Getting some brim 'cupping out?

[citRon]

Here is my latest acquisition, a vintage Bond beaver/hare. Has a nice fat brim binding. The perceived problem I have is with the brim 'cupping'. The felt is very soft and floppy. How can I get it to a 'flatter' shape? -Water, steam, pixie dust?
Here are some pics courtesy of my 9 year old daughter:

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[nickn5]

I had the exact same problem on a vintage Dobbs I got, the front brim was horrible. What I did was...

Got some wooden clothes pegs, and some stiff cardboard.
Wetted the brim thoroughly, and pulled the brim straight as best as I could.
Placed cardboard above and underneath the brim.
Attached clothes pegs, which clipped on around the brim to hold the cardboard in place, and prevent the brim returning to cupped shape.
Left it to dry and hanging front over edge of table to retain front 'swoop' (is that correct word?)

The cardboard is not strictly necessary but it prevents marks from the clothes pegs on the felt, and helps to apply an overall consistent pressure across the whole brim width.

The pic below shows the kind of thing I mean, I was trying to straighten the brim a little and add some front droop/swoop whatever to my OR today...

N.

 

[handlebar bart]

This line has been used before.......but............its broke. Send the hat to me and I will see what I can do Personally, I like that on you.

 

[4and1]

Water or steam will work. Or you could just take a few passes over it with a wheelchair.

 

[Dinerman]

1st- is it the right oval shape for your head?
2nd- does snapping the brim down at a point further back make any difference?

 

[Wil Tam]

I wouldn't do the cardboard trick because it may lose it's snap .. I have a Borso that I renovated that did that after I flipped it inside out .. this was my method .. I steamed the old bash completely out then let it cool and dry then I turned on my shower [cold water] water pik set on spray .. and saturated the whole lid outside only, the lining & leather sweat stayed completely dry .. then I just let it air dry completely on a towel with the brim snapped up .. came out fine

after the renovation & before the rebash

after the steam & cold shower



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Now playing: Jose Gonzalez - Remain
via FoxyTunes

 

[4and1]

Seriously, you can steam some of that out right away and see the results as you go. If you soak it in water and rig it up you will have to wait until the felt drys before you can see what you have.

 

[carter]

I'm voting for Pixie Dust but...

I think it looks fine on you as it is.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

What has happened is that the grosgrain binding has shrunk. It is supposed to, that's how it works. In this case, it has shrunk more than you want. To get it to relax, it will have to get wet again, and then dry while stretched out to a slightly larger circumference. Anything that does this will give you the desired results. One of the easiest ways is to use a warm iron, with a wet cloth between the hat brim and the iron.

I am intrigued by the pixie dust. Let us know how it works.

 

[Wil Tam]

Hah Hah Hah

Water or steam will work. Or you could just take a few passes over it with a wheelchair.

Funny!

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Now playing: Jose Gonzalez - Slow Moves
via FoxyTunes

 

[Brad Bowers]

Cast my vote with Carter. The curl is a result of both the contraction of the bound edge when it's installed, and the flange that was ironed into the hat at the factory. It's supposed to be that way, and as such, I think it looks fine on you as well.

However, a little steam and your fingers will get the brim to relax if you'd like it to. Just don't get the steam on the sweatband.

Oh yeah, almost forgot: Beautiful hat, too.

Brad

 

[citRon]

1st- is it the right oval shape for your head?
2nd- does snapping the brim down at a point further back make any difference?

1. yes
2. no, it just curls right back up.

Water or steam will work. Or you could just take a few passes over it with a wheelchair.

:eusa_clap good one!


Ok, I'll try a little steam. I agree with y'all in the 'looks ok to me' camp, too. I just want a little flattness (?) in it.
Thanks!

BTW, the 'stoned' look I portray is due to some nasty flu bug thing I've been fighting plus the fact that I couldn't sleep last night.

 

[BellyTank]

Looks like what happens when you snap down a Homburg...


B
T

 

[Mr. Paladin]

Looks like what happens when you snap down a Homburg...BT

Sacrilege!

CitRon, I think it looks fine; maybe providing that "different look" that we try for in the myriad of creases attempted.

 

[quintox]

Water or steam will work. Or you could just take a few passes over it with a wheelchair.

Let me add to this by saying ,it also helps by placing a backpack on the floor and the hat on top of the backpack and then use the wheelchair technique.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Looks like what happens when you snap down a Homburg...


B
T

From the front, it does, but the profile shot shows this hat is definitely not a Homburg.

 

[BellyTank]

Funny.
Looks just like one of my Homburg conversions- before I removed the edge binding and flattened the brim.


B
T

 

[bolthead]

Why not try a little Scouts on it to stiffen it up? [huh]

 

[jpbales]

That's a beautiful hat! One of my first hats came with the brim snapped up and had probably been that way for a long time (so happens to be a Bond too!). It's brim had a funky curl like that too, and all I did was work on it with some steam and after a bit it was fine. If that doesn't work, then maybe I'd resort to some of the other ideas. Even if you don't fix it, it still looks alright, it just has a bit of flop that adds character to the hat!

 

[quintox]

After looking at the brim of the hat again, I do agree with the need to do something as the way it appears now it is definitely a go home alone style brim.