I got a felt hat that got out of shape. I'm trying to wet it and reshape it, anyone have any luck reshaping a felt hat.

All the time.

How heavy is the felt? You should be able to just use steam and reshape it. Maybe have to use a cofffee can or soemthing similar for a form to reshape the headband.

Also, and I have to do this with my everday hat at least once or twice a year, I wash it in the sink to get the stains and odors out and then put it on a form and set it out on the porch to air dry.

Steam is your friend. Take a kettle and put it on to boil. Once at a roiling boil, hold the hat in the steam, moving it back and forth. Only try to shape about 1/4 of the brim at a time.

When it's really bad, I will take the brim back to flat first, them start forming the shape I want. Patience goes a long way. I will even use the wife's hair spray on the hat when done to help it try to hold its shape. Wait about 15-30 minutes before applying hairspray.

FDP is right, I have a few, and find a small steamer works great. DON'T get them to wet, and when they are dry make sure you re-water proof them. Scotch guard works for me. If it's way out of shape look for a a quality hat/haberdashery in your area. I have a little to much $ tied up in my hats, so the better one get professionally cleaned when they get in rough shape.

Good Luck

Cowboy

Actually if the hat is in bad need of shaping, you can dip them in water and wring them out and it won't hurt them at all.

You will need to re waterproof, and restiffen it if you do that. As mentioned, hair spary will work to stiffen them, so will spray starch, and even clear lacquer.

I just wear mine doing something like chainsaw work , get it all sweaty and then beat into submission.!

I do that too snake....but MAN the stench that gets attached to it. :)

I cleaned, and shaped these last night.

Don't they look great? 8^)

By the way - the one on the right was bought new in 1921.

Rick

Now on a more serious note.

A tea kettle works great for steaming, but I've been known to just soak them in the bathtub, and start shaping them after they have dried to a slight dampness.

Rick

Businesses used to be common that cleaned and blocked hats, but that was before men pretty much stopped wearing hats--except cowboys and hunters so not enough business to keep the hat blockers going.

David,

Actually, you just need to find a good hipster neighborhood.

It takes a heavy steam on some hats and is sometimes just easier to take it to a western shop and let them do it with a hat steamer. Around here they'll reshape it free. Also watch the material. Not all animal fur felts are equal.

Lol, Rick my 10x beaver Stetsons not going into the tub.

Hatsoff makes a adjustable hat retainer to help keep the sizing correct. I use it quite often when my hat takes a soaking.

You can find plenty of youtube videos on blocking hats. I posted one here a month or so ago when the same issue came up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spGEzKhZtjM

I have two old fedoras from the 50s. I wet them with hot water, put back the shape, and place on a towel overnight.

Deno

JustSomeDude, not many hipsters in West Virginia. :o)

I've had good luck with a tea kettle and some good live steam and patience. I also have a hat stretcher to keep it from shrinking.

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