How much rain can an Akubra take?

[Neophyte]

We don't have kettles and the like here. I can, however, use the pot of water capped with a tin foil volcano method.

Will this work the same, but take longer?

I have my Tilley T3 in case I want to go outside, so I've time to mess with the Fed IV.

 

[Mr E Train]

That should work. Steam is steam.

 

[W4ASZ]

I believe that you should wear your Akubra in the rain. This is a chance to get it to naturally conform to your noggin by, as was rightly suggested, putting it on to finish its drying.

Don't freak out ! If they couldn't take the punishment Akubra would have bellied up years ago.

Enjoy !!!!

 

[Neophyte]

While I agree with you on that, it's not the hat itself that was in anyway messed up. From what I gather from various posters both in this thread and others, the felt stiffener seems to have.......stopped.......working(?). After about 10 minutes of slow steam, I seem to have regained some of the hat's stability. I may take the liner out once the sweatband has totally conformed to my head, because it's become, for lack of a better term, VERY crinkled. I've bashed a rudimentary teardrop-thing into the crown and some simple side dents to see how long it will hold. Some slight taper seems have to developed on the back of the hat, but the sides and fron seem fine (I guess if you HAVE to have taper, you can't do much better than having it where no one will notice ).

I think I will try to mace it with some hairspray...you know, to show it who's boss . Then I'll steam it again later on to see what else I can do to save this hat.

 

[gtdean48]

...
I think I will try to mace it with some hairspray...you know, to show it who's boss . Then I'll steam it again later on to see what else I can do to save this hat.

I wouldn't use hairspray on the felt. I have used it on the sweatband to help keep my hat on during horse shows but never on the felt. JMHO

 

[W4ASZ]

Go Slow !

Let it dry completely. I'd be reluctant to spray any of my hats with hair spray.

I think Scout makes a hat stiffener in spray form. Only as a last resort.

Don't freak out !!!

 

[Neophyte]

Alright, no hairspray then...

The hat is dry now...the sides of the hat are just not stiff enough to hold a bash.

I am glad to say however that the hat fits better now and holds a bash in the crown at least...

 

[Dewhurst]

I may take the liner out once the sweatband has totally conformed to my head, because it's become, for lack of a better term, VERY crinkled.

Ahh, this happens alot! One of my favorite flat caps got caught in rain while on my head and the lining became as you describe (I always take it off now if it starts raining unexpectedly [huh] ). Satin and Silk linings are prone to crinkling, waviness, etc., given the presence of water. Interestingly, I have a fedora with a rucked Satin lining that, even given water, will not show signs of wrinkling. It is the only fedora I have ever owned with a rucked lining though. Not particularly common, I guess?

Good choice for a first felt dress hat, hope things start going your way!

Neophyte, is your avatar image Alucard from Hellsing (by Kouta Hirano)?

 

[Neophyte]

Dewhurst, my avatar is in fact none other than the sadistic Alucard of Hellsing lore. If you go to the thread about movie hats that inspired us, I mentioned GunXSword, Hellsing, and most importantly, Baccano!

Anyway, so far the top of the crown has been somewhat forgiving. The sides, well, haven't. It's completely dry and still very supple and pliable (too supple and pliable).

I may be able to save this hat, but I don't think it will ever regain the crisp, dynamic diamond teardrop shape that I gave it. From this day on, I swear to watch the weather channel anytime I want to wear my hat...

Next purchase shall be a Glen Grey Campdraft and a Fawn Capricorn so I can find out if I look good in slight taper or none at all...though at the rate my Fed IV seems to be going this might not be necessary


This whole fiasco is exactly why I chose the username "Neophyte" to begin with.

 

[rlk]

Have the hat professionally reblocked and it will be as good or better than new.

 

[danofarlington]

Have the hat professionally reblocked and it will be as good or better than new.

That is also my opinion. Then you don't have to worry about the process, just get the result.

 

[Neophyte]

I live in Chattanooga, Tn. There are no such professionals around.

I'd mail it off to get fixed (as soon as I have another hat to dull the pain), but I just don't know anyone within 3-4 hours of where I live or where I go to college. Might any of you generous gentlemen have a suggestion?

I suppose that, for now, I'll give the hat a rest. My head and short haircut will just have to go outside EXPOSED .

Oh well, my confidence and attractiveness will suffer, but at least the problem can be easily corrected.

