Felt over time

[Indiana jax]

Has anyone ever had any incident where their hat's felt has rubbed through or a hole formed?
Is it related to the "fuzziness" of a hat?

[Hollowpond]

I've got a well worn 22 year old Stetson Temple that has been passed down to my son and the front pinch feels like it could go at any second.

Travis

[Indiana jax]

Is there a way to repair it?

[Mulceber]

Has anyone ever had any incident where their hat's felt has rubbed through or a hole formed?
Is it related to the "fuzziness" of a hat?

No, it's related to how often you hold the hat by the pinch. Doing so causes the felt to be flexed back and forth and eventually that will cause it to split, forming a hole. Once that happens, there's no going back. If you want to avoid having that happen, handle the hat by the brim only. -M

[Barcelona Jones]

If you have a hat that is about to develop a hole (which you will notice because the felt in that are is beginning to have a see-through quality because of felt "attrition"), you can reinforce it with silicone - obviously in the inside, on the feeble area. This will stiffen the crease at that spot, preventing the friction that causes the felt deterioration and, eventually, the hole. Not nice, but it works - and it is not normally visible anyway, even if the hat has no liner.
Some people even do this in new hats, as a precaution - I think it is more common in straw panama hats of the more select variety, because straw will eventually break because of repeated handling.

Of course, the best course is NOT handling the hat by the pinch.

[Fedora]

Back in the old days there was actually a way to repair tears. It involved felting in new fur. Probably a lost art. Fedora

[Insomniac]

Back in the old days there was actually a way to repair tears. It involved felting in new fur. Probably a lost art. Fedora

http://www.hatshop.com/site/hat-repair.php

I suppose you'd take it to the hat shop you bought it from and they'd make replacement or fix and probably all at the expense of maintenance!


BTW
My hat is to big for me can anyone help me?

[binkmeisterRick]

BTW, without veering this thread off topic, there are various threads about large fitting hats if you do some digging.

I have a vintage hat with a weak spot in the front. I took some linen tape and backed it from the inside to strengthen it. Before doing so, I also took a micro-dot of Elmer's glue on my finger and "packed" the felt in place. It's worked for me.

[Long John Tinfoil]

Some time ago Weston started a topic in called

Hole in the hat. @#*$%!!!!

He was able to do a very successful repair. I've been meaning to try this on an old hat of mine but haven't got too it yet.

LJ

If one of the mods knows how to convert that title to a link, please go ahead.

[binkmeisterRick]

Or, you can just post the link to the thread in the basic manner.

[Long John Tinfoil]

Sorry, I've been trying different ways and haven't figured out how.

[binkmeisterRick]

No worries, it's simple. Find the thread, copy the url from the browser, and just paste it in your post!

[Long John Tinfoil]

D'0hhhh!

http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... in+the+hat

[binkmeisterRick]

See, I knew you could do it!

[Long John Tinfoil]

Then you ought to be a "Knower of Things".

I, unfortunately, cannot be one, as I knew neither how to do it nor that I could do it...

I think.

If you know what I mean...

So, umm, what is it you do do?

LJ

[VP]

He steals wallets.

[binkmeisterRick]

Yeah, but that's mostly a hobby. In real life, I'm a counterfeiter.