your wool and by all means, run out to purchase another fur!

 

[delfargo]

thanx for the info, undertow. i should have known better that to wear it when i knew it would rain, but i wasn't expecting to get caught in that kind of downpour.
it was a cheap hat, so i might just write the $36 off as a lesson well learned and get a new one for everyday use. maybe i'll spend a little extra and go with the fur felt this time around. and an umbrella.
thanx again for the reply.

 

[m0nk]

Yeah, the only wool hat I've owned is still sitting on my closet shelf since rain did the same. It couldn't be re-shaped so it's something for my sons to play with now...

Fur felt hats can even sometimes loose shape or shrink with rain, but they hold their shape better with each increase in felt quality.

 

[gtdean48]

Fur felts can take & are worth re-blocking, common practice back in the heyday of hat wearing.
Wool hats = not so much.
Steam is bad for wool hats for same reason you wash wool sweaters in cold water.

 

[Undertow]

Fur felts can take & are worth re-blocking, common practice back in the heyday of hat wearing.
Wool hats = not so much.
Steam is bad for wool hats for same reason you wash wool sweaters in cold water.

Exactly why you don't see alot of wool felts from the "golden era". The ones that remain are typically in great condition because they were never worn.