I choose to remember the hat as it once was...easily visible as my profile picture on facebook. If you want to see it, look at my profile pic. My profile is under the name Alexander Karston Shumaker...the change between then and now (an approximate time span of about 24 hours) is immense.

 

[B.U.H.]

Hello Neophyte,

just don't give up too soon the hope to get your hat into at least as fine a shape as it was.

My favourite hat for years, an older Mayser, has been with me through any weather, having been soaked several times, and it always was possible to get it into shape again.

Two things were important for me to learn:

Give the hat time to dry. It is not necessarily dry when it feels dry from the inner and outer surface. Don't use heat to speed up the process.

Be gentle with the steam. Rather use a lttle steam, and repeat as often as necessary, allowing the hat to cool and maybe even dry a little in between applications, than soaking it again fully via steam (except, of course, if you want to shrink a hat that is too big).

I am really confident that you will be able to get your hat into a fine shape again. Oh, and wearing it for the final part of the drying process has already been mentioned, and I second that suggestion.

 

[danofarlington]

I live in Chattanooga, Tn. There are no such professionals around.

I'd mail it off to get fixed (as soon as I have another hat to dull the pain), but I just don't know anyone within 3-4 hours of where I live or where I go to college. Might any of you generous gentlemen have a suggestion?

I suppose that, for now, I'll give the hat a rest. My head and short haircut will just have to go outside EXPOSED .

Oh well, my confidence and attractiveness will suffer, but at least the problem can be easily corrected.

What you could do is what I am doing now, send it to Greeley Hat Works in Colorado. Their prices are relatively low. Many other hat shops could do the work--virtually any--won't cost much and figure five days mail time each way. As in buying hats, one can consider shipping them out for modification/repair to be part of the "hat life." Re-blocking the hat is fairly routine. My local hat man said that men back in the 50s would go in to a dry cleaners to get their pants pressed and hats blocked while they waited.

 

[Lloyd]

If your hat got soaked last night then I don't think it's really dry. Let it sit for at least another 24 hours before coming to any final decisions. I've hat hats take 2 or 3 days to dry after a real serious soaking.

 

[Neophyte]

Thanks for all the fine advice. I don't intend to trash the Fed IV, or even replace it. If I can't get it into that beautiful shape that I had it in to begin with...well, that's part of the learning experience. If I can...well GREAT. That just means I'll have another hat in the rotation.

Man, the frequency and volume of posts just skyrocketed! This whole thread is much longer than I thought it would be. Very cool!

Not to worry, gents. I haven't given up on the Fed IV yet. I did, however, remove the lining, as the hat has thankfully shrunk to my head shape now and that sizing tape was getting annoying. It indeed reduces the heat a bit, an interesting phenomenon.
If the hat is truly out of my ability to fix, than of course a professional will be recieving it.

The Fed was my first, so I'll treat it special.

I must leave for about a half hour, but I'll be back. Thank you all so much for the anecdotes, advice, and encouragement.

 

[Spats McGee]

I live in Chattanooga, Tn. There are no such professionals around.

I'd mail it off to get fixed (as soon as I have another hat to dull the pain), but I just don't know anyone within 3-4 hours of where I live or where I go to college. Might any of you generous gentlemen have a suggestion? . . . .

Mike Moore in Covington, TN. http://www.buckaroohatters.com/

He's done some hat work for me. He's great to work with and he does a fine job at reasonable prices.

 

[navarre_au]

How much rain can an Akubra take - well theres a rumour that Noah wore one - and that he used an oversized Akubra felt as the keel for the ark.

You "Truly" can drown one - and it will bounce right back

Yes whilst its still damp the crown will be a bit "soggy" and you should be a bit careful on how you sit it out so as not to have a distorted crown or brim - but a quick check morn\night for a day or so should see you right.

Short of running over one with the tractor\horse\ute - these things bounce back real well.

 

[Dave E]

My Stockman got so wet a few years ago that my head was getting wet through the hat and liner. That was before my interest in hats really took off, but I just let it dry out for a few days and I'm still wearing it today.

 

[jlee562]

Akubras were and are built for the Australian outback, they're tough. I don't bat an eye when caught in the rain in my Fed, actually, I almost look forward to wearing that hat in the rain.

If the felt got soaked through to the core, it may not be completely dry yet, despite what it appears on the outside. Give it some time.