There's lots of info here on bashing and pinching a fedora; that's pretty easy to do really.
But what about when the back of the brim gets wonky?
(the digital camera is at home. had to improvise.)
I can steam this wavy thing, but I can't get it to return to that nice sharp upturned lip that the ol' Adventurebilt had so long. You push one bit in and another pops out like buttons on an old car radio.
I can't think of what I could use as a 'form' to smooth the brim over while steaming it.
Lacking a flange you can iron the brim flat on the lowest steam setting and once flat but still pliable, pick it up and hold the brim against you and work a slight curve in the edge with your fingers. Remember the clip of Joe Jr. doing it like that down in Ft Worth at the Peters Bros store?
Sable is a great artist. I had that happen to my Peters Bros hat once, and I steamed the brim and set some textbooks down on top of it and let it dry that way. Then I re steamed it and worked the curl back into it afterwards and it was fine.
Can't add much to the tips given here, as they are just what I'd do, if I didn't have a flange...
But I just had to compliment on that nice drawing as well! You couldn't have shown the wrinkled brim effect better, by using a picture. Very well done.
Hmmm. What I did once - and this is from Swales again - he said spray it down with water, place a t-shirt over it, and briefly iron it. That should straighten it out.
I gave it a shot and while it looks quite good, better than it has in a long while, I can't get the nice pronounced upward swoop in the back that Steve/Fedora had initially given it. The man's very gifted to be sure.
Still, I'm very happy with it. Thanks for your advice everyone!
gave it a shot and while it looks quite good, better than it has in a long while, I can't get the nice pronounced upward swoop in the back that Steve/Fedora had initially given it. The man's very gifted to be sure.
Not gifted, just the right tools is all. There is no replacement for the flanged brim. I actually flange the brims and then take some out for Raiders fedora. The thing about flanged brims is if you use one with a nice tight curl, it is too much of a curl for a Raiders fedora, but these will stay in the brim. This is due to the outer edge of the brim actually having to shrink in order to curl. If you use a slighter curl that is Indy accurate, since no shrinkage takes place on the outer perimeter, the curl has a tendency to relax if they get wet. Nowadays, I put a more severe curl in the back, and then take some of it out to get the look right. I have found these will stay in the brim, even if it gets soaked. Of course, if the hat has lots of stiffner in the brim, all curls stay in a long time due to the shellac. Fedora
There is no replacement for the flanged brim. I actually flange the brims and then take some out for Raiders fedora. The thing about flanged brims is if you use one with a nice tight curl, it is too much of a curl for a Raiders fedora, but these will stay in the brim. This is due to the outer edge of the brim actually having to shrink in order to curl. If you use a slighter curl that is Indy accurate, since no shrinkage takes place on the outer perimeter, the curl has a tendency to relax if they get wet. Nowadays, I put a more severe curl in the back, and then take some of it out to get the look right. I have found these will stay in the brim, even if it gets soaked. Of course, if the hat has lots of stiffner in the brim, all curls stay in a long time due to the shellac. Fedora
