Restoring A Not So Stiff Brim

[DrQuest]

I mentioned this briefly on another thread, but I thought I would start a new topic and get some feedback.

I ordered and received a black felt C-crown fedora and a gray Jaxon Bogart this week. I noticed that the brims are much stiffer on the new ones than on the gray felt C-crown I have had for a little over a month. (the one shown on my avatar) I had been storing the older one (in the avatar) on a closet shelf with the brim hanging down over the edge, until I read here that this is not recommended. Now I store all of them brim up. My question is, is it possible to restore some of that stiffness to the brim of the slightly older one, so that the brim is as stiff as the two new ones? I can still flip the brim down, but I didnt realize it had lost some of the crispness in the month and a half or so that I have had it. Will steam do it, or is there some other way? I have never steamed a hat before so I am unfamiliar with how it's supposed to be done.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Available from most of our member/vendors, I suspect.

 

[carouselvic]

You might try spritzing it with some viagra water. It's been known to give new life to other things.

 

[Stoney]

In the absence of a flange, the spray on stiffener that Rick ponts out works quite well, I've used it myself a few times and still use it to add a little more stiffness when the stiffener in the hat is insufficient. However the stiffener that is in the hat is still good. It just needs to be pressed in order to be stiff once again. If you place the hat in a flange and steam it it can be made as stiff as it was when new, or stiffer yet. I would not suggest that you try to steam a brim without a flange.You can certainly do so and set the shape successfully but you need the flange to get the brim stiff again. When steaming a brim, at home, you shoud use a steam iron to push steam into the felt while against the flange. You also need to place a protective covering between the felt and the iron face. I find a plain white t-shirt works well. Just put the hat into the flange then put the hat and flange into a t-shirt, from the bottom entrace of the t-shirt. Don't linger too long with the iron as you can still scorch the felt. It would be preferable to practice on a beater first if you have not done this before. Once you have reset the stiffener in a brim using a flange and steam iron you will not fear doing so again. Of course one has to have the flange. Fortunately there are usually several available on e-bay. I believe Jimmy Pierce also sells some of his excess blaocks and flanges and at a price that currently beats what the same items are bringing on e-bay.