deanglen
My Mail is Forwarded Here
- Messages
- 3,159
- Location
- Fenton, Michigan, USA
HOW ARE STRAW HATS SHAPED AND CAN THEY BE CHANGED? Okay, I feel better now.
dean
dean
Joel Tunnah said:Dean, I just altered a straw hat, using nothing but steam. I changed an Optimo style (with the center peaked ridge) into a standard porkpie. It came out great. Use a lot of steam, and work on a small area at a time.
They are more flexible than one assumes.
Joel Tunnah said:Hmmm... looks mighty familiar.
up196 said:
Speedster said:Hey this hat has seen more of the States than i have...
Speedster said:Hey this hat has seen more of the States than i have...
Joel Tunnah said:Yes, speedster, your hat was once my hat. But it looks much better now - Dean did a great job. Looks like he softened it up quite a bit too. I love the bash.
Joel
deanglen said:HOW ARE STRAW HATS SHAPED AND CAN THEY BE CHANGED? Okay, I feel better now.
dean
Wolfmanjack said:Dean, I have shaped and reshaped a number of straw hats. Give the hat a soak in hot water, then form it into the desired shape. Let it air-dry in the hot sun, while keeping it supported in the shape you have formed.
One caveat, I have only done this with inexpensive straw/Panama hats; I'm not ready to try this with a Montecristi super fino Panama.
Dinerman said:With milan, steam works really well, though you can work just with cold water as well.
Also, dean, i was bored last night, so I took a leather punch to the side of my "experimentation hat", the '80s stetson I've trimmed the brim and redone the ribbon on. It now has campaign hat style vents in the side.
deanglen said:I'm aiming for one of those straw cowboy hats on e-bay, they're pretty cheap and I think they would make a transition to campaign status, straw style!
dean
Wolfmanjack said:I think the hot water bath technique should work well on one of those straw cowboy hats on e-bay. I soak inside and out, but for just a few moments. the straw will turn soft and pliable quite quickly.
Here's a tip: Work some Lexol into the leather sweatband before you get it wet. Also, I put a strip of aluminum foil between the sweatband and the straw, to keep it from possibly staining the straw during blocking and drying.
I like to wear the hat for the last couple of hours before it is completely dry. This way, it conforms perfectly to my head shape and takes on just a bit of natural character.
One question: How do you plan to reduce the size of brim on the cowboy hat, in order to effect the transition to a narrower-brimmed campaign hat?
Keep us posted on your progress. I might try one of these myself, if I knew how to reduce the width of the brim.
deanglen said:Dinerman, did you really? Great! Can you post a shot? Did the process remove some felt so they don't just close up again? Love to see your handiwork!
dean