The fast taper issue with this hat is due to a fast iron job. When a hat is made, the procedure that "sets" the shape is the ironing. I have discovered that if you pull a new HJ over a block and iron the hat thoroughly, this one procedure helps expoentially. I have to assume therefore, the hats were not ironed sufficiently in production. The block shape could have been "set' better. If I were to buy an HJ today, and wanted it to last a long time before it tapered, here is what I would do. And, if you are a novice hatter, perhaps you will pick up some tips here. Here we go.
I would take the new HJ, and remove the ribbon, sweat, and liner. I would then place the crown or the hat in my hat steamer and steam the crown for 2 to 3 minutes. Working fast, pull the new HJ over a number 52, or similiar block. Let the newly steamed hat dry on the block for at least one hour. You want it bone dry. Once it is dry, you heat a heavy iron, a Tailor's iron is great, and you saturate your hatters sponge(sheepskin with wool attached), and wring it out as dry as you can get it. You then rub the dampened wool, counterclockwise over the hat, and iron it dry with lots of pressue. Iron the entire hat and let it cool. Then, repeat the entire procedure. I doubt that you can iron a hat too much, at this stage, and this is very important when making soft felt hats. The western felt does not need as much attention in this area, or so I have been told. Your hat should now look slick and shiny. At this point, I would pounce the hat, just enough to get rid of the shine caused by the hot iron. Of course, in doing so, the mechanical action of pouncing actually loosens up the iron job that you just did, therefore deteriating the great iron job you just finished .
No problem. Just place a piece of flannel over the crown and iron it one last time, but do not press so hard this time. I then gently rub the now almost dry hatters sponge over the felt and place it outside in the heat to let the slight dampness of the felt to dry naturally, thereby shrinking up the last remains of any looseness in the felt itselfOk. You have now given the HJ what it lacked, as received from the factory. This alone will give you a longer lasting original shape. But, there are two more things you can do to help this HJ out. Being rabbit, it is not as water repellant as a beaver hat would be. Water animals evolved a better underfur for dealing with water, as that is their environment. So, we need to increase the hat's ability to shed water. You can use a double barrel in doing this. I would then apply hot de-fracturnated coconut oil to the crown and brim, using a pad of cotton, heated up on your iron. Do this in a counterclockwise motion. Apply lightly, and evenly. Let it set to cool, and then hit it with a little steam to take away the shiny look. Just enough light steam to do the job, and not one shot more. Steam relaxes the felt. Let it dry once again. Now, the final step is to use numerous very light applications of a good water repellant treatment, letting each application dry before re-applying. I guarantee you there will be a huge difference in this hat once you do this. I have heard that a mixture of Armorall and water will take the place of the oil, and do a better, much longer lasting job. I have yet to try this, so I cannot vouch for it, as of now. But, I plan on trying this out in the very near future, because once you apply silicon to any material, you can't get it out by any means. I have a suspicion that the Armorall and water mixture may be a panacea for even low quality felt, but have not verified this yet. I would be interested in anyone's experiments with the Armorall. It does sound promising. Fedora
