Thinking About Soaking My Hat

[Earp]

I have a fur felt fedora that's too big even though it was supposed to be my size. I guess I'm between sizes. I have already shimmed it with felt strips but it still isn't right. It comes down pretty much to the top of my ears.

I had read recently that someone on the forum had completely soaked their hat in a sink full of water and it afforded a good amount of change in size when it dried. I'm thinking of trying it but wondered if it will damage the silk lining or the grosgrain ribbon.

Is there anything I should watch out for when employing this process for shrinking a hat? Would letting it dry naturally suffice or would it be necessary to employ some gentle heat source? Will it keep it's shape? Should I do the whole hat or just the crown? Would it get TOO soft?

I'm nervous about trying this as it's a beautiful hat, but I'd really like to get it to fit right and it seems like sending it to a hatter for this purpose may be outside my budget at this time. Plus I'd be without my hat. Any help or advice from you more experienced fedora afficianados would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[Jerekson]

Honestly, I can't tell you very much about this - but I can tell you that before saoking it, you should remove the liner and ribbon. Just to be safe.

 

[Russ]

If you use a spray bottle, you can soak the brim and bottom of the crown and leave the top portion of the crown dry. This is what I have done, and it prevents taper in the crown. You can dry it by turning it upside down and using a desk lamp, or setting it on top of a lampshade (lamp turned on).

If you are ambitious, you can keep the ribbon looking nice and crisp by removing it before soaking. I have never been that ambitious, so my ribbons generally have an old worn in appearance.

Oh yeah, I would remove the liner for sure. They are easily enough removed and replaced.

 

[Joel Tunnah]

Go for it. Any hat that can't get a good soaking isn't worth a darn anyway.
I've done this to three different hats. And I didn't remove the ribbon, or anything else.
You will get varying amounts of shrinkage in the felt and leather, depending on the hat, but that's what you're looking for anyway.

Soak it completely in cold water, and then lay it on its brim on a towel and air dry it.

Joel

 

[Earp]

Success!

Thank you for the advice! For those in the future who may want to know about this process, I took out the liner (easy -- they are just tacked down in a few places with hot glue) and then soaked the bottom half of the crown with warm water. I placed it well above a hot light bulb and let it dry. Being fur felt, it didn't shrink as much as a wool hat would have. I got just the right amount of shrinkage. I put the liner back in and retacked it and everythings good as new except now it fits without the felt sizing strips! I'll try to post pictures of myself and the hat soon.

I love this hat and it's going to get a lot of use. In fact I have to leave now for a fiddle jamboree. (Earp puts on his fedora and hits "submit reply")

 

[Earp]

Actually, after reading the above posts again, I had done exactly what Russ had advised. So thanks Russ for the great advice. It was right on.

 

[Russ]

You are most welcome! Next time you can offer the advice when someone asks the question.

 

[nightandthecity]

I love this hat and it's going to get a lot of use. In fact I have to leave now for a fiddle jamboree. (Earp puts on his fedora and hits "submit reply")

hey, you a fiddle player? Me too.

And is that a cigar box fiddle in your pic? Home made fiddles like that used to be very common here in England too, a lot of the old players learned on one.

back on topic - also remember that soaking a wool hat can be useful for stretching as well as shrinking. Use cold water and avoid friction.

Also, re shrinkage and wool clothing in general, cold water alone gives minimal shrinkage, hot water or the addition of heat will greatly increase shrinkage, and friction will maximize it (which is why your machine wool wash is the same 40 degree temp as a standard wash but much gentler, and hand wash instructions tell you not to wring and rub)

 

[Earp]

Well now NightATC, you have a very good eye. I never thought anyone would comment on what I was holding in my avatar, let alone recognize it as a musical instrument. It's actually a folk instrument called a "canjo" -- a banjo made out of a tin can. The one in my avatar was made from a Spam can. I bet it would make Monty Python sing.

I've seen cigar box fiddles like you have mentioned and, being a guy who likes to make folk toys and musical instruments, I've done some research on them with the intention of making one of them. I play a lot of traditional folk, country and bluegrass music on guitar and fiddle. I'd enjoy following up with you on fiddle playing and your music sometime.

 

[jimmy the lid]

fftopic: Wow -- finally found a reason to use these: :eusa_booh :eusa_booh :eusa_booh

If you ever need a 5-string banjo player, let me know!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Back on the topic,

I have soaked a lot of hats and never had a problem. After soaking, I like to wear it dry. The lower crown will conform to your exact head shape. This will go fairly fast on a hot day at the beach or working in the yard.

One caveat, if you value the fresh-out-of-the-box look in your hats, you will lose some of this with soaking, but you will gain character.

 

[Andykev]

Do it right

If it is in any way a "modern" or "rabbit" hat, don't soak the entire thing unless you have the ability to remove the sweatband, ribbon, and liner. You then need the appropriate block to "reblock" the hat.

Doing otherwise will make you learn first hand about "taper", and transfer lines into the felt from the liner.

 

[nightandthecity]

Well now NightATC, you have a very good eye. I never thought anyone would comment on what I was holding in my avatar, let alone recognize it as a musical instrument. It's actually a folk instrument called a "canjo" -- a banjo made out of a tin can. The one in my avatar was made from a Spam can. I bet it would make Monty Python sing.

I've seen cigar box fiddles like you have mentioned and, being a guy who likes to make folk toys and musical instruments, I've done some research on them with the intention of making one of them. I play a lot of traditional folk, country and bluegrass music on guitar and fiddle. I'd enjoy following up with you on fiddle playing and your music sometime.

Good to hear back from you - so it’s a “can-jo”…I like it! I have a neighbour makes fully working instruments (mostly guitars, mandolins and banjos) out of old biscuit tins and other scrap!

I’ve played a lot of instruments in my time but for the last 25 years fiddle has been my main. I play a lot of styles but main are traditional English dance music and the hot country music of the 1930s to 1950s - Western Swing to Rockabilly via Hillbilly Boogie, Honky Tonk etc. I’ve always played old-time and bluegrass as well (old-time makes a nice bridge between the English and the Country stuff!) so we should have a lot to talk about in the future.

There’s a small but growing sub group on the FL interested in older/rootsier forms of Country so it’s nice to have some reinforcement. The biggest musical interest round here is probably sweet swing/golden age pop, though there’s a lot of jazzbos around too (1920s-40s jazz and 1940s/50s R&B are also major interests of mine)

Anyway, welcome to the Lounge, and congrats on the successful shrinkage - a drop of water can work miracles on wool and fur felt (mind you, those miracles can sometimes be miraculous nightmares......! caution is the rule)

 

[nightandthecity]

I have soaked a lot of hats and never had a problem. After soaking, I like to wear it dry. The lower crown will conform to your exact head shape. This will go fairly fast on a hot day at the beach or working in the yard.

One caveat, if you value the fresh-out-of-the-box look in your hats, you will lose some of this with soaking, but you will gain character.

Me too. Whether to shrink or stretch I prefer to do it on my head.

We get a lot of rain here, so often I don't even soak the hat, I wear it outside in a good storm and then let it dry on my head indoors...this is how I usually set the bash as well as adjust the fit.

 

[Bruce A. Fulmer]

Anyone need a wash tub bass player?

fftopic: I will admit to being an old time "gut bucket" (wash tub) bass player, having graduated from a Sousaphone to the more primitive single stringed instrument (or device, if you prefer). Anyone need REAL foundation to their music?